By Reyna Echenique,
Special to El Inmobiliario
Although I had another opinion piece ready for today, I felt the need to change the direction of my Sunday publications. My purpose is to share a reflection born from my years of experience in the legal and real estate worlds. My hope is that this perspective can benefit the new generation, serving as a reference point for them. Exactly five years ago, with the vision of leaving a
significant legacy to the Dominican real estate sector, I committed to writing a book that would naturally integrate the convergence of these two areas in my professional practice.
When personal experience becomes collective purpose
How many times have we found ourselves in situations where a lack of legal clarity complicates a real estate transaction? How many times have we wished for a guide that unifies legal criteria with everyday real estate practice? These questions accompanied my career for years, but it was in my own experience that I found the most revealing answers.
As a lawyer specializing in real estate law and an active real estate agent, I've had the unique privilege of experiencing both worlds firsthand. In my daily practice, the two universes—legal and real estate—aren't separate entities, but rather complementary facets of the same reality. It was this dual experience that led me to a profound reflection and a transformative question: what if I captured my legal and real estate experience in a book so that the next generation could benefit from something I didn't have?
The decision to write stemmed from that inner reflection that made me recognize a real need in our industry. During my years navigating legal cases, hearings, buying, selling, and renting properties, and visiting various real estate offices, I observed how the artificial separation between these two worlds creates gaps that affect the quality of service and the security of our clients.
The meeting of two worlds in a single practice
In the Dominican Republic, we have traditionally seen two spheres operate independently that, in my personal experience, are intrinsically connected: legal professionals and real estate professionals. This separation has created gaps that I have experienced firsthand.
My career has given me a unique perspective: lawyers are experts in the law but don't always understand the business dynamics of the real estate market. Real estate agents know the market, but often lack the legal depth needed to anticipate complex legal issues. In my practice, these worlds naturally converge, and from that convergence, the idea for this book, "Real Estate from a Legal Perspective,"
The responsibility of our generation
As established professionals, we have an unavoidable responsibility to new generations. We cannot simply pass on sales techniques; we must bequeath comprehensive tools that enable them to practice with excellence and full legal certainty.
The new generation deserves access to systematized knowledge that will save them years of learning through trial and error. They deserve to understand that legal certainty is not an optional extra, but the foundation of their value proposition. They deserve what I didn't have: a comprehensive guide that bridges both worlds through practical experience.
More than a book: a tool born from experience
Soon you will learn about the first Dominican publishing effort that comprehensively merges the legal and practical aspects of the national real estate market, systematizing a dispersed body of regulations in an accessible format for professionals in the sector.
This work stems from my personal experience navigating between both worlds and from the conviction that knowledge must be democratized. It can no longer remain the exclusive domain of specialists, but must be accessible to all professionals who aspire to excellence.
The process: challenges and synthesis
Writing about the intersection of law and real estate involved systematizing years of practical experience. It required researching scattered case law, analyzing conflicting regulations, and presenting complex technical information in an understandable way.
The most enriching part of the process was finding that balance between legal rigor and practical applicability—something I experience daily in my professional practice. Each chapter had to simultaneously meet legal precision and operational utility.
A mirror for the profession
This reflection, far from being vanity, aims to serve as a mirror for our profession. We must honestly ask ourselves: are we committed to professional excellence, or are we navigating the waters of comfortable mediocrity?
The Dominican real estate sector is undergoing a profound transformation. We can continue with fragmented practices, or we can leap into a new era of comprehensive professionalization. The difference lies in our collective commitment to raising standards.
The legacy we built
Each of us, consciously or unconsciously, builds a professional legacy. What legacy do we want to leave for the Dominican real estate sector? Will we be remembered as the generation that maintained the status quo, or as the one that laid the foundations for a new era of professionalization?
My contribution takes the form of a work that aspires to become an essential reference for lawyers, notaries, real estate agents, developers, students, and investors. It is a tool that unifies legal criteria and real estate practices, strengthening the legal security of transactions.
A call to action
This article is a call for reflection and collective action. We need more professionals willing to document, systematize, and share specialized knowledge. We need to create a culture of excellence that transcends individual interests and focuses on strengthening the sector.
The future of the Dominican real estate sector depends on our collective ability to achieve comprehensive professionalization. It's not just about selling more properties, but about doing so with the highest standards of quality, transparency, and legal security.
The question that should guide us every day: What are we doing today to ensure that future generations are better than we are? What are we doing to give them what we didn't have?
The legacy we build today will be the inheritance our sector receives tomorrow.
This article is a 'reflection from a real estate professional who is also a practicing lawyer'.
The author is a real estate lawyer, real estate entrepreneur CEO Echenique Group, coach, trainer and speaker certified by John Maxwell and Tania Báez, Secretary of the Board of Directors AEI 2024-2026, realtor specializing in the Dominican and international real estate sector.
