Differences between real estate agency and property hunter in Spain

In many countries, banks, tax authorities or professional agencies are governed by rules different from those established in France. It is sometimes difficult to navigate, even if the country in question is culturally close, as is the case for Spain. Among the many recommendations made before a purchase in Spain (such as having a Número de Identidad de Extranjero , opening a Spanish bank account and being clear about what you are looking for), also include the fact of going through a professional agency or through the services of a "hunter". But what are the differences between the services of a real estate agency and those of a real estate hunter?

In both cases, you are advised to use the services of a professional, but which one?

A real estate agency is responsible for making the meeting between the seller and the buyer easier, and wears several hats. The real estate agent is a salesperson who prospects and creates a portfolio of goods, building relationships of trust with sellers. He is also an adviser to clients from a technical, financial and legal point of view. The real estate agent works on behalf of the seller, and aims to sell as many properties as possible, often processing several sales together.

A property hunter, on the other hand, works for the client's account independently. Its role is to carry out research and prospecting work to offer a tailor-made service reconciling constraints, requirements and budget. He selects the advertisements closest to his client's requests. In addition to the research, he is also responsible for making the visits, after which he produces an exhaustive report. Each report will allow a new sorting before the presentation to the customer, of goods corresponding to 100%. He accompanies the customer until the end, that is to say during the signing of the deed of sale.

There are a few significant commonalities between these two professions. 

For example, both are declared as professionals in possession of a card, working under guarantee of funds, and covered by civil liability insurance. They come together in terms of mastering the procedures for purchasing real estate in Spain, being subject to the same regulations, also called the "Hoguet Law", as well as to its implementing decree. They both have the choice of working within an agency, an association or as a freelance. The border is so fine that it happens that certain professionals have the double hat: if we find "pure" hunters, there are also hunters making agreements with agencies, or even hunter-agents, ensuring both functions. .

Yet their roles differ in many ways. 

The main one being that the hunter works on behalf of the buyer, while the agent on behalf of the seller / lessor. Their clients are different and do not require the same type of mandate: a search mandate for the first or a sale (or rental) mandate for the second. The profession of real estate agent is a profession established over time, since it has been listed since the 19th century, unlike real estate hunters, professions which are much more recent. Then, the professional approach diverges: an agent manages a portfolio of ten to a hundred goods and must therefore optimize his time, while a hunter offers his services for three to four files maximum, ensuring a service tailor-made and personalized. Finally, going back to the basics, which is training, there are not yet any studies dedicated to the profession of property hunter: after general real estate studies, it is often recommended to have extensive experience in the field.

Their common points and differences make them two complementary professions, and invite to an interesting collaboration: the hunter can present acquiring clients to the agencies, which in turn, can suggest goods to him. Using an agency or a hunter is left to the discretion of the client, who however could be better helped by a property hunter, whether independent or part of an agency. The future buyer will be relieved of all the work of searching for advertisements, visits, administrative or even legal tasks: a considerable saving of time and money. The customer will have more easily, through the hunter, access to “off-market” goods, not visible on the net.