What Spain Can Learn from the American Real Estate Mindset:

Lessons from the US Real Estate Market: An Inspiring Insight

Due to a family matter, I recently spent several weeks in the United States—the longest continuous time I’ve spent there in decades.

While Madrid remains my home, and where I most prefer to be (when not visiting grandchildren in São Paulo or Luxembourg), this extended stay gave me an unexpected opportunity: to immerse myself more fully in American culture than I had in years, especially from a real estate perspective.

What struck me most was the cultural contrast between the American and Spanish approach to property—both on a personal and professional level. Real Estate as a Path to Independence

Why is access to the real estate market easier in the US than in Spain?

En Estados Unidos, la inversión inmobiliaria se percibe como un camino accesible para cualquier persona dispuesta a aprender los principios básicos. Existe una creencia arraigada de que, independientemente del nivel de ingresos o del origen social, cualquiera que tenga determinación y conocimientos financieros puede empezar a construir una cartera de propiedades, incluso comenzando con una operación “no money down” en una zona modesta.
Esta mentalidad de «sweat equity»—es decir, invertir el propio tiempo y esfuerzo físico para generar valor—es algo que rara vez se observa en España.

This “sweat equity” mindset—investing one's own time and labor to create value—is something I rarely see embraced in Spain outside of a small group of seasoned developers. Underlying this is a broader aspiration: real estate as a tool to gain financial independence—not just wealth, but freedom from dependency on employers or the state

Several systemic factors enable this culture:

Lower Barriers to Entry Lower transaction costs and more flexible tax structures allow individuals to operate with fewer bureaucratic burdens. There’s no “alta de autónomo” hurdle draining your income before you earn it.

Transparency and Information Access Granular neighborhood data is freely available—income, demographics, housing trends—enabling better decision-making.

Flexible Zoning Laws Entrepreneurs can repurpose or adapt properties with far fewer restrictions than in Spain.

Access to Credit U.S. investors have access to traditional bank loans and private capital, even without large personal savings. It’s risky—but the opportunity exists.

Opportunities are created, not inherited: a reflection from RS Bersy

In Spain, real estate is often seen as something for the wealthy or institutional investor. Bureaucracy, regulation, and the lack of practical education make it extremely difficult for someone of modest means to get started. There’s no widespread culture of real estate education for the general public, nor much inspiration for small-scale entrepreneurship in the sector.

At RS Bersy, we believe in creating opportunities through real estate. I hope that one day Spain will see reforms that make it easier for everyday citizens to take initiative and build a future through their own effort—not just inherit opportunity, but create it.

Until then, I return to Madrid with gratitude—and with renewed respect for the entrepreneurial energy of the American real estate market.

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