Broker: Juan, I have a client who’s a lessor but not VAT-registered. If he sells the property, shouldn’t the sale be exempt from VAT? Juan: What kind of property? Broker: It’s a building with rooms being rented out. Juan: Then the sale can still be subject to VAT. See, VAT isn’t determined solely by your current registration status as “non-VAT registered.” It’s based on whether your transactions cause you to breach the VAT threshold. Since the property is used in business, it

Remember this story? My client had a simple fix for it. From Old Post: Once upon a time, a broker closed a deal and was tasked to transfer the title to the buyer’s name. The sellers were based abroad. Years prior, during a visit to the Philippines, they executed a Special Power of Attorney (SPA), authorizing a relative to sign on their behalf. Everything was complete. Documents were in order. Then came submission. The person in authority glanced at the SPA… paused… and said:

In banking, staff are required to operate out of a “backup office” for a week each year—a site located far from the main headquarters, designed to take over if something catastrophic happens. It’s part of Business Continuity Management. Most hated it—seeing it as wasted office space, idle equipment, and lost time. Preparing for a scenario that feels… unlikely. Until 2020. --- BCM exists for one purpose: to make sure the institution survives. --- Now bring that into real estat

Early in my career, I thought I had a breakthrough strategy: destroy the benchmark. If success in brokerage is driven by inventory, then the fastest way to win is simple: get more listings than everyone else. The top brokers I spoke to had: 300+ listings The very best broker? Around 800 quality listings Not all are direct, some are co-marketed. But with that scale, probability works in your favor. So I asked: how do I get there faster? The idea: Lower the commission. Typical

When setting up a food business in the Philippines—whether as a manufacturer or an importer—you are required to secure a License to Operate from the FDA. And getting that license isn’t just paperwork. The FDA will actually inspect your declared office/warehouse. They want to confirm that your business physically exists—that you’re not a fly-by-night operation that disappears the moment something goes wrong with your product. This principle isn’t unique to the FDA. Banks opera

One useful trick in real estate is learning how to estimate the size of a space just by looking at it. Here’s a simple method. Step 1: Use a car as your measuring stick Imagine a Toyota Fortuner. A Fortuner is common enough that most people can picture its size. Step 2: Place the car in the space Mentally park the Fortuner inside the area you’re trying to estimate. At the corner. If it helps, imagine standing beside the car: • the driver’s door • the back seat • the trunk Onc

Here’s a practical tip I picked up from a fellow broker on how to minimize notarial costs when closing a sale — without cutting corners. The situation When you submit a Deed of Absolute Sale (DOAS) to the BIR, many RDOs require a separate document called an Acknowledgment Receipt (AR) stating that the seller has received the full consideration indicated in the DOAS. Technically, most DOAS templates already contain a clause like: “Receipt of which is hereby acknowledged by the

Let’s play a game of “Never Have I Ever…” I’ll go first. 1. Never have I ever seen a buyer appreciate a supot-shaped lot and say: "Wow, papasok lahat ng suwerte dito!" 2. Never have I ever heard a buyer say: “Solid nito ah… buhos yung foundation!” 3. Never have I ever seen a buyer read a sign that says “SERIOUS BUYERS ONLY” and think: “Naku, bawal pala ako dito. Di ako serious eh.” 4. Never have I ever seen a buyer fall for a “discount” that’s literally just the gross price

Can a Philippine property sale be settled in a foreign currency, with the proceeds remitted to a foreign bank account? Most bank relationship managers will tell you: “Not possible.” But...it IS possible. Bank RMs usually say no because the process is a hassle. It requires back-and-forth between the branch, the RM, and the bank’s Treasury Department. It also carries real regulatory risk (AMLA scrutiny) for the remitting branch—while earning the bank almost nothing. So for many

A difficult situation just happened in one of our rental units. And this is one of those rare cases where the security deposit — even at two (2) months’ rent — simply wasn’t enough to cover the damage. It was an expensive lesson. So moving forward, we added a clause to our lease contract to avoid any misunderstanding on the tenant’s side — and to make it clear that they remain liable for any amount exceeding the security deposit. Yes, some might say it’s “common sense.” But i