TheLostPhotographer

What's involved? How do you get your cash?

A couple of people have been trying to persuade me to become an agent. I am not really interested TBH, but it did start me thinking. Simply, I was wondering what they did for their money besides building a simple website and taking a few photographs to display with very unimaginative wording.

If I was going to work for an estate agent, how would I check them out? Is there a regulatory organisation, or a self enforced code of practice?

Bit of a landmine as far as expats operating in Spain goes - I have witnessed several con nightmares. But, surely there is some sort of regulation amongst native Spanish estate agents?

That is my general question.

More specifically: Someone is looking for 'agents'. He says you simply let people into the house to look around. When they buy you get your commission. He specifies he is looking for 'agents'. What are the legal responsibilities of being an agent?

Lots of questions, and I don't expect definitive answers. However, I think it is a good subject for discussion from all perspectives - buyers, sellers, owners, agents etc.

Domino

not really any problems, seems quite easy really.
join a couple of spurious estate agency organisations to puff out your site,
descriptions, well as loose as you feel you can get away with, especially with regards water, electricity and drainage/waste.
locations, well so long as its in Spain you are near the mark
prices, well make it up as you go along, or ask the vendor what they need in the UK

and as you know........
take really crap photos !!

TheLostPhotographer

Yes. Crap photos seem to be essential.

Very strange that the biggest financial decision most people make in their lifetime appears to be totally unregulated from the sellers point. Sell a wobbly car, you could be in big trouble. Sell a packet of cigarettes illegally for a Fiver...

Sell a dodgy property, possibly illegally built - no problem with the law at all unless the unfortunate buyer finds you and spends more money trying to get their money back. Usually pointless.

chopera

Once you've got your website set up the first thing you do is scrape all the properties off all the other agent's websites in the area, along with kyero, idealista, fotocasa, etc and then you upload them onto your website (along with kyero, idealista, fotocasa, etc but under your name)

If anyone enquires about the property you then have to find out who the vendor is, or who the agent with the keys is, and then you try to get a viewing through them. Maybe offering to give them a cut of the "agency fees".

If they say no you tell the person who made the enquiry that you are very sorry but that lovely property has gone, but would they like to see some others?

If you do manage to view the property and the person makes an offer, don't forget to add on the additional 10% "agency fees" before you pass it on to the vendor.

When taking photos always remember to leave the toilet seat up, and take lots of photos of really irrelevant things like the lamp in the corner and the kitchen sink.

During viewings, never provide any brochure or handout with particulars. The less information aout the property the better.

Always tell potential buyers that the market has touched bottom and that this particular area has high demand. Vendors will hold out (even though your website has thousands of properties that have been on the market for years). This translates to "you won't pass on a low offer to the vendor if it means you won't get a decent cut, even if the vendor is desperate to sell".

Always assume that the buyer knows absolutely nothing about the area, even though they are considering making the one of the biggest financial decisons of their lives.

Always tell the buyer that the property will let easily and make a fantastic investment, even though a quick look at Rentalia will show hundreds of vacant properties because the vendors who can't sell are now desperately trying to rent out their properties instead.

TheLostPhotographer

Pretty comprehensive.

So, I don't even need a camera?

Lynn R

Quite often, they don't! When we were looking, back in 2003 when there seemed to be more buyers than properties, a British agent took ourselves and another couple (elderly) to see some houses in the town where we later bought. "Where's the beach?" they asked - this in a town which is 5km inland.

Also had agents take us to see properties they didn't have a key for - did they seriously expect anybody to buy a house from a cursory look at the outside of it?

Your post was spot on, and I would also add:-

take absolutely no notice of what prospective buyers tell you regarding the type of property they are looking for - if they want something close to amenities, take them to see somewhere up a 3km track. We wanted outside space but with a townhouse, ie a large roof terrace and/or a patio - the first house we were taken to view "has 3 terraces" said the agent. Each of them was just about big enough for one person to stand on, not even room for a tiny table and chair.

Fredbargate

Previous experience of selling secondhand cars in a pub carpark is very useful.

stuboy

The problem is an honest estate agent is like rocking horse poo. If they told the truth it like it is nobody would buy.
For example;
Buyer: What are the energy bill like?
Agent: Are you kidding? In Spain you just don't need it
Truth: We all know (Let's leave solar out of this one)
Buyer: Has it good access to the internet.
Agent: Spain is a world leader in this type of technology
Truth: It'll cost you a small fortune and will disappear frequently.
Buyer: Is the house legal, I've heard horror stories
Agent: Tony Blair sorted all that out at the European court, look the local Mayor has even signed the paperwork.
Truth: Need I say more.
Buyer: I've hear they're building a brand new leisure facilities with indoor swimming pool and plenty of things for the kids and it won't cost local people a penny.
Agent: You could not have chosen a better place to live.
Truth: The kids will have left home long before completion.
Buyer: Would we be allowed to put a granny annex on the side?
Agent: No problem, just run by Gonzalez and Gonzalez Brothers Builders and they'll sort out all the paperwork. They're used to this sort of thing.
Truth: I hope your not intimidated by JCB's
Buyer: Well I think that's everything, where do I sign?

jackytoo

In other words you need the ability to lie and cheat as well as a website

Domino

made arrangements with an agent 10 days in advance, they made 2 phone calls, one the day before the appointment to check we were still coming and yet they proved unable to get the keys to a house - owner has had to go home for an emergency, no problem they have left the keys with a neighbour, who when we arrived at 11.00 was not in, they had tried to deliver the keys to her house at 10.00 because they were out for the day, couldn't understand why she wasnt there so took the keys with them.
and on the same day got to a house for the agent to be told by a neighbour that the owner wasn't in as he was attending a funeral and hadn't left a key.

so out of 5 houses we saw 3. All illegal. All had paperwork, they said.

went to see a house, 15mins down a rambla couldn't travel at any more than 4mph spent most of the time dodging the boulders "its the first time in over 40 years we have had any water in this rambla" says agent who has been in Spain for 7 years, ignoring the fact it swept away part of the property and a fairly decent road nearby. Again no key, owner had gone back to UK with her mother and not left a key. The casita wouldn't have taken my car and the roof was only half there, but was suitable for at least 4 people when visiting.

after 18months visiting properties there are many many more.
One English estate agent said his hardest sell was to the English who had lived out here for a short while, they usually stayed renting. The easiest was the English who came out for the weekend and left full of hope and an empty wallet.

whilst the photos are appalling, the seat is up, the kids toys are all over the floor, the very worst was a photo of the pool with the back of the house beyond - with the ironing board between the two.

how not to sell a house

jjh

Don´t forget, IF you do take photos, make sure the television is on in the corner of the room. It adds a little bit of ambience.

amideislas

But make sure it's one of those old 12" tube TVs with an aerial wrapped in tin foil.

pete_l

And don't forget to turn on all the fluorescent lights so the colour balance is completely wrong.
You could also try getting some advice from the Rhinoceros pen at the local zoo. They're all thick skinned and charge a lot, too [ old joke ].
Oh, and don't look out of the shop window in the mornings.

Fredbargate

The photo of the open fireplace must also include a chair with underwear on it drying by the fire.

Fredbargate

Not surprising when said English agent asks the owner what is included in the price she has quoted at €205,000 and the owner replies, for the 30 million you get everything bar the pictures on the wall.

For the uninitiated 30 million pesetas is €180,000

Was put back on the market at €350,000 some years ago by I believe someone who viewed with same agent shortly after me.

Now

http://www.buymyvilla.com/738_listin...ona-spain.html