| div id="body"> | | | | moves elsewhere - and he may just be your long |
| Few things can be worse than trying to sell a | | | | sought after buyer! |
| Spanish property during the current Spanish | | | | 6. Make the best of your Spanish property. Keep |
| property crash. Competition for the few available | | | | it tidy, smelling fresh and always clean. Get rid of |
| buyers is ferocious and, all too often, your only | | | | all clutter, as 'less is always more' when it comes |
| obvious selling tool is price. And the only way that | | | | to displaying a property. Lots of furniture and |
| price makes any difference is when it is much | | | | trinkets can make a house look smaller and |
| lower than the competition - which makes it a | | | | darker than it is and no-one is likely to buy your |
| very crude weapon. So, what else can you do to | | | | property in Spain because they are attracted by |
| sell your property in Spain? | | | | a display of your personal possessions. Equally, |
| 1. Control the price at all times. In Spain, it is quite | | | | open all shutters/persianas and curtains - |
| common to tell Spanish estate agents the price | | | | particularly the heavy Vellum curtains so beloved |
| that you want and to then allow them to place | | | | of the Spanish, to prevent the sun coming in. |
| whatever commission they want on top of the | | | | 7. Make sure your property in Spain looks well |
| minimum price you require. Thus your Spanish | | | | maintained. Buyers are always wary when a |
| property can end up being marketed for a | | | | Spanish property looks as though it will require |
| bewildering number of different prices (depending | | | | high maintenance or needs a lot of intial work to |
| upon the differing commission structures of the | | | | bring it up to standard. Fix dripping taps, damp |
| Spanish estate agents concerned). This can mean | | | | patches and flaking paint etc. These may be small |
| that potential buyers, tracking your property on a | | | | items but they will indicate to a buyer that |
| number of web sites, will lose confidence in your | | | | probably greater problems exist - whilst another |
| property (and you, as the seller!). Much worse - | | | | similar house to yours may look trouble free. |
| should you want to change the price of your | | | | Always give yourself the edge! |
| Spanish property, you cannot guarantee that this | | | | 8. Be relaxed and confident when a buyer comes |
| will be reflected accurately by your Spanish | | | | to see your property. Do not over-sell your |
| estate agents. So, always make sure that the | | | | Spanish property to a potential buyer. Normally, |
| market price/advertised price of your property is | | | | buyers have made up their minds, one way or |
| the same for all estate agents and includes their | | | | another, within the first five minutes of seeing a |
| commission. | | | | property in Spain - and neither an estate agent |
| 2. Market widely - unless a sole estate agent can | | | | nor yourself will be able to bludgeon a buyer into |
| deliver a high profile marketing package. Use as | | | | changing their minds. Usually, it is best to leave |
| many Spanish estate agents to market your | | | | professional Spanish estate agents to show clients |
| Spanish property as you can find - over a wide | | | | around your Spanish property. They will be able to |
| geographic area. Buyers coming to Spain are | | | | 'read' the potential buyers best and will then direct |
| often not particularly location sensitive and, if they | | | | them to you - if the clients have any relevant |
| like the look of your property and (importantly) | | | | questions or the estate agents think that you can |
| the price, will often travel some distance from | | | | contribute to making the sale. It is, of course, in |
| their initial 'preferred' area. Using a sole estate | | | | their best interest! |
| agent can be advantageous only if the Spanish | | | | 9. Remember 'buyers are liars'. Rarely will you, or |
| estate agents can offer a very aggressive | | | | even your Spanish estate agents, be told the |
| marketing plan - that is consistently activated | | | | truth by buyers - whether it is about their |
| over a long period. | | | | personal circumstances, their true likes and |
| 3. Native Spanish property market. Make sure | | | | dislikes, their real budget or their actual readiness |
| that you also use native Spanish estate agents - | | | | to buy. So, do not take seriously what buyers |
| after all the biggest buying market in Spain will | | | | say when they are looking at your property in |
| always be the Spanish themselves. So, do not | | | | Spain - whether it is is positive or negative. Rely |
| just exclusively use British or North European | | | | only upon whether they want to return for a |
| agents to market your property in Spain | | | | second viewing or wish to make an offer. |
| 4. Be prepared to pay a high commission. In the | | | | Anything else is largely irrelevant and should never |
| current Spanish property crash, with Spanish | | | | be taken personally. |
| property prices falling, many sellers understandably | | | | 10. Treat the selling of your Spanish property as |
| try to negotiate down the commission of Spanish | | | | you would a job of work. Put simply, selling |
| estate agents. This is a mistake. If you are | | | | property in Spain is a number's game. |
| desperate to sell, offer your Spanish estate | | | | Unfortunately, in today's Spanish property crash, |
| agents a higher commission than is standard to | | | | selling a property in Spain is all getting a lot of |
| ensure that they prioritize the sale of your | | | | potential buyers to physically come and see your |
| Spanish property above and beyond all others on | | | | property. If few people come - then the likelihood |
| their 'books'. This will also encourage them to | | | | of selling it is minuscule. Network relentlessly, |
| collaborate with other Spanish real estate agents, | | | | enthuse, charm and incentivize your Spanish |
| where they will have to split the commission on | | | | estate agents and always make sure that your |
| any sale made. They will do this willingly, if they | | | | property in Spain is better than anything else on |
| still earn well from any sale of your property. | | | | the market that is comparable in price and |
| 5. Never lose an opportunity to show your | | | | condition. Prioritize getting people to come and |
| Spanish property to a potential buyer. Sometimes, | | | | look at your property above everything else - |
| Spanish estate agents have little time to give | | | | however unlikely they may seem as potential |
| advance warning of a viewing appointment. This | | | | buyers. Work at selling all the time... |
| can be extremely inconvenient - but always | | | | Finally, do not be downhearted. Everything always |
| accommodate a viewing, even if your property in | | | | sells - even in a Spanish property crash! So, be |
| Spain is not in 'tip top' order or you are about to | | | | enthusiastic, retain your optimism, relax as best |
| eat etc. It may be the only chance for a given | | | | you can and try, wherever possible, to give |
| potential buyer to see your property before he | | | | yourself an edge against the competition. |