How to choose the best real estate agency in Costa del Sol?

Intro

If you’re thinking about buying a house in Costa del Sol or an apartment, then your best bet is working with a realtor. But, considering that there are around 479 real estate agencies in Malaga province alone, it might be hard to pick the right one. Luckily, since I am a local, I can tell you what to pay attention to to select the best real estate agency to work with. 

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Picking the best real estate agency – 7 things to pay attention to

As someone who’s moved to Marbella myself before becoming a realtor, here are the things I recommend to find the right agency and your dream home. 

1. Firstly – avoid asking for recommendations on online forums

Yes, you can find a lot of great referrals for services on Facebook and Reddit, like a recommended cleaning company or a hairdresser. But, when you’re making a decision as big as buying a house in Costa del Sol, asking anonymous users online is hardly the best approach. 

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First of all, you’ll be flooded by answers – some will come from actual clients of Costa del Sol estate agents, but you can’t be 100% sure. The more answers you see, the harder it will also be to weigh your options and make an informed choice.

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Secondly, some realtors list properties that they don’t actually have in their portfolio. How so? It’s quite common for them to put up an old – or even fake – listing to attract potential buyers. Once you give them a call, you find out that the house or apartment is no longer available, but the agent will want to keep your details on file. They’ll ask you about your goals, budget, etc., hoping that they’ll be able to sell a different property somewhere down the road.

2. Pick an agent who specialises in the area you’re interested in

If you already know which region in Spain you like, one of the main questions to ask your future real estate agent is about their track record, i.e., how long they’ve been in the industry and what area they focus on.

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If you’re keen on buying a house in Costa del Sol, then go with a realtor who is familiar with the local property market. For example, a real estate agent in Marbella will not only know about price ranges in the city and the most attractive neighbourhoods, but also about golf clubs, shopping malls, public transportation, and local attractions – all of which will help you make the decision.

Also, your real estate agent should be aware of upcoming developments in the area – new buildings, shopping centres, or infrastructure projects can make a massive difference to purchasers moving to Costa del Sol. 

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There is another important thing. Working with someone with deep expertise in Costa del Sol means that on top of investment costs, they’ll also know about other aspects that can impact ROI, like:

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• Community fees – these can range widely, from as little as 90 EUR to 1,000 EUR. The cost depends on the number of co-owners and can heavily impact your ROI.

• Local taxes – paid annually, are usually cheaper for apartments than houses. 

3. Go with a smaller agency 

When searching for your dream home, I would advise you to go with a smaller agency. If you opt for a bigger one, you’ll be dealing with a lot of people and bureaucracy, resulting in minimal personal contact. The best estate agents in Marbella should offer: 

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• Local expertise – unlike large agencies, the right agent usually focuses on a specific area or even neighbourhood. This local expertise will surely prove invaluable for buying a house in Costa del Sol that will fully meet your needs.
• Personalised service – speaking of needs, local realtors offer a more personalised experience. You’ll have direct access to the agent that will handle your real estate transaction, which means better communication and understanding of your expectations.
• Flexibility – it’s important to quickly adapt to changing market conditions as well as client requirements. It’s something that you can expect from Costa del Sol estate agents at hometailor. 
• Stronger client-agent relationship – smaller agencies usually deal with fewer clients, meaning they can build a more meaningful relationship with them. To you this means better outcomes and a more pleasant experience. 

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4. Work with someone who works with clients from your country

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Another question to ask yourself when looking for the best real estate agency is whether they have experience working with buyers from your country. Better yet, if they speak your language fluently or have relocated to Costa del Sol from your region themselves.

There are two benefits of choosing such a realtor:

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• You minimise the risk of miscommunication – working with someone who speaks your language prevents issues where one of the parties misinterprets a clause in the contract. It also helps you, as the investor, make sure that the realtor understands exactly what you’re looking for.
• They’re familiar with your local real estate market – i.e., they know what factors drove you to consider moving to Costa del Sol or buying an investment property here. Think of things like local government programs, spikes in costs per metre prices, etc. For example, as a Polish-Swedish realtor, I closely follow all the latest news in the Polish real estate scene.
  

4. Look for someone honest 

Honesty is the single-most important personality trait to look for in your realtor when you’re making as big of an investment decision as this. Search for someone who will be upfront about everything – including any potential downsides. For example, an honest agent will tell you that the villa you’re interested in has a hard no vacation rental policy. Or, that the community fees will likely rise next year as the entire outside area will be remodelled. Both of these aspects would heavily affect your ROI.

Also, the best real estate agency is one that is transparent about how good of a position they are to negotiate prices for you for each specific property. Such behaviour tells you that you’re working with an ethical company – not just someone who wants to make a sale and disappear the minute the transaction is finalised.

5. Stick with one agent only

I know it might be tempting to work with multiple agents, hoping to view more properties and get a better deal. But trust me, it’s not a good idea. The Spanish property market follows different rules than other European countries like Belgium or the Netherlands. Costa del Sol estate agents all have access to the same properties, so you won't miss out. 

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Also, when you get in touch with multiple realtors, none of them has the chance to properly understand your needs. This means they might show you properties, which simply don’t meet your expectations – and it would be a massive waste of time, wouldn’t it?

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Lastly, if you work with multiple brokers, since they compete with each other they might lose their objectivity. This will impact the information and advice they provide. But if you work with one good agent only, they’ll remain impartial and honest. 

6. Choose a real estate agency that ‘gets’ your investment goals 

While linked to the other aspects I’ve covered, I believe this trait deserves a separate spot. Maybe you’re planning to relocate entirely to Spain and don’t want to consider the property’s vacation rental potential. Think – beach side vs a more remote, quiet location.

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Or, you might be thinking of spending the coldest six months of the year in Spain and going back to your country in the spring, renting the property out in the high season. Every investor is different, and so should be the recommendations they receive from a real estate agency.

Why choose Hometailor as your Costa Del Sol estate agent? 

At Hometailor, we have access to a list of over 10,000 properties, including luxury real estate and listings you won’t find anywhere else. Building an honest relationship with clients is our number-one priority. We always do our best to find a property that fully meets your expectations, while being transparent about anything that could impact the purchasing process or ROI.

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If you need expert legal advice, we’ll be happy to give you a hand with paperwork during the property acquisition process.

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Reach out if you’d like to discuss how we could support you – we speak Polish, English, and Swedish.