Gymbob

Hi Guys

I'm new here and after reading a few posts I'm sure you'll be able to point me in the right direction.

We are looking to buy an apartment somewhere down the south east coast of Spain. We are well aware of the rip-off merchants, and I'm told the English and English estate agents are the worst of all. Also worried of falling victim to land grab etc.

Please can you reliable expats recommend somewhere / someone who's honest and reliable - and if there's anything else I should know please tell me

Thanks so much in advance.

Gymbob

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Gymbob

Thank you Rosemary.

Do I take it that I have asked a wrong question, and the Expats can't recommend an agent personally?

If that is the case, please direct me if you'd be so kind to where I can find the info I'm looking for.

Many thanks

fionamw

I don't live in the area you're talking about, and to be fair although sometimes people respond fairly quickly, today may be a slow day for whatever reason ... BUT
I have a sneaky feeling you're not going to be overwhelmed with informants about reliable/etc estate agents, of whatever nationality. The words trustworthy and estate agent aren't commonly found together in the same sentence, not in coastal Spain, I'd suggest.
Good luck with your search, though

grahunt

Where? South east Spain is a big place :-)

missile

I could recommend EA in CB but not CDS. I am sure there are honest English EA in spain, but unfortunately I have not found one.

You could start your property search here >
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-.../in-Spain.html

whitelinen

I know a good Irish one in Valencia

Gymbob

Thanks Missile, CB would be a good place to start, if you don't mind sharing....would you like to pm me instead? Is rightmove okay for an EA, they're English right

Thanks Whitelinen, Valencia region could be worth a look - would you like to pm me yours if you don't want to post here?

Originally, we were looking from Denia down to Malaga, but we're flexible

missile

Do you live in UK? I find it very strange you have not heard of rightmove?

Nicksnell

Try Graham Hunt - he is here somewhere and a reputable agent based in the Valencia City and outlying area. Worth having a chat to...

Nicksnell

Incidentally, Gymbob - knowledge is power and before you come over to buy you really should find out all about 'Land Grab'. I have written a book covering all of this (reviewed by A Place in the Sun, Euro News etc.) and it gives you the 'low down' on Spanish property. You can buy safely - but you need to know what you are doing, preferably before you start looking...

RyanChapa

You could try this website idealist.com We were using it to search for our appartment last week, a majority seem to be reliable when we tried but to be honest I think as soon as they spot you are English they will add on more charges like they tried with us. Luckily we found a nice private owned apartment on idealista and were amazed at how much an estate agent will rob you blind... :O

whitelinen

www.foundvalencia.com

I am sure it is OK to post as do not work for them.

Nicksnell

You are just as likely to ripped off by a Spanish agent (or Dutch, German or whatever) as a British one. However, there is little sole agency in Spain - meaning that the same property is normally with many other agents. So, you can check the prices of the same house by surfing around the Net and seeing if it is consistent with what 'your' agent is claiming.
Also, never sign any agreement with your agent (let alone a seller!) without your lawyer first giving his approval and, finally, if you are negotiating for a property always take the opportunity of speaking directly with the seller about the price (albeit with 'your' agent present).

missile

They are not the cheapest, but the most professional agents I have found are
http://www.qsdgroup.co.uk/home.asp
They operate in most of the costas and have houses from modest budget through to 2,900,000


They can provide you with informative literature, DVD and subsidised trips to view properties to meet your requirements.