Press Release: AIPO launch by AIPP

AIPP LAUNCHES ALLIANCE OF INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY OWNERS – SUPPORTS 1.5 MILLION BRITISH-RESIDENT OWNERS AND 20,000 ANNUAL BUYERS OF A FOREIGN PROPERTY: FREEHOLD, LEASEHOLD AND TIMESHARE.

Industry trade body, AIPP, launched the ‘Alliance’ at A Place in the Sun Live over weekend of 11-13 May at London Olympia to a warm welcome from 8,500+ visitors and the trade.

The Alliance has a focus on four key areas for buyers and owners:

  1. Knowledge and support – free guides and legal advice
  2. Savings and offers – to lower the cost of ownership
  3. Representation to Governments – as required
  4. Community hub – sharing information

The Alliance provides free legal advice either as a safe ‘road map’ to purchase or for owners with a matter to resolve. The service is administered by AIPP and delivered through the support of the AIPP Legal Working Group (currently excludes timeshare, this is provided free via the Timeshare Taskforce Helpline).

Blog articles will focus on ownership case studies, lifestyle pieces and the latest industry news from verified members of the trade.

AIPP CEO, Peter Robinson, said:

“We felt it was time the industry delivered support for what it helps to create: British owners of a foreign property or timeshare. While ex-pats often have a locally supportive community, British-resident owners have no collective voice or definitive place to go for information and support should they need it. The Alliance is a membership organisation built by the property industry to serve its customers well beyond the initial buying phase.”

AIPP has a focus on the need to ‘Buy right, own well’ through its members. AIPP members are unique in subscribing to a professional code of conduct with potential recourse for their clients through the UK-based Property Ombudsman.

Membership of the Alliance is free for buyers and owners to join (in its launch phase) and will be later offered to founder members at a discounted rate.

A conservative estimate by the Alliance puts at £5billion a year the amount of money spent in the UK by British residents accessing their foreign property and at £15 billion the money they spend once there. Many foreign communities are highly dependent on the money British owners spend in their locale, supporting a much wider range of businesses than just holidaymakers.

The Alliance is co-supported by the RDO (Resort Development Organisation), the trade association for holiday ownership across Europe, encompassing timeshare, fractional interests, private residence clubs and other usage types.

Alliance Members will receive special offers from select partners to support them both ‘home and away’, lowering their cost of ownership. Launch partners include Clear Currency and Blevins Franks. More will be added soon. The ‘home’ launch offer for founding members is a complimentary 12-month membership to the Luxury Restaurant Club in the UK. Timeshare owners also benefit from a discounted travel insurance scheme from Leisure Guard Insurance, offering refunds on timeshare annual management charges and a rebate on their purchase price.

ENDS

For further information and access to photographs and logos, please contact: AIPO Editor and AIPP Head of Marketing, Claire Robinson at claire@aipo.org.uk.

AIPP is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation based in London since 2006 with over 350 corporate members in 30 countries. Compliance advice to AIPP members is endorsed by UK National Trading Standards (Estate Agency Team) www.aipp.org.uk