The windows of the Engel & Völkers agency opposite the Palma headquarters of the Spanish Government Delegation in the Balearics were cracked in an act of vandalism against an agency well known in Mallorca for its marketing of luxury properties to foreign buyers. Red paint was daubed on signs.
Red paint also appeared on the Palma office of Priority Villas & Apartments, a holiday rentals agency. The company says that the police were informed, adding that this was not the first vandalism it had suffered.
"At another building we manage, the front was daubed with paint, and a week earlier there was vandalism of the boxes where apartment keys are kept. All the owners of the properties we manage are Mallorcan, who own only one home and are paying the mortgage with what they earn from this activity."
The company states that its ambition is "not to grow". "We want to maintain our position and comply with strict regulations. These are not large funds that buy buildings to convert them into holiday rentals." But it warns that "there is a lot of illegal supply" that is impacting the rest of holiday rental activity. "Airbnb and governments should emphasise compliance with the law."
These acts of vandalism are not the first to have targeted property agencies.