- This topic has 22 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 5 months ago by
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Read the article with interest and wonder just when is it all going to stop in Spain, the corruption within the property industry beggars belief?
Which agent sold this development in Elviria, surely they had a ‘duty of care’ ensuring legal build permits were in place before selling to people who believed their sales spiel? Why don’t the agents responsible, their lawyers etc, step in as a P.R. gesture to refund the monies themselves and chase a claim against the Developers?
The mis-selling on the Costas has to stop, the Spanish Gov’t should force the Regulators (if there are any) to act, and Bank Guarantees should be enabled immediately, it’s a farce to make people wait so long!
Good luck to Glynis and all those stuck in this mess.
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“The mis-selling on the Costas has to stop…”
I see no reason why the crooked practices on the costas have to stop and I don’t agree with the optimistic tone of the newspaper article.
The mayor of Marbella has been arrested -so what? -so had the last 2 or 3 -so have many more such as the mayor of the neighboring manilva.This isn’t britain so why should they conform to our standards when it is so lucrative to remain corrupt?
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The Spanish Government has already warned it will pass a new law regulating Real Estate Agents somwhat like before, where they had topass exams in Spanish regarding law subjects etc…
Only API’s truly are apt and have the REA title, all the rest of huge British Real Estate Agencies are not API’s, and nor do they require it nowadays since the former ruling political party PP abolished the law regulating the sector back in 1999 IIRC and liberalised thus opening the gates to everyone who had cellphone and a fax machine.
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heatherpsk, did you pick up the link from Dorothy ok?
Drakan, regarding API’s, when we were having problems with OE agents, their business cards etc showed an API no., which on the face of it made them look reputable, but in fact it was registered to a Spanish lawyer, that I would not trust, who was in the big glass building at the end of Marbella, and I believe he was/is their Company lawyer.
Basically the agent did not have their own API no. which says it all I suppose! How can agents get away with that, do you think Spain will stop this practice?
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It is interesting, but somewhat down-heartening to see that people are still banding around the letters of API and GIPE.
Why not FIABCI and NAEA and there are probably lots of others.
These “institutuions” all provide a Code Of Practice which draws up the ethics of how their members do business.
If you look into it a little deeper, they are simply a money-making business like any other business out there on the high street.
You have to pay for your membership, and it ain’t cheap either!
You can “join” their ranks simply by requesting an application form by e-mail or fax and this you return along with your cheque.
Hey presto! you are now a member.
What with all the postings on here about not trusting lawyers, agents etc. why look for some numbers after an agent’s name? Do you REALLY think that this makes them trustworthy?
Better to go and have a chat with the agent. Ask them to open their sales files and see if you can speak to their past purchasers.
Of course, not every single purchaser will sing the praises from the rooftops as purchases inevitably have numerous obstacles to be overcome and this leads to frustration on the part of the purchaser. But please remember, that agents have to deal with lawyers too! And, we hear all sides of the story – buyer, seller and lawyer as well as having to deal with unfriendly registries and Town Halls!
One last thing, as an owner of an Estate Agency myself since November 2005 (I previously was a manager for a large estate agency group before going solo), I applied for membership to various “professional” bodies only to be told that you had to be trading for a year first!
Surely, better to be a member from day one in order not to acquire any “dodgy” practices!
If I joined NAEA(overseas), API, GIPE, FIABCI I would be waving goodbye to about 2000 euros a year.
For a new business in a competetive environment, this is not feasible.Maybe I should simply print up a Code Of Ethics and invite estate agents to join my body and charge them for saying that they will all be good boys. Easy money.
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2,000euros a year is peanuts for an estate agent to pay!! Also, regardless of the fact that these agents may fill in a form on line, they still surely have to undertake to abide by the governing body rules. The fact they do it on line does not exonerate them.
Yours are the typical whinges and excuses that agents use time and again. My heart bleeds for you….NOT 👿 Presumably you have acquired the many devious practices of an agent working for big companies..and they are attributable to agents both in Spain AND the UK. IME.One thing I will agree with you. These letters after agents names are not worth the paper they are written on, and would certainly not make me think they were better than one without these initials, especially if it only cost them 2,000 euros to buy them!
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Thanks for replying Claire.
“2000 euros a year is peanuts…”
Really! I wish my finances were such that I could consider a couple of grand “peanuts”.
I think you got the intention of my post wrong…it was not a whinge at all. Simply a post to point out that you should no more “trust” an agent with or without letters or numbers after their names.
As for your heart bleeding…you don’t even know me!
And, as for “presuming” that I picked up devious practices….see line above about not even knowing me.
As a new member on this forum, I thought that it was here for informed discussion.
Certainly not for slander.
If you are ever in my part of the world, please pop in for a coffee and a chat. Maybe you could even leave 2000 euros to pay for the coffee – or a bag of peanuts. -
I don’t know you….and you don’t know me, so we are even ground.!! I would say this is a prime example of why people should not be allowed to set up in a business if they cannot afford an insurance, indemnity or association fee to their governing body, especially when people are handing over large sums of money, to the likes of estate agents.
As somebody whose BIG estate agent walked away with 45,000euros(according to the developer and our lawyer) for selling us a 2 bed apartment that has not and will not be built, I have absolutely no empathy for your profession. You can blame your colleagues for the bad reputation of agents selling in Spain. I do feel sorry for the smaller agents who get a really hard time because of the selling techniques of the “BIG BOYS”.
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I wonder if your Big Boy was a member of any of the “trade associations”?
If he was, it didn’t help you much did it and I am truly sorry for what looks like a big mess you have on your hands.
As for not being able to afford membership etc. That is not the point. The point is whether membership has any value whatsoever. As I said previously, there is nothing to stop you or I setting up a “body” and inviting agents to join and say that they will follow a code of conduct.
Interestingly enough, I saw a website the other day which was offering a Verification Seal for any Testimonials you put on your site.
Point 1 – do you ever believe any testimonials you see on ANY site? i.e. Mrs T from Birkenhead says……
Point 2 – who says that this Verification company is whiter than white.
Point 3 – should we start a Verification company to verify all the previous verification companies out there?
If Governments are corrupt; Mayors of Towns are corrupt and so on…what value any body who claims anything for its’ members?
And lastly, why do you think most self-employed people set up on their own…because they reckon they can do a better job; because they are tired of the practices of their employers; because they aren’t earning what they think they are worth; to put food on the table for their children and not forgetting to show that there are still some “decent” agents out there.
My offer still stands for the coffee. Forget the 2 grand, but you can have a look through my books and even speak with my clients.
I hope that there is some way you can resolve your nightmare. -
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Claire, the lawyer was one of that agent’s recommended lawyers, they lurk in the big glass building at one end of Marbella, and, they’ve changed their company name 3 times in as many years.
When that agent told us to use them they were known as Chambers Defoe, but then became Cortez Habsburg McCown but now I can’t say their name I think! As their previous name are now defunct I’m sure it’s ok to mention them.
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