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Our many years of experience with Costa Rican realtors has been, to put it bluntly, a most dismal affair.
Admittedly though, there are a few exceptions – and to those individuals who consistently maintain strong ethical standards we extend a big ‘thank you’ for maintaning the professional image we sellers expect of a realtor.
To all “wanna-be” Real Estate Agents representing home sellers here in Costa Rica, a few words of advice:
1. Create a professional image. Dress code which includes shorts, flip-flops etc just do not create a professional image to either seller or buyer.
2. Throw away the gum! Put the gum behind your ear or whatever while showing.
3. Sellers place their trust in you to supervise and carefully observe potential buyers when traipsing through our homes. Potential buyers are frequently allowed to have the run of our homes without supervision. Rummaging through bedroom / kitchen drawers by buyers is definite no-no.
4. Sellers are fully entitled to be kept in the loop during negotiations. The oft-taken attitude that potential buyer/seller negotiations (ie e/mails/letters/telephone conversations between realtor and potential buyer/seller) must be kept, quote “confidential to protect both parties” is nonsensical. Agents must represent both seller and potential buyer equally in order that each party knows exactly what the other is doing.
5. Qualify potential buyers. Provide the seller – in advance of viewing, with an idea of buyers best home ‘wish list’ and whether or not the potential buyer has to sell his/her home ‘back in the States’ in order to afford a new home purchase here in Costa Rica. Turns out, most potential buyers introduced to us in recent years have been severely cash strapped!
6. Verbal offers should be followed immediately by a written offer from the potential Buyer.
7. Courtesy feedback. How about making a point of calling or e/mailing the seller to thank them for taking the time to show their home to their potential buyer? If the potential buyer is NOT interested in the sellers home, give reasons why not.
8. Punctuality. A word our Costa Rican ‘wanna-be‘ Real Estate Agents seem to have forgotten?
Some good points made here!
I know more than a few ‘buyers’ who just wanted to see [i]’how the other half lives…'[/i]and to fill in some time.8)[quote=”costaricafinca”]Some good points made here!
I know more than a few ‘buyers’ who just wanted to see [i]’how the other half lives…'[/i]and to fill in some time.8)[/quote]We know numerous Realtors who literally will not reply to a Tico inquiry and will NOT show a property to any Tico because they are tired of being part of a ‘family day trip’ when they have no intention of buying…
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