It can seem like a difficult decision to make. Who to trust? Where to find them? What is the difference between one agency and the next? How much does it cost? This blog exists to do a spot of myth busting for you and give you some advice that we hope you will find supportive. One thing to bear in mind is that the estate agent that you chose will have a massive impact on your buying or selling experience.
Choose Bilingual
First thing is first, you will be conducting a transaction in Spain. Make sure your agent is bilingual in Spanish, not that they have access to translators or anything else other than that they themselves understand the language through and through. It does not matter if your buyer or seller is an English speaker, the whole process will very likely be held up and hindered by not having a bilingual speaker at the helm. This is important for obvious language reasons but also for an understanding of the culture and business links that fluency brings. Make it a non negotiable.
Are They An Estate Agent?
Estate agents work differently here in Spain to how they do elsewhere. It is quite normal for people to say they are estate agents but have a full time job in a different sector or be a ‘corredor’ meaning local who knows of property that is for sale. Whereas an estate agent in the UK would have an office, usually shop fronted that can be accessed by the general public that is not always the norm here in Spain. Many agents here don’t actually even have websites. It is important to distinguish then the difference between people that know of houses that are for sale and estate agents. An estate agent will understand the processes behind the buying and selling systems in Spain and be fully compliant with each of the component parts of these. This is something that is crucial to ensure the smoothest, most streamlined purchase or sale.
So How Are Houses Sold In Spain?
Estate agents generally tend to all rely on the same websites to upload their listings and then sell. The main one they use is Idealista. There are others as well but certainly in our experience this has the main market share. You will find many may boast access to large amounts of web portals and promise various kinds of services but really our experiences has taught us that ultimately we all rely on and offer the same main services.
Personally we receive many inquiries regularly from prospective buyers and we work hard to match them to available property and this will be the same with others also. Mailing lists do not, in our experience, hold the same power they tend to do in other countries. It could be wise to be aware of any agent that suggests that they have one of those as a way to attract you.
Multi Listing Networks
Many estate agents also ‘share’ properties. This means that they very often pay for a service where they can access property that is already on the market to also try selling it through their own means. This is in the hope of a greater chance of making a sale and also to make their website look more popular in terms of the amount of listings. This is why you will see that various companies may have the same house up for sale, often at different prices. In these instances whoever sells the property would then split the selling fee with the other companies also involved.
You may find also that houses that are not online but perhaps for sale through word of mouth may have various different prices according to who you speak to. This is also typical here, as various people will have added on a commission price and depending on who you speak to in that ladder you will get the according selling figure.
So How Do You Decide?
Buying
If you are buying then ultimately it comes down to how much you want the property and how comfortable you feel with the agent. If you see that a property is online with various companies as is regularly the way then feel free to contact them all and see who you gel with best.
Remember, they are all in competition with each other to get a sale. If the property is up for sale at different prices then absolutely insist on starting your negotiations at the lowest one. Do NOT be drawn into pressure sales techniques. Be prepared to walk away. There is always a better house out there.
At Casasbonela we don’t work this way and that is why you will see that at any given time we have a very curated set of houses to offer online. This is because wherever possible we prefer to work exclusively with our sellers and buyers. We believe that this offers the best possible level of support and service to both sides and frankly we are control freaks about paperwork and organisation.
We like to know exactly where both our buyers and sellers stand at any given moment and feel this is simply not possible when third parties become involved. Generally speaking we handle all parts of sales and purchases from initial meeting through to signing at the Notary.
Selling
Pick the company that offers the greatest amount of transparency. You need someone that will speak truth to you and tell you want you need to hear and not what you want to hear.
It is not just important but absolutely critical to ensure that the price of your house is perfectly pitched. Too low and people will think there is something wrong with it and too high and it will sit on the market and stagnate. At Casasbonela we have a track record of selling our properties quickly. This is because we ensure they are valued at exactly the right price to be able to attract the largest amount of interest and often then, bidding wars.
There is a myth that houses take longer to sell in Spain and that is just how it is.
This is simply not true.
Everything sells at the right price and with good support behind it. That is a basic of commerce. The trick is to make sure the property is as appealing as possible and the price agrees perfectly with what is being presented. This is our forte and we love doing it.
So all in all, as you can see, there are many things to consider when picking your estate agent. We hope that this article helps you on your journey and hope to speak to you about your potential purchase or sale soon. Good luck with your next chapter, and remember – we are always at the other end of the phone if you need us.
