Buying in Spain: The 13 qualities of a good real estate agency

The success of any real estate transaction depends to a large extent on the capabilities of the real estate agency handling it. Indeed, the agency plays various roles at all levels of the process. Apart from the commercial side of the transaction, the agency accompanies and advises the seller or buyer. It is responsible for estimating the price of the property, drafting the commercial offer, organising visits, preparing the documents required for the sale, etc. In order for all these steps to be a success, the agency must have a certain amount of know-how and various qualities specific to the real estate sector. Here are the 13 key points that make a real estate agency the perfect partner in a property sale or purchase.

1- Be professional

This quality is intrinsic to all services. The agency that offers the best support to its client is not the one that promises a lot, but the one that has the necessary weapons to carry out its missions. In France, for example, the agency must have a professional transactional card, also known as a professional real estate agent's card or T card. This is a guarantee of professionalism towards the client.

The T-card is issued by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and attests that the agency has been in the business for more than 4 years. In Spain, the agency must be registered as a real estate agent (in Spanish, Agente de Propiedad Inmobiliaria or API). Having the T-card or being API registered is not only a guarantee of competence and reliability, but also a way of showing that the agency cares about respecting the rules.

2- Respecting the RGPD

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European directive that aims to protect citizens' data. Thus, any company or institution that can access consumers' personal information is obliged to comply with this regulation. This regulation guarantees that the data is not misused and thus protects the customer. An estate agent records a large amount of personal data of its customers and potential buyers of a property. It is therefore imperative that it presents proof of compliance with the GDPR.

3- Be a good listener

When a client is looking for an agency, listening is one of the first things they look for. Indeed, the profession of real estate agent involves frequent discussions with the client and relies on the ability to respond effectively to their needs. To do this, it is important that an agency listens to its clients. A good agency is one that is attentive to requests. It takes into account the needs of the buyer or seller, and all its actions are defined accordingly. Listening is crucial to ensure that the client and the agency are moving in the same direction.

4- Be sociable

Apart from listening, it is important that the employees of a real estate agency are sociable. They should have easy contact with clients, but also with colleagues, property developers, contractors, property owners, local authorities, etc. This quality enables them to be the first to position themselves on properties that become available, to find new buyers easily and also to be the first to find a new buyer. This quality enables them to be the first to position themselves on properties that become available, to easily find new buyers and also to obtain invitations to events in the sector (property fairs, exhibitions, etc.).

5- Be responsive

Real estate is a sector in which competition is fierce. In the quest for commissions, several agencies position themselves on the same properties. It is therefore the most responsive and informed agency that has the best chance of obtaining the property for its client. Consequently, a good agency must have the means to quickly sniff out good contracts before its competitors.

6- Knowing how to negotiate

On the face of it, this is not an extraordinary quality, since the art of negotiation is one of the basic criteria for working as a real estate agent. However, it is worth mentioning that a good agency is one that negotiates with diplomacy. It has an easy contact with clients and can easily find compromises that satisfy everyone.

7- Knowing how to renew yourself

A good real estate agency must keep up with the times. The sector itself is constantly changing in line with the economic situation, urbanisation, technological developments and various other factors. It is therefore not possible to cling to the old ways of working. The agency must frequently update its methods to offer a modern and efficient service to future buyers. It must also be able to evolve its practices according to the realities of the property market.

8- Be present on the Internet

A company that is not present on the Internet these days can hardly claim to have made any progress. The same applies to real estate agencies, which increasingly need this tool, especially to expand their network, publish and find ads, etc. It is now particularly important to improve one's visibility on the net. A good agency is one that creates a digital reputation and maintains it (having a website, building a community on social networks, etc.). This also makes it easier for clients to contact the agency and to find out more information through the agency's website.

9- Use innovative tools

With digital advances, many tools are available to optimise the work of real estate agencies and facilitate access for future buyers to properties that meet their desires and needs. There is thus software for :

• management of property sales,
• making an appointment,
• property valuation,
• follow-up of visits,

This software facilitates and optimises the operation and work of the estate agent. As practices evolve, a good agency must equip itself with the most efficient means to offer the best possible service to its clients.

10- Conquering several advertising channels

The service provided by the agencies includes a large part of the commercial functions. This is the core of the business. A good agency must therefore have several methods of publishing its advertisements. By multiplying the sources, and potentially reaching more people, the agency increases the chances of selling a client's property or finding a property to rent or buy for another. The Internet is now the best way to multiply its communication channels to reach more targets. However, traditional methods (public displays, radio advertisements, etc.) should not be neglected; they should remain at the heart of the actions.

11- Be locally based

Local agencies have the particularity of being flexible and, above all, of having a better knowledge of the local property market. A locally based real estate agency has valuable assets to find the perfect property for its client, find compromises if necessary, negotiate better sale or purchase clauses, etc. It is closer to the buyer or seller who requests its services. It is closer to the buyer or seller who requests its services. However, being a local agency does not mean that you do not need a large network.

12- Have a large network

In real estate, the network is everything. It is thanks to the network that the agency can quickly find the properties it is looking for, find out about new developments in the sector, gain experience more quickly (because it learns from the mistakes of others and listens to their advice), etc. A good agency is therefore one that has a large network. To reach this level, it is of course necessary to develop good relationships and to have contacts everywhere, with real estate investors, developers, etc. Membership of professional associations facilitates networking.

13- Be listed in the professional registers

AICAT (Agents Immobiliaris de Catalunya, in Spanish) is the Register of Real Estate Agents of Catalonia. The law obliges all serious estate agents in the region to register with it. This is because the register helps to protect consumers and users of a property. The presence of an agency in such a register implies that the agency meets several criteria and that it is able to practice real estate.

Furthermore, it is a real asset for an agency to be affiliated with an association such as the professional association of property managers in construction promotion in Spain (in Spanish, Asociación Profesional de Gestores Inmobiliarios en Promociones de Edificacionesi or GIPE), or such as the Fédération des Promoteurs Immobiliers (FPI) in France. Moreover, in Spain, it is membership of the GIPE that allows API to be referenced.