Which is the best real estate agency in Marbella?18 Mar, 2021 Manolo Alarcon

Which is the best real estate agency in Marbella? I want to buy a house in Marbella, in Estepona, in Benahavis, in Sotogrande. Or I want to sell my home in Marbella, Casares, Manilva… how can I make sure I am in the best hands?

Two are the keywords leading to the answer: service and specialization.

A real estate agent who sells villas over € 1,000,000 does not work the same way as the one who sells apartments of € 200,000, or commercial premises, to give a few examples. The best real estate agency in Marbella, Estepona or any other town is aware of this. Therefore, they will be very clear about who is in charge of each type of product.

A real estate agency specializing in villas, chalets and country houses

In fact, real estate agencies do specialize in specific types of property. Services and technological tools are usually different, depending on which kind of property we are talking about..

The first step for a real state agency is advertising the property, to optimize its visibility; later, it will fulfill all necessary tasks leading to the completion of a successful sale.

When looking for the best real estate agency in Marbella, we can start by taking a look at the properties featured on the agencies’ websites. An agency specializing in villas, chalets and country houses, such as Libehomes, will showcase a wide offer of these types of properties. In addition, the commercialization of a villa requires specific types of technological tools.

– High quality professional photography (HQ Photo).

– High quality video, with the use of drones (HQ Video).

– HQ Virtual Tours. Thanks to the impressive presentations of Matterport, 3DVistaPlayer, Floorfy or Realisti.co, users can comfortably move around a home from their computers or mobile phones. This tool is widely used in countries like the United States, to the point that some people buy properties online, without even setting foot on them. Virtual tours are becoming more and more common in Spain, though at the moment they are mainly used for villas.

Real estate agencies also tend to specialize in a specific type of activity, basically sales or rentals (long-term or short-term). Libehomes is a real estate agency specializing in the sale of villas in Marbella, Estepona, Benahavis, Casares, Manilva and Sotogrande.

An exclusive sales mandate means advantages for everyone

Working on an exclusive basis is a key characteristics of a quality real estate agency. Logically this will be one of the most important factors when deciding which is the best agency.

This has a lot to do with the technological tools that we described above. Obviously, the high cost of HQ photography and video, as well as virtual tours, will be affordable for a real estate agency only when it has an exclusive sales mandate. And these tools will be essential when advertising our home for sale, taking into account the wide offer that exists in the market.

Why should I sign an exclusive sales mandate to sell my house?

This is not, of course, the only reason to sign an exclusive sales mandate when selling my house. When you sign an exclusive sales mandate, the real estate agency will pay a special attention to your property, since it will be sure that all its efforts and investments will be rewarded when the sale takes place (which is not the case if the property is marketed simultaneously by several agencies, without an exclusive mandate).

Some people are reluctant to sign an exclusive sales mandate with a real estate agency. Their fear that  potential buyer clients will thus be limited to those found directly by the agency (and that they will be “deprived” of all those who would arrive if they signed a mandate with several agencies).

This could be true in the past, but in the internet world it is no longer so: real estate agencies with an exclusive mandate will advertise the property for all the world to see, including all the other agencies. They will have no problem with accepting clients contributed by other agencies and sharing their fees with them.

Virtually all of the real estate agencies in the US work, on an exclusive basis, due to the great advantages it offers to all the parts involved (sellers, buyers and agencies). European countries are quickly adapting to this system, as more and more owners understand the benefits of signing exclusive sales mandates.

Specialization and quality services define the best real estate agency

This takes us to the second factor that we mentioned above, when looking for the best real estate agency: in addition to specialization, services. Quality services, of course. The best real estate agency in Marbella will not just advertise its properties. It will also offer its clients a variety of services, among which we can mention:

– An optimal valuation of the market price of the property.
– Verification of the legal and administrative status of the property.
– If necessary, regularization or “updating” of the aspects that are necessary for the sale.
– Preparing the villa for sale (“home staging“).
– A careful selection of the clients who will visit the property.
– Advising and accompanying its selling clients through all steps leading to the signature of the sale at the notary.

Of course, we also need to examine the question from the buyer’s point of view: which is the best agency to buy a house in Marbella, Estepona, Manilva or Sotogrande?

First of all, the best real estate agency will always have a strong local presence. For example, Libehomes has a strong focus on the villa areas of Marbella, Estepona and Benahavis (incorporating some other areas in full expansion, such as Manilva and Casares).

The advantages of working on an exclusive basis

A key factor here is also the quality of the services offered by the agency. Have you ever had the experience of wanting to find your ideal home and going from one place to another without being shown anything that really interests you? Old fashioned methods of working are the cause of this. In the most advanced countries, such as the United States, when a person has a serious intention of buying a house, he/she signs an exclusive purchase contract.

What does a client obtain when signing a exclusive purchase contract? Basically, an intensive search of properties meeting his/her criteria, during the time established by the contract. There are various types of exclusive purchase contract. In certain cases, the client delivers a deposit of a certain amount, which will be returned when the purchase is made (the agency fees are paid by the seller). If the buyer does not purchase a home within the reasonable period specified in the contract, then the deposit will be definitely paid to the agency, as compensation for the expenses (time, work and money) incurred in the search.

Paying for quality services is logical: free services are seldom adequate

In Spain, people often think of a real estate agency as of a “home store”, where you enter and ask for the products they have for sale. Obviously, you don’t expect store owners to charge you just for showing you what they have on their shelves. However, in countries like the United States, people accept that real estate is not similar to other commodities. The mere fact of finding and showing real estate property implies specialized search work and visits, which generate costs.

When a real estate agency shows its clients one, two or three properties and then “abandons” them, it is because the agency cannot continue investing time and money for nothing. When a client signs an exclusive purchase contract with a serious agency, he/she knows that the agency will search intensively for him/her and will show all the options available in the market. Thus, the client will have a much better chance of finding his/her ideal home. Isn’t such an investment worth it, when it comes to something as important as buying a home?

The best real estate agency in Marbella, Estepona, Benahavis, Casares, Sotogrande, Manilva…

A quality real estate agency also offers buyers a variety of services, accompanies and advises its clients in all due steps up to the sale signature. In this case, with special attention to all legal and administrative aspects affecting the property, for the clients’ total peace of mind.

Service and specialization. Deep knowledge of the areas and types of real estate property. Technological means adapted to our present world. Exclusive sales mandates and exclusive purchase contracts (both synonymous with quality services). These are the characteristics of the best real estate agency in Marbella, Estepona, Benahavis, Sotogrande, Casares, Manilva …