So in this jungle is it worth using an agent to buy your Spanish Property or is it worth going on your own? There is no doubt that an agent can be of great assistance if they know their area and should be able to help you narrow down your search to a few specific properties. Ideally they should sit with you a while and endeavour to discover your real requirements for your house. But this boils down to much more than how many bedrooms a house has and if it has a pool or not. For example you may see your dream house in a photo, and the agent takes you to view it, but after talking to you he/she discovers that one of you doesn't drive. The house may be perfect but the area is miles from anywhere. Clearly then going to see such a property would be a waste of your time.
You can rest assured that if you visit 10 agents at least 9 of them would take you to see this house. The sad fact is that most agents aren't really concerned about your needs, only whether you buy a property from them or not, so you may end up being shown many houses that really don't fit the bill. You will feel frustrated, dejected and probably begin to think that your dream home doesn't exist.
They may have nothing better to do with their days (and in today's slow market it is probably a welcome relief to be showing houses than sitting in their office drinking coffee). But do YOU really want to be trailing around houses that do not meet your basic needs let alone your implied needs.
Also some agents put you under inordinate pressure to buy and some (like my now friends who bought by a main road) are pressurised into buying something not suitable for them. Don't ever be pressurised by anyone. If you don't feel comfortable with a viewing for any reason - politely say so and exit.
I once asked to see apartments within 200M of the beach and was shown a town house 20 minutes inland (that's 20 minutes drive inland). When I asked why we had come to see it I was told that it was a lovely house. No doubt it was but it wasn't what I asked for. Needless to say we went back to the car park to pick up my car amid protests from the agent that he had some really nice properties to see.
Your time is important and you need to utilise it very carefully. A good agent on the other hand, is worth his (or her) weight in gold. They will help you through every step of the way and guide you through the minefield and ensure you get the best property to suit your needs. At the very least they will try and understand you as a person/family and try to ensure that they match you with an ideal property. It shouldn't stop there though. A good agent will also help you long after the ink has dried - easing you into your new life, helping you locate schools, buying cars finding tradesmen and much more.
How do you find a good agent?
Finding bad agents is easy. Finding mediocre ones equally so. So how do you pick out the good from the bad? The easiest way is to ask questions. Many people advocate only using agents who have API membership - this is the Spanish Estate Agents association (or one of them). However whilst current membership extends certain safeguards on the client, not all API registered agents are still registered. Equally not all non registered agents are bad. Wow what a battle - how do you judge?
Prepare a list of questions to ask them - the following is a sample, but not exhaustive, list * How long have they been in business * How many clients have they dealt with * What services do they offer their clients both during and after the sale * What commissions do they charge * Do they speak good Spanish (if not how can they possibly operate in Spain) * Do they translate all documents in English * Can you speak to some previous clients
and anything else you deem important. Also ask in local bars (specifically Spanish ones) who they would recommend - the Spanish don't like estate agents and so will only give you recommendations that they believe are good.
What about going it alone?
So let's assume you decide you don't want to use an agent. How do you find a property yourself? In the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol you will find many publications (CB News, Inland Trader, Costa Del Sol News, Sur in English). However these are English Language papers and so you will in the main be dealing with English owners (a lot of whom have over realistic ideas as to the values of their property). Also be wary because a lot of agents advertise in the local papers in the lineage ads. Why - It is cheaper to do so and a lot of people just go straight past the main display ads for agents.
The internet is obviously a good source with sites such as ThinkSpain.com and Kyero.com - but these tend to be mainly agents advertising. In fact most of the properties advertised on the internet are agents. You may find a few For Sale By Owner type sites - but not many for the Spanish Property Market.
You can also pick up a copy of the local Spanish Papers (in the Valencia region a great source is Levante). These have adverts by Spanish People for property. You will find these comparatively cheaper than similar properties in the English Speaking Press.
You could also drive out to the areas you would like to live in look for Se Vende Signs (for Sale), ask at bars, in streets and anywhere (obviously this requires a knowledge of Spanish) but you would be surprised how many properties are up for sale but not advertised - there is a great jungle telephone system working out here. Many a time I have asked about property for sale to be told that neighbours have properties for sale - and the prices being asked are considerably less than you find in the estate agents.
Finally you could locate a buyers agent who would only act on your behalf. Be wary though many so called buyers agents are really just estate agents or collaborators who use the term to lead the buyer into thinking they are working for them. If it is a true buyers agent you should be paying their commission not the seller (or their agents)
So If you choose to go it alone make sure you do your homework - locate your area first then locate your property.
To use an agent or not? If you find the right one they can make the process so much easier. There are a few good ones. There are also many who have the best intentions but don't really know their right hand from their left, and there are others who will rob you blind if you let them But if you have no other option then just make sure you choose wisely.
