How do I go about finding a real estate agent in Pattaya?
Finding a real estate agent in Pattaya is not very difficult. Many foreign organizations operate some sort of real estate agency, which is used to dealing with foreigners. You can find these companies through your hotel or guesthouse reception if you are staying on the East side of the city, or by searching online for “Pattaya Real Estate” or “Thailand Real Estate”.
You could also ask around at affiliate companies of your home country’s embassy whether they know somebody who is able to help you out by advising you about reputable agents in Pattaya. A legal advisor might also be an option if they have any knowledge of that field. However, most embassies will only deal with property issues between their own citizens and local companies, so do not expect a whole lot of support from the embassy in this regard.
You will encounter a few non-legal real estate advertising companies that offer their services for a fee, but these are not companies you want to deal with at all. As they do not have any kind of license whatsoever to work as real estate agents, they may even try to sell you properties they don’t own or share the commission with other companies which could lead up to fraud cases. In the end, it would be cheaper and more convenient just to go through a proper real estate agent rather than working with these “companies”.
This brings us back to how you find a reputable company that can help you out in your search for property in Pattaya. Make sure that the agency is part of the local real estate association, as this is one of the best ways to make sure they are a legal company. Most agents usually belong to only one association and those associations will always promote some form of code of conduct amongst themselves, making sure that you as a customer won’t run into issues with your purchase.
You can find out whether or not a company is part of an association by looking it up online and simply calling them and asking for information about their business license. If at any point you think something may be wrong with the agency – trust your gut – and look elsewhere.
Once you have decided which agent you would like to work with, prices become another issue. You should expect to pay somewhere between 2% and 5%of the total purchase price as commission. In many cases, depending on how much you have paid for the property already, an agent will be willing to work with a slightly lower or higher fee. Just make sure not to label something as being “free” – there is no such thing!
After you have made a decision and found a reputable agent, do not sign anything before consulting a legal advisor first – your future self will thank you for it.
Good luck with buying your new dream home in Pattaya
