The short answer is NO. On the coast it is a lot easier to find houses and apartments for sale without using an estate agent, as just about everybody speaks English.
Quite a few sellers don´t like using estate agents because they think they are too expensive or have had a bad experience in the past. All you need do is find an area you like and drive or walk round taking note of the "Se vende", signs and telephone numbers and then ring them up. If you like the property and price find a lawyer or abogado to act for you and away you go.
When in inland Spain it is more difficult, unless you speak Spanish, as most of the people selling property are Spanish nationals who don´t speak English. Also properties are much more spread out so, unless you know the area well, it will take a lot of time to find what you are looking for. You could make a note of the telephone number then try knocking on the door, even if you can´t communicate properly chances are you will be welcomed and shown round. If you like what you see get someone who speaks Spanish, it could be your lawyer, to ring up and start talking details on your behalf.
There are problems with this approach:
- It is very time consuming. It can take so much time that you negate any savings you might have made by going it alone.
- Estate agents know the area, properties, vendors and local practices well. You cannot take advantage of this if you are finding a property by yourself.
- You will not be able to take up many of the other services that a good estate agent has to offer.
- Also if the Spanish owner thinks a Brit is interested in his property then the price goes up (this can happen with estate agents too!).The only way around this is to find a Spanish friend or agent to make the enquiries on your behalf.
