the property home

Many potential buyers think they are looking for one type of property and end up choosing something totally different. Unless you are very clear about what you want and are equally sure that it exists, look at various types of properties in different residential areas with an open mind. This exercise will also help you build up your knowledge of market values in the area, a major advantage in negotiating and ensuring that you are getting fair market value for your money when you buy. Choosing a reputable estate agent can save you time and there are many highly qualified agencies on the Costa del Sol, alongside more opportunistic and less qualified ones. In the past, qualified agents have either been APIs (Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria) or GIPEs (Gestores Inmobiliarios), but recent legislation allows anyone (!) to open a real estate agency. It is therefore extremely important to look for an established, experienced agency with an excellent track record and good recommendations from non-interested parties. A recommendation from your lawyer or a long-time resident should point you in the right direction. Good agents will really listen to you and interpret your requirements. They will share their market knowledge and experience with you and, if they exhaust the properties suitable for you from their direct portfolio, they will work with properties from the portfolios of collaborating agencies to find the right properties to offer you. Key qualities to look for in a good agent are: experience, professionalism, product knowledge, sincerity, good communication, a friendly desire to help you in any way possible in your property search and, above all, not pushy! If you do not feel comfortable with your agent you shouldn't hesitate to move on. But when you find one who is easy to work with and understands what you are looking for, stay with that agent until you find the right property, or until you are satisfied that you have been offered all the properties available through that agency and its collaborating agencies. Sticking with an agency motivates the agent you are working with to pull out all the stops and come up with the right property, as well as saving you from having to tell the same story to every new sales agent you approach.