Tommy Gun

Estates International? Good or bad ? Thanks.

keithwalters

No personal dealings - but heard a lot of negative things about them. They seem to be the worst of the worst from what I can gather. No doubt plenty of other people will be able to inform you more specifically.

Tommy Gun

Thanks, Mate.

Tommy Gun

What about Atlas?

big wheels

There are lots of complaints on various forums about all the big UK based estate agents in Spain. Not only Ocean & Atlas. I would personally stay well clear of any of them. Especially any one telling you that rental income is guaranteed, or that once the property is built you can sell at a profit.

bishbash

Dont touch them mate full of promises, we brought from them two years ago in Moraira all the promises made to us went out of the window the moment we paid.They dont want to know you once the sale as gone through.

paddy07

There all the same mate take your money and run :scared:

gallerie9

We looked with both Atlas and a company that Claire Sweeney was on TV with the name has gone from my head, any way both company's told half truths my husband asked about things and was told half truths, he already knew the answers , but was just enquiring.

With Atlas, telling them from the beginning we didnt want Murcia and wanted a resale not a new build, we were shown all in the Murcia area and not one resale, by the second day we had decided they were not for us. It was total pressure selling and we were not listened to once.

We eventually did the internet search thing, came out on our own and looked, noting all the house I liked on the net were not what they looked like or already sold !!

We eventually met a great guy who showed us what we wanted perfectly fit for purpose, that had only been for sale for a few days (we can verify that now as a few natives have told us we beat them to the house ) and the rest is history.

My advice is to look, we were told by a guy who had lived in Spain for years on one of the trips (when we escaped for 10 mins ) that he had brought and sold his houses by newspaper adds private ones and used a really good lawyer and reminded us that the Costa estate agents take a big cut and the property company's that take you there all expenses paid add 25% to the real price.

Good luck and your money the last thing you part with !!!!!!

Mercedes

The Spanish don't tend to use Estate Agents, I would look through Spanish papers and deal with the Spanish direct, use a translator if need be. A good lawyer is the main thing, and don't sign anything or part with any money without his advice. You will get probably a better property without the added real estate fees. I was told by Viva Estates I wouldn't get a house in my budget, he was wrong I did, a detached house on1/4 of acre with 360 degree ocean views across the valley, only 10 minutes from Marbella and had plenty of people who want to buy it. I checked with my bank, who I didn't get a mortgage with, as I was a cash buyer whether they thought it was a good price or not, both they and my lawyer thought I had got a bargain... The house isn't a clone of thousands of others. If I came to sell it I would do it again privately, I wouldn't bother with an Estate Agent. Stick to the Spanish and you are less likely to be ripped off, than using the Brits or for that matter any other Foreign Estate Agent.

Tommy Gun

Thanks everyone.

mikelincs

Other firm is Parador, I have to disagree, we bought through them and couldn't fault them, got a years after sales service, and our helper was just great. Admittedly they have stopped the year service now, you just et assistance for 1 full day. No problems with what they told us either. They got our telefonica problems sorted, and problems with our movers.

gwilymrj

You can probably lump all these big British estate agents together as only interested in creating commission for themselves.
There was a very good article by a Guardian reporter some months ago who took a job with one. High pressure sales meetings all screaming at each other. The top salesman earning 30k a month.
Whatever the mug punter wanted he came away with a 2-bed apartment in the new development paying the hghest commission.
The point was also made that Spanish estate agents offered the same property for 20% less - but they don't have the overheads - Ferraris, Aston Martins etc.

jaldridge

We have heard horror stories regarding all the agents mentioned in these threads.

Are there any good ones left????

big wheels

There are plenty of good small agents in Spain. Do your research locally whilst there and ask around. The main ones to avoid seem to be any that advertise in the UK media offering inspection trips etc.
Personally I would never buy anything yet to be built on the strength of an artists impression.

BW

keithwalters

A lot of people sing the praises of small spanish run estate agencies. To be honest I hate them. Okay, so you know you won't receive a high pressured salesman, but you probably also won't receive an after sales service of any description or a decent portfolio of properties to look at.

I took a trip to Chipiona at the weekend just to be nosey, and that included going into a couple of agents - there were no british agents to be found.

The entire property portfolio was printed out and handed to me - 11 properties.
The guy spoke zero english (okay I can speak spanish so not a problem for me).
I asked to take a look at a couple of properties - oh no, we can't do that today, I am on my own in the office and can't leave it unattended. (so how the hell do I view the property then?)
Keys to the properties held in Seville (a mere one and a half hours away) with the owner.
No new developments at all - just scruffy looking resales with ostentatious(?) furniture unfortunately included in the price and pictures of the virgin Mary hung up everywhere. Gives me the heeby jeebies.

Well, what I am trying to say is that if you decide to stick to small spanish estate agents, be prepared for a lot of leg work and hard work on your part. I find them infuriatingly uninterested in their job and unwilling to help. What they consider to be a beautiful property might be your idea of leopard print fur lined hell and they will waste your time showing you a lot of crap and won't be able to understand why you can't wait to hand over your credit card.

(If I'm sounding a bit bitter it's because I went through the process of buying through a spanish agent about 4 years ago and am still licking my wounds from the experience.)

My second property I bought through a british agent - didn't use the inspection trip as we were already living in spain. But the service was 200% better than with my first house. And no, I wasn't pressured into buying so they aren't all like that. After sales service continues to this day.