Buying real estate in Costa Rica is a goal of more and more investors. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with many reasons to make people want to move their full time or purchase vacation homes. If you are trying to buy Costa Rica real estate you should be sure to find a qualified realtor to help you with the process as it can be challenging and is different form the buying process in the U.S.
You should ask your prospective realtor if they are affiliated with any Costa Rica realtor organizations. There are not mandatory associations that realtors in Costa Rica are required to belong to and they are not required to have licenses or training either. Professional organizations do exist, however, and realtors who belong to them are probably legitimate.
You will want to make sure your realtor has a professional presence in the community. A website, local ads, a roster of clients and homes for sale indicate that a realtor is actually involved in the business and not just trying to scam you.
Make sure the realtor you choose speaks fluent Spanish. The buying process in Costa Rica is complex and involves many different permits and documentations. If your realtor cannot communicate you may end up paying more in taxes, getting a bad deal, or even being sold an illegitimate property.
You should also ask for recommendations. If a realtor is legitimate and has your best interests in mind thy will not hesitate to give you a list of the last few clients they helped buy or sell homes. Call the references and make sure they were happy with the service they received and that the realtor did a good job.
With the right realtor you should not have any problem buying real estate in Costa Rica. While most sales go fine and without any major problems, sometimes prospective buyers run into trouble without the right representation or even end up being scammed,. Find a great realtor and make sure it does not happen to you.