If you are thinking about listing your property for sale in Javea and the surrounding areas, then you will be inundated with estate agent names, recommendations and websites and it can be hard to know which to choose. VillaMia has these tips to help you:
- It is best to choose an SL – a limited company. This shows they are unlikely to be a one-man band working from home and are more professional. Also, very important for property owners, is any deposit goes into a company account and not just someone’s personal account where you risk the account being embargoed for debts and the possibility of hacienda just taking money owed, leaving them unable to pass this onto owners when necessary. If you are not sure simply ask them but a company will have a CIF number whereas an individual will just use an NIE number. VillaMia Real Estate S.L. has CIF number B70933429.
- Check they have an office and multi-lingual staff. Again, if they work from home it is not very professional and potential buyers will also be wary. As a seller, you need someone to call all year around so it is important to have other people you can contact if the main contact is on holiday. Also, it is very well speaking Spanish and English but these days more buyers are coming from around the world so other languages such as German and French will help sell your property quicker. If on the website the address says buzon then this is just a post-box, so you are better using someone else. VillaMia has a front-line office on the Arenal and a multi-lingual team of six.
- See what services they offer – for example, will they arrange professional photography and drone photographs as part of the listing free of charge? The first impression counts, and this is the photographs used so extremely important. What portals do they advertise on as it is important to achieve significant coverage to reach as many clients as possible. For example, VillaMia use Right, Think Spain and Kyero to name a few and have a professional photographer and fully licensed drone pilot.
- Check costs - the valuation and listing should be free of charge with no obligation. They should also have a sales board they can put up on the property if you wish. Read through the agreement they provide carefully to check all costs involved including agency commission.
- Have a look at their Facebook page, website and google listing. See how many likes they have on Facebook, how often they post as you can tell if they are proactive from this. Have a read of the testimonials. To give you a basis, VillaMia has over 1,400 likes and 29 reviews on Facebook so 5 out of 5 stars.
- Ask how many direct properties they have and if they have a database of potential clients. For example, VillaMia has a weekly mailing list to over 2,000 applicants. If they do have a mailing list, ask to be added to this so you can see how your property is portrayed to potential buyers and what other properties there are on the market.
- It is all very week saying they have been established several years but often this is not true – see how long they have had this company for. VillaMia was established over 15 years ago but as an owner, Michelle Hughes, has owned it for over 12 years.
- Are they a member of AIPP? AIPP is the trade body for professionals around the world dealing with UK buyers of a foreign property. Again, it is a reflection on how professional they are.
- If possible, meet face to face – you can see if they turn up on time, are smart and knowledgeable, have a branded car and ‘you click’. If you cannot do this, if you follow the tips above you should end up with a decent agent and just speak to the owner over the phone to get a feel for the business.
- Don’t be pressurised into an exclusive contract or signing up quickly with a particular agent. It makes sense to take your time and make the right choice from the start.
