Published in Round Town News - Friday 11th December 2009

Excessive commission charges, allegations of corruption, estate agents are frequently criticised. Find out how Safe Purchase helps the best stand out from the rest.

It's fair to say that estate agents (particularly those in Spain) won't be at the top of many Christmas card lists this year. In fact, it's unlikely you'll find them on anyone's list at all.

So why do estate agents or self-styled 'property consultants', as some prefer to be called, suffer from such terrible reputations?

You don't have to look far to find complaints or evidence of corruption amongst their ranks. Two weeks ago, we featured the plight of Suzanne Wyatt from the Spanish Property Scandal Petition, who is fronting a group of investors with over 85 million euros invested in building projects that have no chance of ever being completed.

CORRUPT

In a report personally delivered to Downing Street, Ms Wyatt clearly lays the blame at the door of 'corrupt' estate agents who she implicates with equally culpable Spanish lawyers.

In her letter to Gordon Brown, she states: "We ask that you motion an investigation of the British real estate agents and other real estate agents who have used British bases, who are clearly reprehensible in their roles in stated facts of property abuses in Spain, as contained in this Petition."

With negative press like this, it's not difficult to understand why some view the activities of estate agents with suspicion. Some prefer to steer clear of agents altogether.

NAEA/FOPDAC

Safe Purchase Spain has been created to address this issue. Last week we featured Mr Des Rowson, Chairman of the International Committee of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA/FOPDAC) and showed how all Safe Purchase Agent partners are fully committed to industry best practice through signing our Code of Ethics as well as statements confirming their industry experience and the fact they've never been convicted of financially related crimes.

For years, this Code of Ethics has formed the basis of international property transactions by FOPDAC members. These days, many of the lesser professional agents have closed down or quietly disappeared. No doubt some of those implicated by Ms Wyatt fall into this category.

The ones that remain, therefore, tend to be those well-established and, more importantly, well-respected for their professional conduct and integrity.

INTEGRITY

One company which has stood committed to the highest professional standards since its inception is Wise Buy Spain, based in El Mojon near Pilar de la Horadada. A small, local company, proprietors Jo Stimson and Thelma Dance are the first officially Certified Safe Purchase partners in the Costa Blanca South and Costa Calida North.

On meeting Ms Stimson and Ms Dance it was clear that the success of Wise Buy Spain is clearly based upon their very personal, one-to-one, service philosophy. Ms Stimson took pleasure in recounting the story of a British client from Manchester in whom they invested a week's work trying to find their client his dream property.

"This particular client was thinking of buying a detached property in the country for his large family and at the time we had a very large property in Hondon on our books. We took them there to see it and immediately fell in love with it. He and his wife had dreamt of retiring to a quiet country life in Spain but we were concerned by the land to the South of the property which until then hadn't been developed.

DEVELOPMENT

"We could easily have taken a holding deposit and continued with the sale but knowing that land is never sacred in Spain, we personally visited the town hall to find out more. Unsurprisingly, we found planning permission for a very large number of houses. This was fine except that did not appeal to our client who wanted it for purely for residential purposes and would have had years looking at a building site with lorries rumbling past, so he decided not to buy and was still a satisfied customer and friend. Simple really and something we try to do, if we don’t know we will find out at our own expense."

Ms Stimson further commented: "We have spent a great deal of time building our business and reputation. Living in the area we service we are more than aware how easy that is to destroy. We were more than happy to lose a sale that day, but gained a friend in the process."

"Safe Purchase represents everything our company stands for. We had no hesitation in signing the Code of Ethics and are very proud to display the official badge."
She continued: "It's crucial that buyers know who to trust and up till now, there's never been an easy way to tell."