How to Avoid Property Scams and Deception in Spain

Hiring a real estate agent means taking care of many problems as well as reducing your involvement in the whole process. When it comes to selling or buying Spanish properties, we should always seek real estate help. Hiring a real estate agent has many benefits such as they know how to negotiate with a homebuyer or seller for quick sell, rent or buy, show you variety of options under your budget, and help you find the right home for you.

When you hire a real estate company or an estate agent, ask them for their license, how much experience they have in real estate, etc. so that you can avoid the property scam.

Trying to deceive people in the real estate market is nothing new. Fraudsters are always looking for opportunities and they do their work where they are most likely to find potential victims. As the Internet has become the largest medium for finding and selling property, the strategy of these criminals has evolved to take benefit of this channel. In addition, when you perform well in the rental and sales markets, it is easy to forget the most basic rules of Internet security.

• TIPS TO AVOID PROPERTY SCAMS  AND DECEPTION IN SPAIN

Here, we have mentioned some tips that you should keep in mind while buying or selling property so that you can avoid property scam.

• If you meet someone who says they work for a real estate company or claims to be a real estate agent, ask them for their website details. If they don't have any website, then it's clear that they are not trustworthy. If they say that the website is in process of updation, don't believe them.
  
  
• If they do have a website, don’t be fooled just because there are some properties for sale. It might be possible that they are not for sale and are just on the website ‘for the show’ to defraud people. Check customer's review, if possible contact to their past customer and ask them about the agency and their work.
  
  
• Check on their website if there is any mobile number, telephone number or address. To ensure that this is not just a 'mailbox' service and the agency is legitimate, visit their given address.
  
  
• A legitimate real estate agent has nothing to hide, so their website must have their personal details, such as their full name, complete address, including their photo. If such information is missing, then it might be possible that the people you are dealing are not legitimate.
  
  
• When you make a bid, it should clearly state what is included in the sale and there should be official documents related to the sale. If the person you are dealing with wants to do everything "verbally," they may be fraudsters or conmen.
  
  
• Nowadays, many companies perform well, and their users rate their work experience on various sites (such as Trustpilot, Google, etc.). Do some research. In addition, many real estate agent websites have testimonials from their past customers and clients.  Don’t be afraid to ask if you can talk to their past customers' who have used their service, to know the truth and verification.
• The person you are dealing with must always behave professionally. They must have full printed particulars of any property. 
  
  
• If the documents are only available in Spanish, ask them to provide a copy in your native language. If you are not satisfied with this, you can also check for the translation.
  
  
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. When buying a property in a foreign country, you should not be afraid to ask questions. Feel free to ask all the questions you have to your real estate agents.
  
  
• One important point is that if you don't get a solid and concise contract as the guarantee you need as a buyer, you should never pay anything. In addition, whether you are buying a new house or a second-hand property, you should only pay in full when you sign the contract at the notary office.