“Help Me Help You”, the immortal words from the great film, Jerry MaGuire, also provide wise guidance for helping your Costa Rica real estate agent help you…
My last post offered some advice on how to move to Costa Rica, in 4 simple steps…
Step 2 was choose your agent. So, obviously in my humble opinion, having a good agent in your corner is important to your success.
Of course, I’ve reduced the answer down to 3 simple steps…
Step 1 – Communicate
Your agent can’t read your mind, or at least this one can’t. Maybe there are some out there who can (there are probably a few who boast the talent). But for the most part, we can’t!
I don’t know how many times I get inquiries from prospective clients that simply say “tell me more about this or that property.”
Or, the oft asked, can you provide more photos, or video? The answer to this one is usually no. For starters, the photos (or video) I have (at least the ones worth looking at) are already on the listing for your viewing pleasure. And, no, I don’t have time to do a private photo shoot for a prospective buyer. At least, not until I have a clear picture about where his or her head is at.
Let me let you into a little secret. Believe it or not we real estate agents are quite busy down here. And that’s even more the case with the current market uptick.
I am more than happy to answer specific questions about a property. In fact, I attempt to answer the most basic questions in the listing itself. However, what I don’t have time to do is to write you, prospective buyer, a book about it!
Of course, I’m being a little facetious, but only a little. I love specific questions that I can really sink my mental teeth into. I don’t like vague questions that only leave me guessing about what you really want to know.
Here’s a little tip that certainly works for me (and I would assume perhaps other agents as well). Down here we use WhatsApp as the main medium of online communication. We use emails too, but I find that mode way more cumbersome and time consuming. I love it when a buyer client provides a number we can connect with on WhatsApp. By the way, mine is 506-8559-2686.
Once connected on WhatsApp you can quickly send me links to listings of interest you come across, as well as ask me questions on the fly. I will usually respond with a voice message, as I hate to type on an Iphone and when I do, spellcheck sometimes provides disastrous and embarrassing (if not humorous) results.
Here’s another tip. Provide your agent with detailed (but not overly so) set of criteria for your dream life/home in Costa Rica. If you haven’t thought that out yet, my 4 C’s of Costa Rica Expat Living could help.
Of course, you generally want to be dealing with an agent who actually covers the area of your interest. You’re not always going to know that, however. I welcome contacts from prospective buyers looking in other areas, because, well, I like to help people. But don’t be surprised when I refer you to a more appropriate agent (for a potential referral fee, of course).
Step 2 – Investigate
Once you’ve communicated with your agent, that doesn’t mean you get to sit back, prop up your feet, and expect the agent to do ALL the work for you. The agent should prove you some tools you can use to continue your investigation. In my case, I provide links to our agency website, my personal (Point 2 Homes) website, my blog and my eBook. I also might provide you with some 3rd party links that I believe are helpful, like the Tico Times, or maybe a local source of info (in my immediate area, that’d be something like the Pura Vida Connections website).
If you remember from my last post I advised that you can utilize the services of your agent for any properties you uncover, regardless of who they are listed with (as long as they’re in the agents purview of coverage). So, while you’re doing your investigation, keep the lines of communication open with your agent about anything you find on your own.
Step 3 – Coordinate
As I stated in my last post, ultimately, to do it right, you need to make the trip down to see for yourself. I for one am always more than willing to help my clients set their trips up. After all, before I got into real estate I owned a tourism company in Costa Rica for about 15 years! I would assume many other agents are equally willing to help their clients with the logistics of making an exploratory trip to Costa Rica. Logistics could include accommodations recommendations, tips for getting from Point A to B, activities that you might find enjoyable, and anything else you might need to know about travel to Costa Rica.
So, keep your agent informed of your travel plans. Don’t go dark (or silent), as many clients do. I don’t know how many times I’ve had the situation occur in which after a month of whirlwind communications, I lose complete contact with the customer, only to find out they already made the trip and just didn’t bother to let me know.
Also, we generally cannot show properties down here on a moments notice like agents do in the U.S. Depending on the time frame, the property is likely to have renters. Arrangements have to be made, with renters, owners, or perhaps a caretaker, to have the property ready for a showing. Most of the time that takes from 24 to 48 hours notice to really do it right. That’s another reason you need to coordinate your visit to Costa Rica with your agent.
The most fulfilling part of being a real estate agent is when I get to help you find your dream home and life in Costa Rica. However, it will go a long way towards helping your Costa Rica real estate agent help you do that if you follow the simple guidelines set forth above.