The City Council's urban planning department oversees the organization and control of the territory of the National District, protected by Law 675 on Urbanizations and Beautification, and Law 6232 which establishes the urban planning process in cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants
SANTO DOMINGO – The land represents the starting point for any construction project and determines the type of building that can be erected. Before any project begins, the site undergoes a series of investigations, the findings of which determine whether the project is viable or rejected.
Agents inclined towards this type of sale need technical training, beyond the usual rigor, because to reach the closing of a land sale you have to travel a path that is not always smooth.
Collecting a commission for the sale of a plot of land can take up to three years due to the amount of paperwork required to ensure all the necessary documentation is in order. In the rare cases where the paperwork is complete, the process takes between three and six months.
Denisse Sánchez is no longer surprised by the delay in the process, because she has been in this industry for about 20 years and knows that this classification of real estate requires much greater complexity than the simple sale or rental of a home.
Her mentor, engineer Juan Luis Crisóstomo, introduced her to the world of land surveying technology, and through her own efforts and the support of professionals in the industry, she has established herself as a leading expert in the field. She has a firm grasp of the city's consolidated map and, without needing to consult anyone, can determine which areas are suitable or unsuitable for construction and explain why.
“Right now, the few vacant lots that remain in the city are mostly due to inheritance issues; there's no clear heir.” Another reason the specialist cites is that some properties, although detached, are found to be interconnected with nearby houses when traced, requiring a more complex procedure to resolve.
The most sought-after land in the city is for apartment construction. This includes areas such as El Millón, Evaristo Morales, Naco, El Vergel, Bella Vista, Ensanche Quisqueya, Mirador, Arroyo Hondo 1st, Arroyo Hondo Viejo, and Piantini, among others. Buildings are typically between four and six stories, while those in the city center are permitted for six to nine stories, as determined by the City Hall's Urban Planning (Zoning) Department.
“A person who wants to sell their house because they understand that they can build a building should first go to urban planning and see how many levels are allowed in the area, and from there the height and the price will depend,” explains the general manager of Land Broker RD.
Sixty percent of their clients are construction companies, 20% are car dealerships, and they also receive requests for land for industrial buildings or camps for trucking and heavy equipment companies looking for a place for their equipment to stay overnight. Finally, there are individuals looking for land for their homes, but that's a very small percentage.
With the experience gained from years of practice, Sánchez has a meticulous knowledge of the cadastral map, its streets and complexities, and the entire spectrum surrounding the issue. She immersed herself for months in the land registry, the city hall, and all the agencies involved in the process. Today, she proudly displays her expertise, claiming to be the most knowledgeable person on the subject of land in the city because she trained for it, and she proudly showcases the results.
