Regulatory floor
Direct authorisation by a Tier-1 regulator: the FCA in the United Kingdom, Banco de España in Spain, the Central Bank of Ireland, FINMA in Switzerland, ASIC in Australia, or an equivalent recognised authority. Agency and introducer models are not automatically excluded, but the ultimate regulated principal must be a Tier-1-authorised institution and the relationship must be clearly disclosed on the provider's own website.
For inclusion, a provider must additionally be traceable to an entry in the Banco de España Registro de entidades (live register) — either directly licensed in Spain, or passported in from another EU/EEA regulator — as reflected in the Tesoro Público circular of authorised payment, currency exchange and electronic money institutions (circular PDF). This is the Spain-side check that a provider is lawfully able to serve a buyer sending funds into Spain.
Safeguarding structure
Client funds must be safeguarded in a manner consistent with the provider's licence — segregated at a Tier-1 bank, or the closest equivalent required by the regulator in question. The provider must disclose its safeguarding arrangements publicly.
Transfer-capability floor
- Ability to process transfers of at least €50,000 without exceptional restrictions.
- Demonstrated experience in property-purchase flows (evidence in provider documentation, industry disclosures or public case material).
- Support for the destination currency of the transaction, obviously EUR for Spain.
Transparency floor
- Publicly stated pricing model (fee, margin, or a clear description of how the two combine).
- A published complaints procedure and a named regulator to escalate to.
- Contactable customer support in English.
What triggers a review
Loss of regulatory authorisation, a material change in safeguarding arrangements, a substantiated pattern of complaints in a Tier-1 regulator's public data, or a documented and material misrepresentation on the provider's own site will each trigger a re-review. Where the review concludes that the provider no longer meets the inclusion floor, the provider is removed from the index and a note is published on their profile page and in the changelog.