Don't rely on just one real estate agent in Buenos Aires to find the best deals
When I started looking to buy an apartment in Buenos Aires I was under the impression that I would walk into a real estate agency, meet an agent and then he/she would show me around to several apartments matching the description of the type of property I was looking for and eventually I would end up buying one. I was shocked to find each real estate agent I visited would only show me properties listed by their own agency.
I researched the buying process online and the resources I came across stated that the first step to buying property in Buenos Aires is finding a good real estate agent. If you’re coming from the States or somewhere else where a buyer’s agent helps you through the process of buying, this seems obvious and makes sense however in Buenos Aires this is NOT how you should look for your new home.
Buyer’s agents will generally only show you the properties that they have listed. Sometimes they work with one or two other agencies but in most cases they will only show you a small subset of the properties on the market. If you want to see more homes and get a better understanding of the prices do not rely on one broker to do all the searching for you.
So how should one search for real estate in Buenos Aires without a dedicated buyer’s agent? If you speak Spanish well, the simplest option is to find the property yourself and then contact the broker that listed the property. I used to recommend picking up the real estate section of the Clarin on weekends but now you’ll find many more listings online and with more information. You can use our site MoveGlobally.com but you should also checkout the biggest online real estate listing websites for Buenos Aires which are ZonaProp, Argenprop, and enbuenosaires.com. ZonaProp and Argenprop are only in Spanish but enbuenosaires.com and MoveGlobally.com are in both English and Spanish.
Another option if you already know the area in which you want to buy is to walk through the neighborhood or areas you’re interested in and note the phone numbers on any for-sale signs you see and visit every real estate broker that you come across. It’s a bit time consuming but if you’re seriously interested in checking out all of the options and want to find the best deals it’s worth the time and will also help you get to know the neighborhood better.
If you don’t speak Spanish, you should try to find a Spanish speaker that you can trust to help you through the process. I’ve heard of a few people using real estate consultants that charge a fixed fee. I haven’t worked with any myself so I can’t comment on how helpful they are but make sure that they aren’t working directly with a small set of agencies and be sure to check their references.
One last note about working with real estate agents is that most do little more than connect you with the seller and take a commission. Often times they won’t even go to the closing. In the States the buyer’s and seller’s agents generally provide all the documentation and contracts that you need and provide assistance until the deal is closed. A title lawyer will review the title to make sure it’s clear of liens or other debts but chances are you’ll never meet him or her.
In Argentina the escribano (title lawayer) plays a very critical role and is the person most responsible for ensuring that the deal is legit and that you don’t get taken advantage of. Never sign a contract or put any money down until you talk with your escribano. You should also always use you’re own escribano and not one recommended by the buyer or seller’s agent to ensure that the lawyer is working on your behalf.
Best of luck in your search and please leave a comment if you have any experience working with consultants or any other feedback or relevant anecdotes.
Resources
- Argenprop
- enbuenosaires.com (Available in English and Spanish)
- MoveGlobally.com (Available in English and Spanish)
- ZonaProp
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