Sweden consistently ranks among the top nationalities purchasing property on the Costa del Sol. Yet despite their familiarity with real estate transactions at home, Swedish buyers arrive with expectations shaped by one of the most regulated and transparent property markets in the world. Understanding that gap is essential — for buyers, agents, and legal advisers alike.
In a recent episode of The Country Files, Peter Franke — co-founder of Franke & de la Fuente and a Swedish lawyer practising on the Costa del Sol — sat down with Linus Nyberg of Solvilla Marbella, a Swedish-trained real estate agent who qualified in Sweden before relocating to Marbella. Together they mapped the key differences between the Swedish and Spanish property purchase processes.
A Heavily Regulated Profession at Home
In Sweden, becoming a licensed real estate agent requires a two-year university degree, membership in a professional association, and ongoing supervision by a regulatory authority. Agents who breach their obligations can lose their licence entirely. The Swedish agent carries significant legal responsibility — including for the contracts and the legal aspects of any transaction.
This stands in stark contrast to Spain, where no equivalent mandatory qualification or supervisory framework applies in most regions. As Linus Nyberg pointed out, the Swedish agent studies law extensively precisely because the role demands it. Peter Franke drew out the logical conclusion for anyone familiar with the Spanish system:
“I’m not needed, basically.”
— Peter Franke, Franke & de la Fuente
The remark captures an important reality: in Sweden, the agent absorbs many of the functions that in Spain belong to an independent lawyer. Swedish buyers therefore often arrive expecting their agent to take on a quasi-legal role — and must be clearly informed, early on, that the reverse is true here.
“you need to educate and inform them along the process”
— Linus Nyberg, Solvilla Marbella
The Reservation Contract: An Unknown Step
In Sweden, there is no equivalent of the Spanish reservation contract. A Swedish buyer moves directly from interest to a binding private purchase contract. The concept of paying a deposit to reserve a property while due diligence is carried out is, for many Swedish buyers, entirely unfamiliar.
This matters because Swedish buyers may interpret the reservation stage as either more binding — or less meaningful — than it actually is. Clarifying its purpose, its legal effect, and what happens during the due diligence period that follows is a conversation that must happen before any money changes hands.
Transparency in Pricing: A Significant Departure
Perhaps nowhere is the difference more pronounced than in how property prices are formed and disclosed.
In Sweden, all transaction data is publicly accessible. Peter Franke described what a Swedish buyer takes for granted:
“in Sweden you can go into and find a certain property and see not only what was the asking price, you can see also when it was sold”
— Peter Franke, Franke & de la Fuente
Historical sale prices, price-per-square-metre benchmarks, and precise location data are all publicly available. Swedish buyers routinely conduct detailed independent research before approaching an agent.
On the Costa del Sol, that infrastructure does not exist. What portals such as Idealista display is, in most cases, only the asking price.
“I rarely see the closing price, which we do in Sweden because everything’s public.”
— Linus Nyberg, Solvilla Marbella
Swedish buyers therefore often arrive with expectations of price transparency that the market here simply cannot meet:
“they sort of expect that prices should be easily available for this community or this area or even this street.”
— Peter Franke, Franke & de la Fuente
Furthermore, pricing on the Costa del Sol does not follow the neat, geography-led patterns Swedish buyers are accustomed to. Value here is driven by the specific development or community — its exclusivity, amenities, and positioning — rather than by street or district alone.
“the Swedish market here, is maybe more driven by the the complex itself or the community itself, what they have and what they offer, how exclusive that might be. And that could differ a lot in the prices.”
— Linus Nyberg, Solvilla Marbella
As a result, market knowledge here cannot be easily acquired independently — it resides with professionals who monitor individual transactions over time.
“The knowledge of the individual agent here is much more important, I would say, than let’s say compared to Sweden, because everybody has the information already of the prices.”
— Peter Franke, Franke & de la Fuente
And the practical consequence is straightforward:
“it’s important to find the right agent.”
— Peter Franke, Franke & de la Fuente
Technical Inspections: Expected, But Misunderstood
In Sweden, it is now standard practice for sellers of private houses to commission a full technical inspection before listing. All findings are published on the portal and visible to any buyer from the moment they first view the listing. This practice largely removes the renegotiation dynamic from the transaction.
Swedish buyers may therefore naturally expect equivalent pre-listing disclosure in Spain. When it is absent — which is the norm — many still wish to commission their own inspection. The challenge lies in how that inspection is accommodated within the contractual framework, and what rights it confers.
“you need to remind them, okay, here you don’t have the technical inspection done previously, so maybe you should do that before completing on the property.”
— Linus Nyberg, Solvilla Marbella
Critically, not all sellers on the Costa del Sol are Swedish. A buyer who assumes that an unsatisfactory inspection automatically entitles them to a price reduction or cancellation must understand that this depends entirely on how any inspection condition has been drafted into the reservation or purchase contract — and whether the seller agrees. This is an area where precise legal drafting is paramount.
The Bidding Process and Transparency in Offers
In Sweden, the bidding process is fully transparent and conducted digitally in real time. All parties can see every bid and counter-bid as it is made, and participants have the right to access the full record once concluded. Peter Franke described the contrast plainly:
“this system is so different than what people are used to in Sweden that it can become a little bit frustrating because they are not in control. They don’t understand.”
— Peter Franke, Franke & de la Fuente
In Spain, offers are communicated through agents, often with limited visibility for the buyer, and in many transactions more than one agent is involved on different sides. Managing this experience requires clear communication at every stage and a legal framework that safeguards the buyer’s position regardless of how the negotiation unfolds.
The Role of the Notary
In Sweden, a notary public performs a limited administrative function. Swedish buyers are often entirely unprepared for the central role played by the Spanish notary, who reviews the title deed in full, verifies the identity and capacity of both parties, and oversees the formal transfer of ownership.
The mechanics of completion also differ considerably. As Linus Nyberg noted, in Sweden the process is entirely digital:
“It’s a very digital process.”
— Peter Franke, Franke & de la Fuente
Both parties’ banks are connected to a shared platform, contracts are uploaded in real time, and funds are transferred without either party visiting a bank. In Spain, completion at the notary’s office may involve certified bank cheques, the physical presence of bank representatives, and a considerably more formal procedure. Preparing a Swedish buyer for this experience — including the volume and complexity of the Spanish title deed — avoids unnecessary anxiety and ensures they arrive at the notary fully informed.
Legal Advice Is Not a Cultural Preference — It Is a Structural Necessity
The Swedish property system is built around an agent who carries legal responsibility and a seller who is legally obliged to disclose all known defects. In Spain, neither of those protections applies by default.
Independent legal representation on the Costa del Sol is the structural equivalent of the protections Swedish buyers have always had at home — it simply takes a different form. Due diligence must be commissioned, coordinated, and managed by a lawyer. Documentation that would be published automatically in Sweden must be actively requested and verified.
For international buyers arriving with high expectations and limited knowledge of local practice, experienced legal counsel is what bridges that gap.
