Your own agent in Barcelona and on the Costa Brava
Representation for international buyers. When you buy, I act for you, not the seller: I find the property, check it properly, negotiate the price and stay with you through to the notary.
In Spain, the agent usually works for the seller
Almost every property you find on a portal is listed by an agency the owner is paying. Their job is to get the best price for their client — which is, by definition, the worst price for you. An agent you appoint yourself sits on the other side of the table: there to represent your interests, to tell you when something is overpriced, and to talk you out of purchases that do not survive a closer look.
Two different jobs
A selling agent
- Paid by the owner of the property
- Shows you the listings their agency holds
- Shares what the seller is happy for you to know
- Negotiates upwards, for the seller
Your own agent
- Engaged by you, working to your brief
- Searches all agencies, private sales and off-market properties
- Checks the paperwork before you commit to anything
- Negotiates the price and the terms, for you
How the search works
Five stages, in short. The buying page breaks the same process into nine steps, with how long each one takes and what is needed from you.
- 1
The brief
A call of around thirty minutes: where you want to be and why; whether it is a home, a holiday place or a rental; the all-in budget including taxes; and what would rule a property out completely.
- 2
The shortlist
I search across agencies, private sellers and properties that never reach a portal, then send a shortlist with honest notes — including the reasons not to buy each one.
- 3
Viewings
Grouped into a single trip, or on video if you cannot fly out. You see the street, the neighbours, the traffic and the afternoon light — the things photographs are chosen to hide.
- 4
Offer and checks
Before the offer, the nota simple: who owns the property and what is registered against it. I negotiate on your behalf. Then the contrato de arras with a deposit, usually 10%, and an independent lawyer reads the contract before you sign. The full check runs after the reservation and before the notary: community debts, licences, planning status.
- 5
To the notary
NIE, bank account, currency transfer, insurance, keys. The paperwork and the bank are handled by the gestoría and the lawyer I work with; the dates and the chasing are down to me. You can sign at the notary in person or through a notarised power of attorney — we decide which suits your case — and we fix the date well in advance. After signing, the escritura goes to the Land Registry, and I keep track of it until it comes back registered.
What you actually get
Built for buyers from abroad
NIE, the 90/180-day rule, non-resident tax, opening a Spanish account from abroad — explained before they turn into delays.
Properties you cannot find online
Here a good part of the market changes hands quietly, between agents. Some of what I show clients never reaches the portals.
The real all-in figure
You get the figure for your specific purchase before you make an offer, not at the notary.
Negotiation on evidence
What comparable properties actually sold for, how long this one has been on the market, and why the price has moved — not an opinion about what it is worth.
One person, your language
English, Spanish or Russian, from the first call to the keys. No handover to a colleague you have never spoken to.
All of Catalonia, the coast above all
I work across the whole of Catalonia. Barcelona and the coast north to the Costa Brava are my home market: I work there constantly and know how one neighbourhood differs from the next. Elsewhere I bring in a local CENTURY 21 colleague and tell you so up front.
How the fee works
The first conversation, a review of your situation, is free. The search itself is a paid service, agreed in writing before it begins: what I do for you, and exactly what it costs. A fixed sum is paid at the start and credited against the fee; the amount does not change along the way, and there is nothing to pay beyond what was agreed.
Questions buyers ask first
How is this different from just calling the agent on the listing?
That agent is paid by the seller and can only show you their own stock. I am not tied to one agency's listings, and the checks I run are the ones a seller's agent has no reason to run.
Do I need to be in Spain?
Not for the search. Viewings can be done on video and grouped into one trip when you do come. You can sign at the notary in person or through a notarised power of attorney — we decide which suits your case.
How much should I budget on top of the price?
In Catalonia that is roughly 11–14% on a resale and about 13% on a new build: transfer tax or VAT, notary, Land Registry and legal fees. On a resale the share rises with the price, because the ITP scale is progressive, which is why you get the figure for your specific purchase before making an offer.
Which areas do you cover?
All of Catalonia. Most often central Barcelona, the Zona Alta and the coast to the north: Badalona, Montgat, Tiana, Alella, Teià, El Masnou and on through the Maresme to the Costa Brava. South of the city, Castelldefels, Sitges and the towns along that stretch of coast. Elsewhere in Spain I still run the purchase myself, together with a local CENTURY 21 colleague.
Do you also work with sellers?
Yes — I also handle sales for owners along this coast. What I do not do is sit on both sides of the same transaction: when you buy, I act for you, and if a property I am selling would suit your brief, I will say so before you view it, so you can decide how you want to proceed.
Read before you buy
Tell me what you are looking for and I will take care of the rest.
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