A guide to buying property in Spain

Choosing an estate agent in Spain

You will find that most of the estate agents selling property in Spain to foreigners are actually foreign owned and run. This means that you will not have a problem finding an agent that can take care of you in your own language.
Having said that some of these companies may lack professionalism and quality of service. You need a highly professional company that protects your interests both through its own standards and its market expertise. Look for companies that focus on what you need rather that what they have to sell, that provide you with detailed information and expertise, that have professional customer-service procedures and documentation, and that NEVER attempt to pressurise you.
Bear in mind that big is not necessarily beautiful. Some agencies try to make a virtue out of the great number of properties on their books, arguing that many properties equal greater choice. In reality this is only partially true. You probably don't want to see 500 properties, you just want to see the 5 that suit you. So you may be better off with a smaller agency that focuses on quality rather than quantity, that focuses on your needs, and that gives you a better service. After a while you realise that all the agents you talk to are handling many of the same properties. So at the end of the day it all boils down to service, and this should be the determining factor in your choice of agent.
There is no good reason in this day and age of information technology why you should not have selected one or more agents before you visit Spain. This allows you to focus on looking for property when in Spain rather than looking for agents.

• Defining your property needs
• Researching your options
• Choosing an estate agent
• Creating a shortlist of properties
• Visiting Spain to view property
• Choosing a lawyer
• Making an offer
• Due diligence on Spanish property
• Legal formalities
• Ownership structure

© Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight – Everything you need to know about Spanish property