Using a Property Finder in Spain

WHAT ARE PROPERTY FINDERS IN SPAIN?

If you are looking to buy property in Spain then typically you would usually think to look for or find estate agents in Spain. Now many people are now offering a similar service known as 'property finders' - this differs somewhat from the role of an estate agent.

An estate agent in Spain will typically have their own exclusive properties for sale. These are properties where an owner of a property in Spain has decided to sell and approached an estate agent that they feel will do the best job of selling their house.

If you are looking to buy a house in Spain then yes you need to look at the various estate agents covering your preferred area but do also consider using or employing the services of a property finder.

These are the advantages a property finder has compared to a typical estate agent:

An estate agent in Spain will generally guide you to the properties they have directly taken on from their clients - why? - simple - they get the most commission as they don't have to split it with any other estate agents.

If they show you properties on the books of other estate agents the two agents will split the commission if you proceed to buy. So the agent you have approached gets commission but now you understand why they are more reluctant to show you other properties with other agents.

This means you may only be shown a narrow range of properties and may well miss out on what would be your ideal property in Spain. A property finder in Spain is independent and will earn a commission from whatever agent you buy from.

You give the property finder your exact requirements for the sort and type of property you wish to buy. The property finder will then sift through the property details from lots and lots of agents until they find properties that appear to match what you are looking for.

Think of the time this saves you!

Some property finders in Spain charge a fixed or flat fee so their time is covered, some property finders get commission at the end of the process if you buy a property.

Your chosen property finder in Spain will almost always be locally based in your area of preference so they will be experts on the local area. They will be invaluable sources of knowledge about the best areas in which to buy property as well as knowing all about the local schools, facilities, infrastructure, shops and transport.

As they are representing you, a good property finder in Spain will negotiate a discount and get you the best possible price, a skill not everyone possesses.

Property finders in Spain are also very useful because they will also be able to guide you through the process of buying a property in Spain, explaining each step of the way. To be fair an estate agent will also do this so in that respect there is no difference between choosing to use a property finder versus an estate agent.

Clearly when buying in a unfamiliar country there will be many differences in the process of buying a property. Your property finder should have some good local contacts that will also help you, for example, builders, services for pool cleaning, gardening, mortgage and financial advisors, insurance agents etc.

A good property finder should be able to find you bargain properties by knowing which are the most reasonable estate agents to approach i.e. estate agents who price properties realistically rather than over-pricing them.

Don't forget that estate agents in Spain are unregulated - anyone can be an estate agent!

Often you will find the same property advertised with different prices depending on what agent you approach. Typically this is because of different estate agents adding their varying commissions on top of the price the seller has asked them to achieve. Clearly a property finder can (or certainly should) guide you away from unscrupulous agents and get you the correct and lowest price.

Perhaps your property finder knows Spanish bank managers who have portfolios of repossessed properties. These bargain properties are often available at fire-sale prices but you are not going to find these on your own and you won't find them widely advertised on the Internet.

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Property Finders in Spain - Page Summary - We are not property finders ourselves but nevertheless, we can see that property finders based in Spain offer a very useful service to people looking to buy property in Spain and who lack the knowledge and skills a property finder will have.

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