- This topic has 15 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 5 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
-
-
I recently completed on a property in Mijas and used an estate agent to do the snagging on my behalf as I was too busy to fly over myself. The company I used was , they are based in the Marbella area and I was so impressed with the snagging quality. They snagged my property within 2 days of my call and e-mailed me a 24 page document detailing everything. They are members of the National Association of Estate Agents so I know that the surveying standards are within the guidelines required. They also e-mailed my solicitor the snagging list for them to action the faults with the builders. The price was very reasonable, €200 which saved me time and money. Give them a call.
Anna -
@Anna wrote:
They are members of the National Association of Estate Agents
I am not for one minute suggesting that this company is anything other than professional, and if this last post is genuine then they were obviously satisfied with the service provided but I would like to offer a word of caution regarding membership of professional/trade bodies and people’s individual professional qualification claims.
The NAEA, worthy though it is and better than nothing, really provides nothing more than a written code of conduct for its international members and a compaints/disciplinary procedure for disgruntled customers.This is it:
International Residential Property Charter
For the purposes of this Charter the term “Agent” refers to principals, partners and directors and all members of their staff. “Client” Means the property owner, buyer or developer who has retained the Agent. “Customer” or “applicant” means any person or entity to whom a property is marketed.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (The Agent) follows the Code of Practice for International Residential Property Transactions.
The Agent will:
a) maintain up to date knowledge of and ensure compliance with all relevant legislation.
b) not discriminate on any grounds.
c) not bring disrepute to themselves or the profession
d) act with honesty and integrity at all times
e) maintain fairness, decency, accuracy and honesty in advertising.
f) maintain the confidentiality of client and customer information
g) keep clients’ and customers’ money in a separate account held for that purpose.
h) act at all times in the interests of their clients and applicants
i) not make any false, misleading or exaggerated claims.
j) provide written confirmation of terms of business to the client.
k) make all appropriate enquiries of prospective purchasers.
l) communicate all offers without delay
m) recommend all customers take independent legal advice
n) act with responsibility towards all properties under their controlAs I said, better than nothing perhaps? But claims IMHO of any such memberships should be thoroughly checked out before any credibility is given to them. I had cause to report an estate agent here in Spain to the NAEA last year for falsely using the NAEA logo when they were not in fact members. It has taken the NAEA several months to do anything about it.
On the subject of personal professional qualifications, check them out too! I’ve seen somebody offering membership of the Federation of Master Builders as a suitable qualification to carry out homebuyers building surveys. Membership of the FMB can be applied and paid for online with no need for qualifications, training or experience.
So, as with anything, please do your own checks to find out what all these letters really mean!!!!
-
-
Dear Hillbilly,
Whilt I appreciate your advice, or sould I say, sceptisim I would advise you to let people voice their opinion when they have something good to say about a company they have dealt with. Too many people are quick to sound off about companies that give bad service. Why not just get off your high horse and let people say when they have received good service. There are enough sharks on the Costa del Sol, we all know that, so when you find a company that has really looked after you, why not shout about that too, it might help some of the people who have got themselves into trouble from the not so ethical companies in the first place. In terms of my prudence, I do not appreciate being lectured about checking into the legitimacy of companies claims to be members of professional associations. Perhaps the site moderator will allow me again to mention this company as he allows comanes with bad reputations to be published. I checked with the NAEA and FIABCI and could clearly see that Merck Estates are full members before I instructed their services.
Upon receipt of the snagging list, my solicitor advised me that it was the most thorough, professional and comprehensive list he has seen so to me, service like that is worth it’s weight in gold. Following the snagging of my apartment, I spoke wth the MD of the company, who I am pleased to say was brutually honest with me. I wanted to sell the apartment, and being an Australian he did not bullshit me. He told me that in current market conditions, I would be lucky to sell in the next 6 months. So I am pleased to say that now he has set me up with an interest only mortgage with a very well known lender and he has found me a tenant ready when the property completes in the next few weeks to rent from me for 11 months. We are going to market the property for sale at the same time and my tenants are aware of this and happy with it.
So, on balance, whilst membership to the NAEA and other professional organisation is voluntary (as it is in the UK, I might add) I have found a company that is serious about protecting it’s hard earned reputation and voluntarily is adhering to the codes of conduct (surely this is better than if companies were FORCED to adhere) the fact that it is voluntary, means that they are serious about looking after their clients and he proof of this is how they have treated me….with honesty. The original company that sold me the apartment did not want to know. The company I have now found are literallty picking up the pieces which, let’s be honest, is like a breath of fresh air.
If somebody goes to this forum, asking for a recommendation and somebody gives one, I advise you to stay out of it.
-
@Anna wrote:
I checked with the NAEA and FIABCI and could clearly see that Merck Estates are full members before I instructed their services.
Fortunately you had the good sense to check this out for yourself. However, many people don’t – they accept what they are told or what they see in print at face value and as a result can get severely burned.
If cautioning people NOT to accept things at face value is being on my high horse then so be it – I am prepared to be accused of that if it stops one more person being ripped off! I’ve seen too many occurences of this.
My scepticism was probably aroused by your first ever posting being a real estate agent recommendation, genuine though it may be. -
-
Hillbilly,
I am confused – why should my first post being that of a recommendation of a real estate agent arouse scepticism?
Let’s tun to the matter at hand, which was DGR’s simple question:
“Can anybody recommend a company or person to snag a newly built property? Location is Mijas Costa.”
As I own a property in Mijas and have recent experiece of this scenario, I reponded with my recommendation, whether this is a real estate agent or not is totally irrelevant. Had my friend snagged my property for me, to the same professional standard, then I would be recommending my friend!!!! This debate is absurd. Gone are the days when people can refer good service.
Dorothy – Yes I am sure Hillbilly was thinking of others but your statement of ‘not wanting to see them ripped off’ is contradictory to the simple, innocent question from DGR wanting a recommendation. Why on earth wouldI or anyone recommend a company to someone if I though they were going to be ripped off.
The actual definition of recommend is:
‘To praise or commend (one) to another as being worthy or desirable; endorse.’
Which, by definition. I recommended Merck Estates to DGR as I felt teir service was worthy to another person.
We haveprobably scared off poor DGR now from any recommendations!
Honestly, why cant things go back to the good old days, where a good job done – you tell people about it.
From what I have read you all spend copious amounts of time whinging on this forum about bad service, dodgy agents, corrupt lawyers blah blah blah and when a genuine coment is made about just what you want…good service you can’t wait to be typical Brits with your half empty cups. People like you are not happy unless you have something to moan about.
Goodbye.
-
Oh I do so like a good argument.
Anna, several people on this forum have a blinking good reason to be cynical and whinge about others, they have been badly burnt and yes, it would be great to trust peoples recommendations without question, but as the saying goes “once bitten, twice shy!”.
Shall we end the bickering now guys..please….
Thanks
Heather -
Dear Heather,
It may be the case of, ‘one bitten, twice shy’ and if you read my previous posts you will notice that I was once bitten. As I said, the original agent that sold me the property did not want to assist me in any way shape or form with the completion, they receved their commission and I was a little lost to be honest.
Thankfully I was ‘recommended’ to Merck Estates by a friend of my father and in turn, when I received the good service I chose to recommend to DGR. DGR is obviously not ‘twice shy’ otherwise he would not be posting the request on the forum. DGR can easily look at their website, call them, speak to them..ask all the questions under the sun before he instructs them, I am not telling he has to use them, it was merely a ‘recommendation’ as that’s what he wanted!!!!!!!
Please explain to me how doing a snagging list, one can be ‘ripped off’ as the others legalise states. I paid the agent AFTER I received the snag list and it was sent to mey lawyer, we were both highly satisfied and I would have paid more had I known it would have been done so thoroughly. It must have taken at least 2-3 hours to do – try getting a flight, hotel and time off work for a mere €200, just would not happen.
I believe if somebody wants a genuine recommendation, and somebody is prepared to give it, then it should be betwen the two…..not every man and his dog entering into a question time debate! Honestly!
I have learnt my lesson from this forum, never try to help anyone again. No wonder the coast is the way it is, it will never change if no-one’s attitude does.
Anna
-
Anna, Maybe in future, you should just send a PM ( to send a private message, click on the “pm” button at the bottom of that persons post) to the person asking for the recommendation and then it will be just as you described in your post, a private message between two people.
Of course you shouldn’t stop recommending comanies if you have had good service… I recently posted saying how wonderful it would be if the forum could be full of recommendations of great companies rather than negative comments about bad companies. BUT the negative comments do have there place as they mean people can avoid these companies or go into business with them forwarned and know what pitfulls to look out for!!
Thanks,
Heather
-
Hi Anna, I have not been on this forum long, but have already got valuable advice and recommendations. So, yes good recommendations are very welcome. I was totally misled by a “dream company” whos big offices you see along the coast,who sold me an off plan with a promise to resell it for me and when the time came did not want to know. I think everybody should expose these disgraceful practises, after all some peoples life savings are at stake. At the same time it is so valuable to get recommadations of honest, reliable companies that one can be confident to deal with. So keep them coming!
-
-
Katy,
This is the first forum I have posted on, I do not know if Merck Estates founder previously worked for Interealty – but if this is the case, they’ve obviously taken all the bad things that the big companies do and turned them upside down, no need to ‘defend’ here.
So, in short, get your facts right. I shall not be uing this forum again in light of the abundance of negativity from other readers!!!
Heather, thanks for your recommendation of the PM, however it’s not worth the hassle!!
Laggen – thanks for your positive response, makes a change!
-
Morning DGR
Maybe a bit of an off-the-wall suggestion but if you go to any of the larger furniture supply companies who put the apartment packages together right down to the cutlery then they’ll often include (and repair) snags as part of the deal.
Could be a logical option for you as when they install the curtain poles, etc. they’re already bashing holes in the walls thereby creating further snags! Ditto, whilst they’re in there for a couple of days fixing your place up fitting shelving, mirrors, etc. they can run the dishwasher, flush the loo a hundred times etc.
Just shout for recommendations.
Sarah
-
- The forum ‘Spanish Real Estate Chatter’ is closed to new topics and replies.
