September 15, 2023

How to navigate the Spanish real-estate jungle

Spanish real-estate is a bit of a jungle. An opinion held by many people looking for a property, especially among foreign nationals planning on buying a second home on the Costa del Sol. Properties are published multiple times, sometimes with different prices. Many of the advertised houses are already sold and it can be surprisingly complicated to book a viewing. What can you do to make it easier if you are dreaming of finding your own paradise in the sun? 

In Spain, there are several big property portals to start scanning if you are looking to buy a home here. The problem is that it is often more confusing than informative; since many of the advertised properties appear multiple times, with different agencies, even with different prices, and sometimes indicated to be in an area that is not the real location. The pictures also leave much to be desired. Although it is better now than some years ago; it is still quite hard for beginners to understand the important things about a specific house, such as size, condition, views and location. 

It can also be challenging to start booking appointments; with many messages not being answered, many people not speaking English, properties that turn out to be no longer on the market, rented out or not being at all what you expected. If you don’t live in Spain, speak Spanish or know the different areas well; the best thing to do is to choose one real-estate agent that works as a coordinator for you, from start to finish. 

Book a personal meeting. Take the time to sit down and get the whole buying process, with all the costs and different steps, explained to you. Find an agent you feel that you can trust. Explain your dream, wishes and exact needs so that agent can be your personal shopper. He or she will then work as a filter, so you don’t lose any time, find and present the really interesting properties for you and co-ordinate and book all the viewings, no matter if it is with the owners or other agents. 

If you don’t find the right property, the first time round, your agent will then know you well enough to narrow down the search even more, which makes everything easier and more time efficient. Searching for your Spanish dream home, should and can be a fun experience. But only if you leave the hard work to the professionals! 

This article was written by Felicity Estates and was published in the Spanish local newspaper SUR in English this summer.