Finding a Good Estate Agent in North Cyprus

Summary: If you are interested in buying property in North Cyprus and are looking for an estate agent to assist you, I'm sure you'll have no trouble!

If you are interested in buying property in North Cyprus and are looking for an estate agent to assist you, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble!

At the time of writing this article there are about 160 registered estate agencies on the north of the island, and most of these have an internet presence. And then there are the companies with internet sites listing the estate agencies in North Cyprus, oh, and the publications advertising the estate agents, and so the list goes on!

But how can you be sure that the agency that catches your attention will represent your needs well, and ultimately how can you differentiate between the many estate agents in TRNC?

It’s a problem, and certainly not a problem merely endemic to North Cyprus!

In a world where nearly everyone else involved in a real-estate transaction is regulated to one extent or another - from the architect to the construction firm, even the mortgage lender - the estate agent, the key player in determining the outcome of a house sale from both the points of view of the buyer and the seller, is the only professional who does not have to meet stringent, compulsory standards.

Therefore when it comes to finding an estate agent who will fully represent your interests and fulfil your requirements it is up to you to demand the service standards you expect.

Here are 10 points of reference to guide you towards finding the best estate agents in North Cyprus.

1) A good agent will take a detailed specification of the type of property you are looking for, the locations you are interested in and your property price bracket, they will then keep you regularly informed of properties that meet your requirements and they will provide you with regular communication and feedback - whether they have good news for you or bad.

You should not have to constantly chase up a decent agent for feedback...they should be proactive on your behalf, not merely reactive when you call.

2) Your agent will arrange viewing appointments at the properties you’re interested in at your convenience - if the property is occupied then the appointments should be made at the mutual convenience of the potential purchaser and the vendor. Furthermore they will arrange any second viewings; they will accompany you to the property and be on hand to answer any questions you have pertaining to the property.

I.e., they will know exactly what they are offering to sell you and be fully informed about all issues relating to the property on offer. They will not hold back information, and if they are unable to answer any key questions you have relating to the property when you ask them, make sure they find out the answers immediately.

3) If your agent makes any promise or offer to you - from arranging to meet you at the airport for an inspection trip, to arranging for you to meet an independent solicitor, or offering to reimburse your travel costs if you purchase through their agency - they will do what they say they will do when they say they will do it, and if required they will give you written confirmation of their offer.

4) Your estate agent should give a commitment to do their best to swiftly solve any queries or problems that arise relating to the purchase of a property they list and in which you are interested.

5) As estate agents are usually paid on a percentage commission of the purchase price you must make sure that they aim to get you the best price possible, that they pass on any offers you make to a vendor and that they do not hold out for a higher price or over inflate a price.

Consider submitting any offer you make on a property on paper and if you are not there when your offer is passed to a vendor, demand written confirmation that your offer has been submitted for consideration.

6) If you decide to purchase a property in North Cyprus, your estate agent should work towards a timely sale on your behalf. Make sure any time requirements or restrictions you have are outlined to your agent at your first meeting or immediately you become aware of them. Once they accept your requirements as ‘reasonable’ you must insist your agent works to your time specifications.

7) Good estate agents in North Cyprus offer you a level of after sales care! Many consider you a spent force once the contract has been signed and you are left high and dry with no representation or on-going guidance.

This point cannot be stressed strongly enough!

When buying in your home country it is considered ‘reasonable’ for an estate agent to leave the legal and on-going organisational side of a house sale and move to the purchaser. However about 95% of the real-estate market in North Cyprus is catering to foreign buyers; people who are unaware of the purchase process in TRNC and who are unfamiliar with ‘how things are done’ in North Cyprus - from getting your electricity switched on to applying to the council of ministers for the right to purchase.

I feel it is totally unreasonable for an estate agent to expect a foreign buyer to go it alone once the purchase contract has been signed, but so many purchasers have been caught out by dishonest agents who promise the earth and deliver a big fat nothing as soon as the ink has dried on the purchase contract - trust me, I speak from experience!

If you want and expect after sales care - demand it - and get written confirmation of what levels of service will be included and if in any doubt, ask for client testimonials that back up what your estate agent offers. Some will whine that you should not expect hand holding because you would not expect it back home...point out to these people that they are catering to a foreign market and that they should serve that market to the best of their ability if they want to earn or hold a reputation as a reputable estate agent.

There are good estate agents in North Cyprus who will do their best to assist you after you buy, and to tar the reputation of an entire profession because of a few rogue agents would be manifestly unfair - but buyer beware on this point especially!

8) A decent agent will guide you through every stage of the purchase process in North Cyprus before you even consider signing a contract to buy a property! Your agent should have clarified the main points of the buying process in TRNC and made sure that you are comfortable with how the process works. This way you will get no surprises when it comes time to buy and when a contract is laid before you. In other words a decent estate agent will offer you complete disclosure at every stage.

9) Many people buy property off plan or during the construction phase in North Cyprus because it is a young, dynamic and fast growing market with new developments springing up all the time. If you are such a buyer, make sure your agent agrees (under contract) to keep you regularly informed about the progress of your build. Furthermore, especially if your agent is the sole sales representative for the development and/or the constructor, make sure they agree to carry on liaising with the constructors on your behalf throughout the build process when it comes to things like requesting extras or modifications to the initial specification.

10) And finally, the time and effort you put into doing your estate agent due diligence and research should pay dividends in the end! If you follow your instinct, listen to local word of mouth and choose wisely you should find the best estate agents in North Cyprus and hopefully they will be your friend and mentor at a time when your stress levels need all the help they can get.

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