By Ivo Henfling

Becky Clower of Blue Water Properties in the Tamarindo area just wrote an article for the We Love Costa Rica newsletter titled “how not to treat your realtor”.

For some time, I have been thinking about writing about “the abusive buyer of Costa Rica real estate” but after getting bombarded with negative comments from some abusive people on the home invasion article, I’ve tried to make my Costa Rica blogs more “easygoing” as they are supposed to attract buyers of Costa Rica properties and not scare them off. Some readers misunderstood Becky´s article and comments like “I find the article condescending” is from people who don’t care about anything but for themselves. People like that, I prefer they go to my competitor.

Some buyers abuse of their realtors because they think that the realtor has an obligation to play tour guide, information desk, relocator and chauffeur all for the opportunity to earn a commission sometime in the next 5 years.
 

Here are 10 guidelines for you to follow if you like to have a nice and continuing relationship with your realtor, which is the best help you can receive AFTER you have bought your property in Costa Rica.   

1.    Costa Rica is smaller than you think. Realtors in Costa Rica know each other and talk to each other.
2.    Email as many realtors as you want during your due diligence period, but try to stick to only one realtor in each location. As soon as you find that realtor is unresponsive, find another one.
3.    If you don’t understand the value of using a realtor for your Costa Rica property purchase, don’t (mis)use one.
4.    Be honest to your realtor about being a real buyer or just a looker. This will be appreciated and you will get a much higher payback for this answer than you think.
5.    Don’t ask for the exact location of this property by email as this shows you are not interested in the realtor’s services but only to drive straight to the property and deal directly with the owner.
6.    Though Costa Rica doesn’t have a formal MLS service, if you find a responsive and knowledgeable realtor who is willing to work hard for you because you are loyal, ask him/her to represent you also on real estate listings you might find elsewhere.
7.    Don’t ask questions like “please send me all information on how to use my 401K to purchase property and which attorney should I use for this” and then stop emailing the realtor. Attorneys get copied and few realtors know how to use a 401K so word gets around and you will be shooting yourself in the foot.
8.    Don’t use the knowledge of a real estate agent to buy a property in Costa Rica on your own and then ask that same realtor to help sell your property a few years later.
9.    When using a realtor to do your due diligence, don’t buy him/her lunch to say thank you. Realtors don’t work for lunches.
10.    Don’t give a realtor $30 to buy gas after a day touring real estate, realtors are not taxi drivers.
 

I don’t know about other realtors but I spend lots of time, even years after selling the property, helping my old clients along with things and information they need. I am appreciative of their business and my clients are generally appreciative of my services, our testimonials on this website show for this.

GoDutch Realty real estate agents are located in different areas of the Central Valley to make it easy on you and easy on our realtors too.  The above is not a complaint about the abusive buyers we attend; this is a guideline of how NOT to become an abusive buyer.

Stick with us and we’ll stick with you. If you´re a looker, say so and you´ll receive the info you need to take your decision when you need to, no matter if now or in 5 years.

I just saw this is blog one hundred which needs celebrating. So I will go get myself a nice rum (Centenario, the best rum in Costa Rica) and coke with lots of ice and no lime......

By Ivo Henfling, a sometimes abused realtor but easily putting up with most of it who you can contact at anytime to see property in Santa Ana.