Grab a glass of carmenere and fire up the grill to make yourself “asado,” because this month we are visiting Coldwell Banker Nueva Las Condes, located in the bustling capital city of Santiago de Chile. Also serving as the headquarters for the Coldwell Banker Chile network, celebrating its official launch this month, the office is already home to dozens of agents setting the Coldwell Banker standard of excellence for all of Chile. “I come from a family where Real Estate was their primary focus, and even though I am an engineer I was always knew I would come back to the family business,” notes Managing Partner Pablo Benchoa. He continues, “having the opportunity of building a worldwide brand in Chile was a challenge that motivated me to join the Coldwell Banker brand worldwide. We see great opportunity in Chile and hopefully soon we will be #1 in the market.”

With a third of the country’s population residing in the capital, there is endless amounts to see and do, but we also recommend you venture through the whole country, visiting the lakes in Patagonia to the South, the beaches of the Pacific Ocean to the West, or the Andes Mountains flanking the country’s border to the East. Additionally, the country is the sixth largest producer of wine in the world.  Santiago itself is located so that you can surf in the Pacific Ocean easily one day and finding yourself skiing in the Andes the next. Beautiful parks and historical sites are present throughout Santiago, including the home of Nobel prize winner, poet Pablo Neruda. With so much to see and do, its no wonder Santiago is a major South American destination for travelers and investors alike.

“Chile has been called ‘the Switzerland of Latin America’, both because of its beauty but also because it is a very stable market and with great projections for the future,” Managing Partner Javier Macchi shares, “it is a great destination for business and leisure, and with low credit rates and plenty of opportunities, it is definitely a choice to invest in real estate worldwide.” Read on to see more about all that Santiago has to offer, and why you may want to start planning your next vacation there ASAP!

Where do you live: The Coldwell Banker Chile main office is in Santiago de Chile, the capital city.

What is the perfect weekend day like: It really depends on your tastes! You have many choices near Santiago: either you can go to the beach to enjoy the Pacific Ocean waves in summer, or you can ski the Andes slopes in winter.

What are the common modes of transportation there: Santiago has an advanced public transportation system, if you don’t want to use your car, you can reach any point in the city via metro or bus. During the last few years public bicycles and electric scooters have become available to travel short distances.

Tell us about the foods your area is known for: There are numerous local dishes that are very popular, if I have to pick some of them, I will go with the basic menu for our Independence Day celebrations: “empanadas chilenas” (meat pastries) and “mote con huesillos” (peach and barley in syrup) for dessert.

What is your favorite meal? At home or at a restaurant: My favorite meal will always be having an “asado” (barbecue) with friends in my house, with different choices of meats and vegetables, and drinking any of our famous Chilean wines.

Where do you recommend someone vacation in your region, why: There are several interesting options in Chile for vacations, but for someone coming to Chile for the first time, I would recommend going to the southern region in the spring or summer. There are beautiful lakes and lush forests where you can have many outdoors activities or just go to the lake and swim in pristine waters.

What is your favorite recreational or leisure time activity: One of my favorite sports is skiing, so having several ski resorts 90 minutes away, it’s definitely my first option in winter and spring.

Is there a specialty your area is known for: I wouldn’t say it is something unique to Chile, but this country is one of the largest exporters of copper and salmon worldwide. And I cannot stress enough the quality of the Chilean wines!

Share a little known but interesting fact about the area/region: Chile is a long but very narrow country; one interesting fact is that in spring you can ski in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon.

If you were to live in any other region where we have a Coldwell Banker presence, where would it be and why: It is difficult to select one from so many great places where Coldwell Banker has a presence, but if I have to pick one, I would go with the first Coldwell Banker office I saw in Breckenridge, CO, where we have been many times with my family on vacations.

Territory Summary:

Santiago is the capital city; the country is subdivided in 13 administrative divisions called ‘regiones’. Population is 16.3M people, having 6.4M in the metropolitan area. The government system is a republic, and the language is Spanish. The total land area if 749 sq. km. and climate is temperate: desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south. Current economic model based in the 1974 economic reforms, with great success in the 1990s and 2000s, having the strongest market structure in Latin America. Labor force is made up of 7 million people of which nearly 14% is accounted to the agricultural sector, mainly food (fish, fruits) and timber, which accounts for 6% of the GDP. Industrial sector accounts for almost 50% of GDP and employs 23% of the labor force. Main industries are minerals (copper), processed food (fish, wine), wood products, and textiles. The services sector accounts for 45% of the national GDP and about 63% of the labor force, with a large % associated to the tourism industry.

Key Facts:

• Population: 16.3 million
• Language(s) Spoken: Spanish
• Climate: Temperate: desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south.
• Currency: Peso Chileno (CLP)

Industry Facts:

• Types of Architecture: There are a lot of different architectural styles, the most recognizable is the Chilean house: usually a residence in the outskirts of the city, painted in white or other light colors with a roof of red tiles.
• Average Sale price: It varies a lot depending on the region, from USD 110,000 in the lowest end, to USD 630,000 in the higher end areas.
• Average years in house/apt: 10 years
• Types of financing: Most properties are bought using mortgages from financial institutions.

Follow Coldwell Banker Nueva Las Condes on social media!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColdwellBankerChile/

Instagram: @coldwellbankerchile

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coldwellbankerchile