What makes a good estate agent in Mallorca?

Real estate entrepreneur Walter Hüther reveals what you need to consider when choosing the right estate agent. In order to find a buyer for your own property quickly and safely.

Walter Hüther still knows them. The times when foreigners used to press their noses against the windows of estate agents during their stay in Mallorca to see whether the supposed dream island home might be just around the corner. „Those days are long gone“, assures Hüther, who has been running the real estate agency „Huether & Partner“ in Porto Cristo with his wife Nadia since 2014. „Anyone thinking about investing in a second or vacation home in Mallorca nowadays starts their search at home, on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Online platforms make it possible to list - and narrow down - the growing range of Mallorca properties in terms of price, location and features with just a few clicks of the mouse. If one of the properties filtered out meets the expectations of the prospective buyer, the estate agent offering the property is contacted. In the best case scenario, the whole process ends with an agreement for the appointment to view the property on site“. Quite simple, really.

However, the situation is somewhat different in the opposite case. Because to sell a property, you always need a broker. Their selection is by no means small in Mallorca. And what makes things even more difficult: Not every estate agent on the island delivers what they promise, says Hüther. Or is even prepared to sell his client's property in a reasonable amount of time. Window displays with photos and exposé from the laser printer hardly offer any serious sales opportunities, especially in times of Corona and the absence of a walk-in clientele that is becoming rare anyway“, explains Walter Hüther. Even an estate agent's own website is no guarantee these days that the owner will find a buyer in the foreseeable future for their property, which is usually unimaginatively advertised as a "picturesque finca" or "modern penthouse apartment with sea views". „Most estate agents still offer their portfolio exclusively via their own homepage. And that's it for internet advertising.“ Here, too, the chances of finding a suitable prospective buyer in the foreseeable future are likely to be slim. This is because he would first have to click his way past all the real estate websites listed much higher on Google & Co. in terms of the number of offers, their presentation and various search filter and operating tools to the homepage of this one brokerage office in Mallorca click through. A six in the lottery seems almost more likely.

But how do you find the right estate agent to sell your property in Mallorca quickly and reliably? Before you give your house, apartment or apartment for sale to an estate agent, you should check their reliability, advises Walter Hüther. „The best way to do this is via the contact information or the imprint on the company's homepage. Reputable real estate agencies have their own office on site. A company address abroad or a P.O. Box number should arouse suspicion, as should a cell phone number as the only means of contact“.

For Walter Hüther the lack of a Spanish tax number on the broker's homepage is a further and clear indication of a black sheep within the industry. Without a tax number, the company is operating completely illegally. This means that potential customers have no guarantee of liability in the event of damage or fraud. Advertising with low-price commissions below the usual 5 to 6 percent limit on Mallorca is also no indication that it is a reputable real estate company.

The same applies to unusual contractual clauses. Some estate agents are of the opinion that they can secure their sales commission by giving the property owner an exclusive right of sale. The owner can then neither sell his house on his own nor terminate the contract prematurely without paying the agreed commission or compensation. This is therefore a very bad position for the seller," explains Hüther.

Good brokers, like his own company, do not use such gag clauses. Why should they? We have no doubts about the success of our business model. And therefore we are not afraid that another broker might be quicker at selling a property, says Hüther. Sounds logical.

„Ultimately, the seller is only interested in one thing: selling their own property at a reasonable price and within a reasonable amount of time, says Walter Hüther. „However, some owners sometimes tend to overestimate the real sales value. Here, too, a reputable estate agent must bring his clients down to earth and give them a realistic market assessment.

To put it in a nutshell. „Our business concept is based on two elements. Firstly, a broad distribution of the offer, not least on all relevant online real estate platforms that are renowned throughout Europe. „It is precisely because of this that we are able to find a buyer in a much shorter time than most other estate agents on the island“, explains Walter Hüther.

And: „Whether buyer or seller: We take the time to support our customers in their projects with advice and assistance. To dispel doubts. To offer alternatives. Or quite simply: to be a good estate agent for you“.

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