Of course real estate agents help you identify and secure the properties you are looking for when searching for a house or condo, but once you’ve found the property you want, you shouldn’t say goodbye to your agent. Your agent can help you find three other important things, or rather three other important people, who will provide invaluable services to you as a homebuyer.
Before saying goodbye to your agent, have him or her help you find the following three people:
Lawyer
When you are purchasing a property in Thailand, it’s very important that you work with a lawyer before making anything official, and your agent can help you identify a reputable and trustworthy one. A lawyer who can speak your language and is experienced in all of the necessary real estate paperwork will be instrumental to you, especially when you are buying in a foreign place like Thailand. In a way, hiring a lawyer to help you purchase a condo or house in Thailand is a form of insurance to you as the homebuyer, as the number of possibilities for something to go wrong or to be overlooked are nearly endless. It’s in your best interest to use a lawyer and prevent anything from slipping through the cracks.
Moving Company
The ideal time to book a moving company is 6-8 weeks before you need the help. But when you’re moving within a matter of a couple of months, you may not have the time to go hunting for the best moving company for you. Your agent, however, will be very connected with many moving companies and probably has one or two to recommend. Set expectations from the beginning that you’d like your agent to help you find a moving company so you can be sure that it doesn’t get overlooked and is booked with enough advanced notice.
Home Appraiser
Whoever you’re buying a property from may have gotten an official appraisal, but when you are purchasing a property or house in Thailand or anywhere in the world for that matter, it is not always clear whether the appraisal was bias in some way. Thus you should still hire an independent home appraiser and your agent can help you find one. You should always take the opportunity to verify that the agreed price of the property is reasonable. If you want to secure the agreement on the property and don’t have time to get the appraisal done, you can tell the owner that your agreed price is contingent on your independent appraisal.
