Real Estate Agents and Email

[photocroatia]

I have emailed 4 different Real Estate Agents, asking them a variety of questions, I emailed two of them in English and 2 in my Broken Croatian.

0 replies.

I have had mixed experiences when emailing people in Croatia, some have never replied, some replied weeks later with a 1 line response, thus far this has been my worst experience with a particular industry.

What is you experience? Are there any tricks to getting replies?

My advice a few years back has been that if you want to deal with Croatians, you need to either call them over the phone or fax them, is this still the case?

Thank You.

[hurstvillehrvat]

yes thats exactly what happens to me after composing an email for half an hour trying to make sure the grammer is correct and everything!!

the only email i ever received back was from Adriatic Property Services, and the consultatnt was very informative, polite and helpfull.

it will be interesting to read what other people say is the best way to deal with this issue.

[jill]

I wrote in English to about six different agents in central Dalmatia and they all answered with infomative replies... I'm surprised you have had no answers as the market is pretty bad at the moment and I would have thought they would be pulling out all stops to help you. Are you looking to buy or to sell and in what area?
Even if you are not buying or selling I would have thought they would reply....not much else to do!!
Try Carol and Charles at 'aplace in Dalmatia' I'm sure they will help!

[photocroatia]

Im looking at buying land, I have a few areas of interest - Biograd, Crikvenica and Krk, I would consider other locations too, but not any further south than Biograd nm.

[jill]

oops our posts crossed, Dalmatia is too far south!

By the way great webpage - fabulous photos! ;D

[justapixel]

Yeah, I'm aware that many of you guys are real estate agents yourselves, but can't help it... In Croatia, real estate is considered easy money and attracts all kinds of "get rich quick" murky do-nothing people. Croatians will try avoiding doing any business through real estate people unless it's totaly unavoidable. In that case, they usually get burned and complain afterwards.

What I wanted to say is- don't generalize too much. You're dealing with scum and/or total amateurs while in other lines of work you will find honest hardworking (yes, it's an overused phrase) people. I currently work in IT and financial industries and acting any way that your contacts act would be considered a complete business suicide.

.

[photocroatia]

justapixel said:

Croatians will try avoiding doing any business through real estate people unless it's totaly unavoidable.

What are the alternatives? I don't know where else to look. I am trying to post on "oglasnik"

The problem is I don't live in Croatia, which complicates things for me, I can't just drive around to find the property I want, is that what I will have to do?

I must add, I am not referring to the agents who frequent this website. I have contacted a couple of them in the past for example Carol from 'aplace in Dalmatia' very helpful and professional, I am referring to the big wide world of Croatian Agents who you find on the internet.

[justapixel]

photocroatia said:

What are the alternatives? I don't know where else to look. I am trying to post on "oglasnik"

The problem is I don't live in Croatia, which complicates things for me, I can't just drive around to find the property I want, is that what I will have to do?

I must add, I am not referring to the agents who frequent this website. I have contacted a couple of them in the past for example Carol from 'aplace in Dalmatia' very helpful and professional, I am referring to the big wide world of Croatian Agents who you find on the internet.

Alternatives? Unfortunately, usually none because even in Oglasnik, most of the ads are passed through agencies. I guess there's not much difference on the web pages either. And if you're a foreigner and live elsewhere, than you have no choice but to use a semi reliable proxy, i.e. a real estate agency. The most you can do is use all your resources and connections to find someone you can trust. Avoiding the ones who don't answer correspondence (and sharign that information) is a good first step.

Myself, I only have experience with buying an apartment in Zagreb, but market and circumstances here are much too different from the ones on coast.

.

[rijekafan]

After years in Croatia I have only found 5 good agents Qtim in Rijeka has 2 of them. Mirsada, the boss and her sidekick who's name I always forget. They usualy have lots of Krk and Opatija stock. www.qtim.hr
On Losinj there is the Mladen Sobol. At the moment he is captaining a bulk carrier off Africa but he still answer emails. www.sobol.htnet.hr/index_files/kontakt.htm. In Split of course there is the super switched on Carol and co.

[mambo]

If buying in Croatia turns out to be a pain in the a*s*s you might want to give the Caribbean a try. Prices are relatively low, good weather and people do react to e-mail !

But serious, if you want to buy a house here you would be better off finding a local you can trust (or pay), because chances are you will be taken to the cleaners otherwise.

[Cam W]

I have had the same experience. It was crazy. I contacted over 7 local real estate agents in the Dubrovnik area, and I don't think that it was an language issue. I wrote to them in english, and I know for a fact that at least 3 cater to foreign buyers. I saw a property that I was interested on a few sites and only heard back about it from my friends real estate company, so I purchased it through them. Would you believe that the listing is still up on the other sites...

[dazzreef]

We are trying to sell a restaurant with 2 apartments , and are finding the same problem !
Does anyone know of decent realestate agents in the Dubrovnik area ?

[Carol]

this is really shooting myself in the foot, but isn't the answer to he question on how to get agents tio reply to you obvious? Tell them that you are coming out to view property in their area in 10 days time and make sure your criteria are something which is typically available (everyone wants an old stone house, next to the sea with a large garden for €70k, but no one wants to sell such a thing).

[susan06]

Photocroatia, you should check out www.advantagecroatia.com they have a really good website and a newsletter and reply to mails.

[mrhappy]

rijekafan said:

After years in Croatia I have only found 5 good agents Qtim in Rijeka has 2 of them. Mirsada, the boss and her sidekick who's name I always forget. They usualy have lots of Krk and Opatija stock. www.qtim.hr

If this is seen as a good agent - using their (english) website as the shop window - I'll never attempt to buy in Cro. It begins in appalling english with:

Since its establishment in the 1991th Q-tim...

and then the links either fail to work, or the pictures don't appear etc.