Estate Agents in Spain

Estate Agents Spain Estate agents do not actually need any formal qualifications to operate in Spain, and as no regulations are in place, competition is enormous and many agents are in the Spanish property business for short-term gain and high commissions - and their commissions can average anything between 3 - 30% on top of the owners asking price! It is therefore advisable to shop around various property companies (inmobiliaria) both Spanish and English rather than buying a property in Spain from the first estate agent you find.

Often, many companies in the same area will have the same property, but prices will vary. In general, the smaller the company, the less staff to pay and the lower the commission added - however this is not the case with all of them! If you are selling your property, ask the agent what their commission rate is, and once the property is being marketed check to see what has been added.

Many people believe they can avoid commissions on new build or off plan property by buying direct from the builder. At one time this was true, but today property prices are set, and whether you buy through an agent or the builder, the price will be the same. The builder sets the price, and if you buy property direct from him, he will keep the 'commission' value, if you buy through an agent, the builder pays the agent the commission - on average around 5%. It is actually beneficial to buy property through the agent as they will help with all the legalities and after sales whereas the builder may not. There are also as many unscrupulous builders as agents, so choose well and always seek impartial legal advice.

Unfortunately, the British are rather mislead by the media when it comes to buying property in Spain, and are often disappointed when visiting to find that they cannot afford to buy what they had their heart set on. We get enquiries daily from people with