By Ivo Henfling

If you want a knowledgeable Costa Rica real estate agent to represent you as a buyer’s agent, you need to do some serious research. Of course you want the best realtor in town to represent you. But how can you find that Costa Rica realtor? The only way of doing this is spending some serious time and effort online because your next real estate purchase is going to be one of the most important ones in your life.

Looking at Costa Rica real estate websites, you will find that most of them only offer properties for sale and some very basic information about real estate in Costa Rica in general. But do you really want a listing agent to represent you as a buyer or are you looking for an agent who knows more about Costa Rica real estate than anybody else in the business?

Don’t search for generalized keywords like “Costa Rica real estate” or “Escazu condos for sale” because what you will get are websites that show mostly listings of Costa Rica property for sale. You should make a list of topics that you are really interested in, as the information can really help make your relocation to Costa Rica a lot easier.

One you have list, find the correct words to be used as keywords in your Google or Yahoo search. You will find that there are very few Costa Rica realtor websites that offer information on these topics.

Once you have selected the websites with good content and information about these topics that you are interested in, get rid of those that only offer services of connecting you to an “expert realtor”. Make sure you find those that have articles written by the real estate agents themselves and that they offer very specific information on different topics.

Here are 10 interesting topics you might want to use when making your search:
 

1. How is communication in Costa Rica?

2. Is punctuality a problem in Costa Rica?

3. Investing in rental property in Costa Rica. 

4. Can I play golf in Cariari?  

5. Cost of utilities in Costa Rica.

6. Do I need a home inspection in Costa Rica?

7. What home maintenance do I need for the Costa Rica rainy season?

8. Medical emergency care in Costa Rica.

9. Should I bring my furniture to Costa Rica?

10. How to get my residency in Costa Rica

I’d like to remind you that most real estate agents are not professional writers and you are looking for a Costa Rica real estate agent who can represent you as a buyer and look out for your best interest.

You can request the realtor of your choice to represent you and send him/her the listings you have found on other websites. The buyer’s realtor will then contact the listing agents to request the information you want about each property. Do NOT contact the listing agent first yourself, because once the connection has been made, the listing agent will not accept a buyer’s realtor to represent you anymore. Both agents will split the commission after closing and you are sure to be represented by a knowledgeable realtor.

By Ivo Henfling, your real estate agent in the Costarican Central Valley. For information on listings in the Costarican Central Valley, contact Ivo now. Ivo wrote over 100 blogs on Costa Rica real estate, moving to Costa Rica and living in Costa Rica.