Spanish property terms, clearly explained
Zona Explains is a practical reference library for international buyers and owners. Each page explains one Spanish property term, document, tax or platform—what it means, why it matters and what to verify.
Start with the essentials
Idealista
How Spain’s major property portal works, what listings may not reveal and why the public market is only part of a Mallorca search.
NIE number
The foreigner identification number commonly needed for a Spanish property purchase, tax filings and related administration.
Nota simple
The informational Property Registry extract used to review ownership, registered rights, limitations and charges.
Contrato de arras
The pre-completion deposit agreement whose wording can create important obligations for buyers and sellers.
ITP
The property transfer tax generally relevant when buying a resale home in Mallorca.
Finca
What this broad Spanish property term means—and why it says nothing by itself about a rural home’s legal status.
Go deeper
These definitions support our longer guides to buying property in Mallorca, legal checks, costs and taxes and buying a finca.