# Can I trust my estate agent?



## Muskin (Jun 5, 2012)

Hi. I have been looking for somewhere to buy in Spain for a year or so now and have met a couple of estate agents. I am coming over again in January, but the estate agent I'm going to see has asked me to scan my passport for her to help set up NIE etc. 

Is this fairly normal practice? She seems lovely by email, but we have never spoken and until I actually meet her and see her office, I won't be convinced that she is who and what she says she is. Am I being paranoid, and would you send your passport details?

Thanks everyone.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Muskin said:


> Hi. I have been looking for somewhere to buy in Spain for a year or so now and have met a couple of estate agents. I am coming over again in January, but the estate agent I'm going to see has asked me to scan my passport for her to help set up NIE etc.
> 
> Is this fairly normal practice? She seems lovely by email, but we have never spoken and until I actually meet her and see her office, I won't be convinced that she is who and what she says she is. Am I being paranoid, and would you send your passport details?
> 
> Thanks everyone.


Spaniards are quite blasé about photocopying their iD cards and giving their ID numbers. They put their ID number on their CV for example when they really have no idea who's going to see it or where it'll end up. They also give their ID number if they sign a petition, or may have to give it when making a telephone enquiry about their phone/ electricity bill etc.
However, I personally wouldn't give the estate agent a photocopy of my passport. To get an NIE you have to go in person anyway, with a copy and the original of the passport, don't you?


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## wiggytheone (Dec 3, 2012)

Muskin said:


> Hi. I have been looking for somewhere to buy in Spain for a year or so now and have met a couple of estate agents. I am coming over again in January, but the estate agent I'm going to see has asked me to scan my passport for her to help set up NIE etc.
> 
> Is this fairly normal practice? She seems lovely by email, but we have never spoken and until I actually meet her and see her office, I won't be convinced that she is who and what she says she is. Am I being paranoid, and would you send your passport details?
> 
> Thanks everyone.


Just make sure you have a good solicitor and ask them advice on such matters


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Spaniards are quite blasé about photocopying their iD cards and giving their ID numbers. They put their ID number on their CV for example when they really have no idea who's going to see it or where it'll end up. They also give their ID number if they sign a petition, or may have to give it when making a telephone enquiry about their phone/ electricity bill etc.
> However, I personally wouldn't give the estate agent a photocopy of my passport. To get an NIE you have to go in person anyway, with a copy and the original of the passport, don't you?


exactly

you do need a NIE to buy a property, but as PW says, the estate agent can't do that for you now, anyway

they used to be able to, but now you have to go in person

you can download form EX15 from our FAQs thread & do it yourself


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

Probably the best piece of advice that can be given about an estate agent is when you have found a property try and contact the owner direct and ask them what they think the property is being sold for. If the two figures are different by a reasonable commision (some say 3%) then you have a good one. If they are different by thousands then you come to your own conclusion.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

My advice would be dont trust anyone!! Rather than have trust until they prove otherwise, *dont* have trust until they prove otherwise! Make sure you use an independent solicitor - not one that the agent recommend and do as much research as you can and then more. Knowledge is the key!!!

Jo xxx


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## Muskin (Jun 5, 2012)

Thanks for your advice everyone. I will certainly try and download those forms and have a go! I'm looking in Caspe/Maella at the moment. I don't suppose any of you are anywhere near there are you?! (And can recommend a solicitor!)


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Trust an estate agent? Hmmmmmmmmmmm . . . mmmm - Well this week just over two thousand years ago, there was a couple who could not trust an estate agent to find them lodgings. They ended up staying in a stable and in fact had a child there. Some shepherds called round and it is likely that they didnt trust estate agents either. Then Three Kings arrived bearing presents and having seen the child left without informing anybody including estate agents.

Wasn't the first estate agent named Herod? Became famous for his slaughter of innocents.

Of course, I would trust an estate agent.


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

How and where have you found this said Estate Agent ? Were they recommended to you ? Have you visted their premises ? Do they even have premesis ? are they a legally registered Spanish company ?

These are all question you should be asking yourself, if you haven't already been doing so.

If you do have any doubts at all just remember that there are plenty more Estate Agents out there who will tick all the boxes and gladly do business with you.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Only if his lips aren't moving.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Leper said:


> Wasn't the first estate agent named Herod?


Didn't/doesn't he have some expensive department store in Knightsbridge in London? Son fancied Diana 


On the subject of agents:
BE VERY CAREFUL - always remember that you are more likely to be ripped off by a Brit than a Spaniard - the former attract you because they speak your language but equally they have few if any real ties to the area where they are located and can up-sticks and disappear quite easily with any money you let them have by way of deposit, commission, licence application, NIE, residency papers, etc. A Spaniard, on the other hand may not speak your language as well as you'd like but will be more likely to have ties to the area (family, home, office, etc.) and thereby find it harder to skip off with your money.

Be also very careful of any "brown envelope" deals - they go like this: The property is priced at €100,000 which is the amount that *you* will pay but what goes on the official papers is only €80,000 and you give the seller €20,000 in a brown envelope, i.e. under the table. The advantage for the seller is that he has sold for only €80k and that is the amount that he will pay tax on, not on the other €20k, BUT, if and when you come to sell, *you* will end up paying the tax on that €20k. The other big scam is, the agent says he will pass the brown envelope money to the seller in private - needless to say, the full amount doesn't get to the seller. Only ever make payments in front of the notary and within his/her sight, that way you have an independent witness AND make sure that the seller checks and agrees that the money is all there.

Brown envelope deals are illegal by the way and the penalties can be quite severe - it is like cheating the Inland Revenue in UK, if you get caught...

Be aware, it is quite normal for both the seller and buyer to pay commission to the agent - the basis being that the agent found the buyer for the seller and the agent found the house for the buyer!

Do you remember all that talk about time-share touts on the costas a few years back and all their dodgy dealings, frauds and scams? what do you think they are doing today? need I say more?

However, not all estate agents are dodgy, but just be aware and be careful!


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

It might have been as Baldilocks described but having sold a property in the last few weeks, I assure you that the days of black money are long gone. No respectable lawyer will have anything to do with it. Also his allegation that when a property is sold, the seller would have to pay tax on the black money is way off the mark. What could have happened is that the hacienda considered that the property ws undersold and there is evidence that they have taken what they consider was due direct from bank accounts. However the drastic drop in house prices has made sure that anyone selling considers themselves lucky to have sold at something that is even close to the escritura price let alone approaching what was paid previously.


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## AlexBramwell (Sep 24, 2012)

I advise you to read this entire website about buying property in Spain. It is cvery thorough and of excellent quality:

Spanish Property Insight guide to buying, owning and selling property in Spain


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