Gradual changes the rules of rent-to-own
Last Updated on 26 June 2025 by Urbanitae
Gradual offers a fresh take on the traditional rent-to-own model. The future homeowner selects a property on the open market, and Gradual’s team of experts provides advice and support throughout the entire purchase process. An institutional investor buys the home and offers it to the client under the Gradual scheme, enabling flexible access to home ownership. The initial contribution is reduced to 5%, and buyers have up to 7 years to save and complete the purchase. Backed by the Pryconsa Group, Gradual is revolutionizing this market. Guillermo Estévez, the company’s CEO, explains in this interview why their proposal is a real alternative for thousands of people struggling to access homeownership.
How and when did Gradual come about?
In 2020, we were looking for a solution to the homeownership access problem, which already existed at that time and has worsened, just as we anticipated. This is an innovative proposal aimed at solving a serious social issue.
Is your model designed to facilitate access to homeownership? How do you help more people become homeowners?
By building total trust in the model. That’s key. Being part of Pryconsa—with 60 years of history and 75,000 homes delivered—is a solid guarantee. So is doing this with seriousness and industry knowledge. Our team brings a wealth of experience, particularly in real estate. I don’t believe this model works without leveraging that experience for the benefit of our clients. They’re buying a home—this is critical.
The main change is attracting capital from institutional investors who are committed to helping solve this issue. We connect people who want to buy a home but are excluded from the traditional market with investors willing to purchase the property on their behalf. This enables us to offer a standardized, surprise-free rent-to-own model with all terms defined from day one. That certainty—knowing how the model will function over the next 7 years—is also crucial.
One major barrier we remove is the high upfront cost of a traditional mortgage—typically around 30% of the home’s value (mortgage, taxes, fees). For a €200,000 apartment, you’d need €60,000 in savings, which is very difficult. With Gradual, the upfront payment is fixed at 5%—just €10,000 in this example. That changes everything.
Gradual allows access to the chosen home—it’s not a closed portfolio, and properties don’t have to be from Pryconsa—savings of up to 30% on paid rent, and the opportunity to buy in a more financially secure position. It’s a highly favorable model for tenants/future buyers.
What are the basic requirements to use your service?
Interested clients must have a certain income level and financial stability. We conduct a strict financial scoring and assess their situation thoroughly. It wouldn’t make sense to accept people who, we believe, won’t be able to secure financing in the future. That wouldn’t be helping them. We filter out many applicants. This is part of the seriousness I mentioned.
Regarding the property, we’ve achieved something innovative: the property pool is “open,” and any home for sale that meets certain criteria can be eligible. That’s a major change. A closed—even broad—property pool would limit matching opportunities. Interested clients select a home on the market, bring it to us, and we analyze everything together. We put all our real estate and financial expertise at their disposal.
“We’ve achieved something innovative: the property pool is ‘open,’ and any home for sale that meets certain criteria can be eligible.”
What kind of profiles are most interested in your rent-to-own model?
We recently published the 1st Report on the Rent-to-Own Market in Spain. Some key findings: 47% of our clients are between 30 and 40 years old, and 30% are between 40 and 50. This indicates that people still have to wait a long time to access homeownership, even with our model.
As for income, 36% earn between €1,500 and €2,500 net per month, and 26% between €2,500 and €3,500. There’s a “middle class” with income and stability, but still facing barriers to homeownership. Notably, 78% of applicants have an existing loan. That impacts financial scoring and financing viability. Our model can help ease that pressure over time.
Also, 55% of applicants apply alone—which makes sense, as it’s harder to save for a mortgage solo, especially with rent expenses. Another 12% are separated or divorced. The model suits people based on age, income, and life circumstances.
What advantages does Gradual Homes offer compared to other rent-to-own or traditional rental models?
Compared to traditional renting, the biggest advantage is the discount—up to 30% of the rent paid during the contract period—applied at the time of purchase. Gradual not only allows access to a home but also lets tenants leverage a significant part of their rent. Other key benefits include the Gradual Flexibility Guarantee, the option to make small renovations, and the fact that, even as a “homeowner,” you don’t pay property tax, HOA fees, etc.
Compared to other models, beyond the financial structure—which we’ve stayed true to—and its flexibility, one major advantage is the experience and expertise we provide, combining the strength of Pryconsa with the Gradual team. From the beginning, we’ve believed this model is the most appropriate, and we have deep knowledge of the market and of our clients to understand and support them. If I were buying a home, I’d do it with someone offering a long-term professional guarantee—since this is a relationship lasting up to 7 years. Few players can match the combined expertise of Pryconsa and Gradual.
“Gradual thoroughly analyzes the client’s financial situation. That’s why the model is accurate and transparent from the start.”
How does your Gradual Flexibility Guarantee work?
Sometimes, unexpected life events can prevent clients from continuing with the rent-to-own plan. Staying true to Gradual’s mission—helping people access homeownership—we’ve created a system to address these situations, offering a 50% refund of the initial contribution in such cases. This is highly appreciated, as it provides peace of mind in a relationship that may last up to 7 years.
What happens if the client ultimately decides not to purchase the home?
They would forfeit the initial 5% contribution. That makes sense. The client chose the property and asked the institutional investor to buy it so they could access it through the Gradual model. There has to be a commitment on their part. However, we distinguish between a voluntary decision not to buy and an uncontrollable circumstance.
The sole goal of the investor is for the tenant/future buyer to exercise their purchase option and fulfill their goal. Gradual thoroughly analyzes the client’s financial situation, which is why the model is accurate and transparent from the beginning.
How has demand for this model evolved in recent years?
Demand has grown significantly, even though we’re still in a niche. More people know about us, and trust builds as they see real cases of people already benefiting from Gradual. We receive over 400 leads per week. Many see this as a real, viable solution for their situation. Interest is high.
Gradual has completed around 50 transactions (over €12 million in home purchases), mainly in the last two years. Our goal is to continue growing in the regions where we operate—Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, and Málaga. The need exists not only in major cities but also in many locations where access to housing remains a challenge.
