Why would you need an independent Property Consultant or Real Estate Agent when buying a home in Crete?

Abstract: Crete in Greece is a popular destination for international villa seekers and there are a number of builders and developers who have their own sales and marketing divisions. So why would anyone look for a Real Estate office in Crete?

Anyone that has ever searched for a home knows that it is a process that takes a lot of time and effort. When we look for a property we are seeking for something that needs to be personalized and tailor made to us. Our involvement is more complicated, exactly because buying a house has many parameters which differentiate it from anything else we buy in our lives. We also know that when we make a decision it needs to be a wise one because a home is something that we do not change that easily, while it is one of the highest investments we will ever make.

Most people have done it in their own country, in areas they have known and lived in for a long time. Even there, the process is not always easy. So it is reasonable that repeating this process abroad is even more challenging. Anyone that has been or will visit Chania in Crete, Greece for example will notice that there is high number of construction and developers available, offering different choices. The obvious choice is to talk to every single one of them and go and see all of their properties and houses, which means that you would need to repeat again and again what you are looking for. Naturally this requires a great amount of energy and time.

But as with all things in life there are always more than one ways in achieving a goal. Most people ignore the fact that most construction companies and developers have agreements with local independent Property Consultants or Real Estate offices for promoting their properties without the home buyer needing to pay additional fees. This means that when a house seeker goes straight to a builder and developer the price he is going to pay is the same if he purchases through a Real Estate office. This is the result of intense competition in the wider area of Chania in Crete, which is of benefit to all house seekers since it has led some builders or developers in wanting to ensure that their prices are the same via all channels of promotion – including local Real Estate offices.

At the same time there is a number of small to medium size builders who may not be able to communicate in any other language than Greek. Some of these professionals are highly skilled and may offer unique personalized options that are not available by larger developers. The involvement of the local Real Estate agent ensures that what these builders have to offer is available to international seekers while the agent is involved in serving the home buyer up to the point when the house is delivered to him – and beyond.

However, these are not the only reasons for anyone to seek a Real Estate office. Selecting an independent Property Consultant for your research is not just offering you immediate access to more than one builder. It gives you also the options of second hand properties or plots of land, things that developers and builders rarely sell.
If you wish to find a key ready villa or choose your own plot of land to build on rather than being confined to the options given in a development by a specific builder then a Real Estate office will be of much more benefit to you.

Certain builders have very often specific geographical areas and house styles of expertise. By providing your specifications to an independent Property Consultant you are giving yourself a much wider selection while the research that you would do individually is done by your Consultant. Naturally for this to work you will need to locate a professional who knows what he does and is committed in providing high quality of service.

Only in Chania the number of advertised Real Estate agencies is exceeding 150 but you are looking for the best. Differentiating the professionals is not as difficult as it might seem. Professional means that the Real Estate office is qualified by having the license to operate as one, is manned with people that are working in full time positions and do not treat real estate as a part time employment. People trained to listen to what you need, are able to communicate with you properly and are not going to show you things that do not suit your requirements.

Many wonder why a Real Estate office would be really independent when they have collaborations with specific builders. The answer is that a professional Property Consultant knows the simple truth that the person that trusts him is the property seeker. As a result he can not afford putting this trust in jeopardy by offering him anything less than the best.


Andreas Batakis has lived in Greece, Ireland and Cyprus, acquiring a Business Administration Degree in Greece, an International Marketing Diploma and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management in Ireland. He is also a member of the UK based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Andreas has extensive experience in helping people from all over the world to locate a home in Crete and is a founding member of the independent consultancy Talos Properties.

Talos properties was created in order to guide and protect all of you who wish to acquire a property in Crete, the island that has been loved by Gods and humans alike throughout the centuries. When you choose Talos Properties for the search of your property in Crete we can offer you a wide range of choices as well as professional advice in all property related matters. For more information please access the Talos Properties website at: http://www.talosproperties.com