Registered ownership or a share in a fund: what is the difference?

Published 4 October 2026 · by Invest in Cape Verde

When people talk about investing in holiday property, two very different things are often confused: buying a property and buying a share. For anyone considering an Apart-Hotel, the difference is crucial. Let’s go through it step by step.

Registered ownership: what it means

Registered ownership means that the property is yours. You buy a specific unit, identified in the purchase documents and registered in your name according to the procedures of the country where it is located.

This brings concrete rights:

• to use it, within the limits of any management agreements;
• to sell it, whenever you decide;
• to leave it to your children or to others;
• to know exactly which unit you own, where it is and what it is like.

It is also a responsibility: the property is yours, with the costs and obligations that come with it.

A share in a fund: what it means

A property fund collects money from many investors and uses it to buy and manage properties. Investors receive shares, that is, a portion of the fund’s total value.

In this case:

• you do not own any particular property;
• you cannot use the fund’s properties for your holidays;
• decisions are taken by the company managing the fund, not by you;
• the value of the share depends on the performance of the fund as a whole;
• to exit you must follow the fund’s rules, which may involve timescales and restrictions.

It is a financial product, with its own rules and controls. There is nothing wrong with it as such, but it is something quite different from buying a home.

The differences at a glance

• What you own: with registered ownership, a specific property; with a share, a portion of the fund’s value.
• Personal use: possible according to the agreements in the first case; not provided for in the second.
• Who decides: you, within the limits of the management contract; or the fund manager.
• Resale: you sell your property; or you follow the fund’s redemption rules.
• Inheritance: the property passes on; or the shares pass on.

Beware of hybrid formats

Between the two extremes there are intermediate products: timeshares, time-limited rights of use, shares in companies that own a property. The marketing name is not enough to tell you what you are buying. Always ask:

1. What will be registered in my name in the documents?
2. Can I identify the exact unit I am buying?
3. Can I sell it freely, and with what restrictions?
4. What passes to my heirs?

Have the answers checked by a lawyer you trust before signing. Legal and tax matters should always be checked with a professional.

And in the case of The View?

At The View the buyer purchases a suite registered in their own name, not a share. The suite is then entrusted to the management of the hotel, and the owner can use it 4 weeks a year. How the format works is explained in the guide What is an Apart-Hotel, while resale is covered in detail in selling a property in Cape Verde.

The same model was adopted at the White Hotel, the group’s first Apart-Hotel, with 69 suites sold. To work out whether you prefer an Apart-Hotel or a traditional apartment, see the comparison between the two formats.

Want to understand more?

If you are unsure what owning a suite means in practice, write to us. We will send you the presentation of The View and answer your questions.

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