Client care all wrapped up.
Buying property in a foreign country can be an intimidating experience. Expats from all over the world are happily settled in Thailand, but for the uninitiated the initial obstacles involved in purchasing a house or condo might seem unassailable.
Be it the unfamiliar language, a new set of laws or a strange yet somehow exciting culture, there are a lot of challenges that foreigners purchasing property in Thailand for the first time will have to deal with and ultimately overcome.
Thailand is home to more Western residents than any other country in the region. So it clearly is possible to purchase property and settle down in the Kingdom because millions of people are already doing it.
But how can you navigate the potential pitfalls of Thailand’s property market with total confidence that the money you seek to invest is in safe hands? One solution is to pick a well-established broker with a solid international reputation and offices all over the country.
Vauban Real Estate was founded in 2006 by a Frenchman who had decided to settle down permanently in Thailand. The company has offices in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket and Samui that are all staffed by a team of multilingual industry experts.
Whilst the vast majority of expats purchasing property in Thailand will make a solid investment that can only increase in value, there is always the odd unscrupulous operator looking to take advantage of the naïve or uninitiated.
Vauban Real Estate provides the best of both worlds. Founded and managed by Europeans, it operates according to international standards, but having been involved in the Thai market for over a decade, the company’s operational knowledge on a local level is second to none.
Thibaut Marhuenda, director of marketing and business development, feels that dealing with a well-established company that has a reputation to protect gives Vauban Real Estate’s customers a certain peace of mind;
“Vauban Real Estate has six branches in the country and has over 50 permanent employees. It takes years of dedicated service to build a reputation for exceptional customer service in the property market, but that reputation can be lost with just a momentary lapse.
We are proud of our reputation and are determined not to lose it and that is reflected in every interaction we have with our customers.”
In this day and age anyone can set up a flashy website in order to make bold cases, and more often than not, unsubstantiated claims about themselves and their business. Vauban Real Estate’s long term commitment to the market combined with its physical presence at locations across Thailand, gives the company the most solid of foundations as Marhuenda explains;
“Thailand is a non-regulated real estate brokerage market consisting of many freelance and local agents. Vauban Real Estate is a reputable company with over 10 years presence and experience in Thailand that allows us to bring tremendous value to our customers in terms of advice, as well as access to the best opportunities on the market.”
The size and scale of Vauban Real Estate’s operations allows the broker to offer more alternative to customers than any of its rivals. There are also real estate opportunities on offer that simply aren’t available elsewhere according to Marhuenda;
“As a broker we have access to the entire market and we can also offer a degree of exclusivity because there are many sellers who will not work with anyone except us. Our approach is entirely customer orientated. We have rental properties ranging in value from 20,000 to over 100,000 Baht per month and properties for sale, both completed and off-plan, ranging from 2 million Baht to over 40 million Baht.”
Because Vauban Real Estate is significantly bigger than most brokers in Thailand, clients can be confident that there is no conflict of interest affecting the advice they are given, something which is not always the case when dealing with more local companies or advisers.
“Our approach is totally dedicated to the clients. There’s no conflict of interest and we don’t favour any particular project or destination so we are able to offer objective, realistic advice which is tailored to the specific needs of every individual,” Marhuenda explains.
The attraction of Thailand as a destination is obvious. The country offers a tropical climate with Western standard infrastructure and resources, whilst the cost of life for expats is a fraction of what it would be in Europe, Australia or the US.
The scramble to purchase property in Thailand is intense but it’s advisable to enter the country’s buoyant housing market in a cautious and careful manner. With a decade of industry experience behind them, the Vaubuan Real Estate team can guide clients through every single step of the process and ensure that investing in a dream home doesn’t turn into a nightmare.
Bangkok: Access to a wide selection of residential projects in Bangkok’s central business district close to public transportation.
Pattaya: Seaside and city freehold condominiums to private pool villas in the countryside.
Samui: Resorts residences professionally managed and luxury pool villas.
Chiang Mai: A good mix of freehold condominiums and affordable villas located in the center and nearly suburb locations.
Hua Hin: Private pool villas by the golf and freehold condominiums in city center and close to the beach.
Phuket: The best of Phuket’s west coast from Mai Khao to Nai harn.
