When people start thinking about buying or selling a house, they usually begin by searching for information on the internet.

That’s obviously a smart move, as the internet is the greatest source of information they can easily access. Internet has changed the world and, of course, the property market as well. New online agencies pop up every day.

Have you thought about using an online estate agency to buy or sell your house?

What about a specialist real estate agency?

Do you know what the main differences between the two are?

At Jetvillas, we want to inform you so that whichever of the two you end up choosing you are aware of the pros and cons of each option.

What is an online estate agency? 

Online estate agencies aren’t really agencies, they don’t have offices or staff members to provide an in-person service. All their activity is carried out in an online setting.

Online agencies do offer some of the services a specialist real estate agency can provide, such as advertising on the main digital portals, but their activity is always exclusively focused on marketing the property in the online world.

They often claim in their adverts that they don’t change commission on sales, but in fact that’s because they receive their fees well ahead of any transactions.

Once their fees (which usually start at 1,500€) have been charged, they post a description and some photos of the property on the internet. The descriptions can often differ slightly from reality as the person writing them hasn’t actually seen them.

This sales technique can work to sell flats in big cities. When, however, it comes to individual houses with land and international customers, as tends to be the case in the more popular tourist locations in Costa Blanca, it is much less likely to be successful.

Online agencies don’t usually check the properties’ legal paperwork, nor do they help the owners update it. They lack assistance and guarantees such as, for example, the Safe Purchase Stamp.

Online agencies appeared in 2000. There are lots of them now, and some specialise in a particular product: flats, commercial premises, offices…

The portal’s main objective is to put buyers and vendors in touch with each other.

If you’re looking to buy, portals can be a good showcase to see what’s available (although they won’t help you in future stages of the purchase process).

If, however, you want to sell, online agencies and portals will not offer you all the techniques you need to employ to sell your house.

If you decide to sell through a portal, you can post your advert for free or pay a small fee, but it will have little visibility as it will be placed on the last pages. It will be down to you to deal with viewings, too.

What is a specialist real estate agency?

A specialist real estate agency is one that has an office open to the public, where their staff, specialist real estate agents, can attend you in person.

This type of agency works in both online and offline channels. In many cases, they have an online portal where they post their properties too. The chances of selling the property therefore increase as it is advertised through a number of different channels.

A specialist real estate agency provides you with all the guidance you need and all the necessary services and techniques to buy or sell and will accompany you throughout every stage of the operation.

Do you know what you need to look out for to choose the best real estate agency? 

Another vital thing choosing a specialist real estate agency can help you with is valuing your property: 

If you live in a city where the market is national and the property you want to sell is a flat, an online agency could be an option. If, however, you live in a tourist area and you want to sell an independent house, it’s a good idea to go for a real estate agency with a physical office where they can attend you in person, provide you with all the guarantees and help you make sure all the legal paperwork is in order to enable you to sell your house with no surprises for you or for the buyer.

A good quality specialist real estate agency like Jetvillas offers you personalised guidance, support and peace of mind at every stage of the sale and purchase process.

They always advise their clients on their interests and the market demand to ensure they obtain the maximum benefits.

A specialist real estate agent guarantees you make the first step towards success because they are qualified and well-prepared and they have in-depth knowledge of the product and the market.

Professional advice can help you avoid big problems in the future stages of your property transaction.

In our opinion, online agencies are great for the initial stages of a search for information on buying or selling property, but they’re not the most suitable type of estate agency to rely on for the whole process if you want it to be as quick and beneficial as possible.

No online agency will advise you or defend your interests like a specialist real estate agency will.