Real estate agent usefull or should one contact the residences directly?

[stat]

What are your experiences contacting the residences/gated communities yourself. Does one save money? I am looking in the Hua Hin PKK region either pool villa or condo.

 

Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

Not visa or extension related. Moved to the real estate and etc forum.

[Pravda]

I can tell you that in Bangkok even Thais use an agent. My wife always rents her condo through an agent. We also always used an agent when renting ourselves. I know it sounds like a joke in Thailand, but there is some kind of security involved when using a 3rd party. Of course it's up to you to find a decent agent.....

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Pravda

[smutcakes]

I would use an agent personally, and there are plenty of decent ones about despite all the negative stories. Just need to keep your wits about you and have a bit of common sense when using an agent.

[Will B Good]

Things could cut up rough if the agent is taken out of the loop......that is my impression.

[stat]

Thanks for your posts! I would not rent from an individual but rather from the property developer/management themself.  Looking for example for a big condo or villa complex. Or am I mistaken and they dont rent out themself?

I ask for advice cause I want to contact a lot of them. Some did not bother to answer which is strange to me but the same happened at hotels here ????

Thanks!

 

 

[BritManToo]

I've always rented directly from the owners.

Double the price if you use an agent or any English speaking sources.

Facebook marketplace and Google translate always works well for me.

Or just drive around looking for signs (in Thai) on gates.

Edited March 2, 2022 by BritManToo

[stat]

@britManToo: How did you go about finding a place? Thanks!

[KhunLA]

As BritMan, also have only rented (2X) direct from owners.  Daughter also, same experience (2X) from owners, and both times, units in same building 30-50% more at agent's offices.

 

Found by word of mouth, and simply riding around looking at signed properties.   FB market place and 'private' RE sites.

[stat]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

As BritMan, also have only rented (2X) direct from owners.  Daughter also, same experience (2X) from owners, and both times, units in same building 30-50% more at agent's offices.

 

Found by word of mouth, and simply riding around looking at signed properties.   FB market place and 'private' RE sites.

Much obliged for your post! What private sites are you referring to? I check FB already.

[ed strong]

3 hours ago, stat said:

Thanks for your posts! I would not rent from an individual but rather from the property developer/management themself.  Looking for example for a big condo or villa complex. Or am I mistaken and they dont rent out themself?

I ask for advice cause I want to contact a lot of them. Some did not bother to answer which is strange to me but the same happened at hotels here ????

Thanks!

 

 

Majority of property developers want to sell all the houses on any given site, holding onto and renting out their houses are not generally part of the plan. However a lot of developers have an agent that they work with that is tied to the development and they would be happy to offer their services and work with you to be rent or buy any of the plots.

 

Unsure of the road name but if you head towards black mountain golf course from the main town you will see quite a few developments with pools for rent, nice quiet area and only 5 or 10 min from town.  Be careful there with lawyers and any paperwork and use a foreign lawyer / I used a local women and got totally screwed as have others with this particular one.

 

There was also a news story where a french guy jumped off a building after dealings with one of these local 'lawyers'. They really dont care!

[KhunLA]

16 hours ago, stat said:

Much obliged for your post! What private sites are you referring to? I check FB already.

A lot on FB (not marketplace), started by private people.  Can be a page, or group, public or have to join the group.  Wife started one herself, actually a couple, to sell our house in Udon Thani, and one at PKK to sell a friend's land lot.  

 

You have groups for local areas, selling / renting everything.

 

If you find a place on a realitor's, agent's page, at a certain development or condo, search the actual development's or building page, and they'll have different priced listing also for the same.

 

Comparing all will give you ballpark hi/lo pricing, then it's just down to personal choice of what is exactly offered.   We found our rentals simply by driving around.  Daughter, a bit lazier, found her's, word of mouth and site searching.   Her present condo is 10k a month, and same units at same complex offered up to 18k a month elsewhere.  Pays to invest a bt of time seaching.

[smutcakes]

For anything decent use an agent. I doubt any agent is going to lose much sleep about not being appointed to rent a 6-10K a month unit. Obviously in that bracket in some locations units are ten a penny due to massive over development, so of course there is going to be much negotiation room as so many are unoccupied looking to be sold or leased out.

[stat]

2 hours ago, smutcakes said:

For anything decent use an agent. I doubt any agent is going to lose much sleep about not being appointed to rent a 6-10K a month unit. Obviously in that bracket in some locations units are ten a penny due to massive over development, so of course there is going to be much negotiation room as so many are unoccupied looking to be sold or leased out.

I am looking for a villa/condo from 30K-100K months

[mstevens]

I found real estate agents in Bangkok to be hopeless, with one exception. Most just seemed to one want to insert themselves in to a deal to make a commission while really adding very little. A couple I dealt with told so many fibs and gave the impression they'd do almost anything for money. There's much I like about Bangkok but one area where my homeland is 100 times better is real estate agents who have to be professional otherwise they will lose their licence and then won't be able to work!

 

Don't forget that realty isn't a profession in Thailand and it's not like real estate agents have to pass exams and be part of a professional organisation.

[LarrySR]

Many agents want to jack up the price plus take the agreed commission. 
My advice. Visit the property and look on the bulletin board then deal with the owner. 
mid your looking at a rental, negotiate the best price then ask for another 10% off if you pay the entire year up front. 
 

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by LarrySR

[baansgr]

Use an agent but a proper one....not a one Thai woman or anyone without an official office

[smutcakes]

On 3/5/2022 at 7:45 AM, LarrySR said:

Many agents want to jack up the price plus take the agreed commission. 
My advice. Visit the property and look on the bulletin board then deal with the owner. 
mid your looking at a rental, negotiate the best price then ask for another 10% off if you pay the entire year up front. 
 

 

Then come crying to TVF when the landlord turfs you out after 2 months having paid the year upfront....

[LarrySR]

6 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Then come crying to TVF when the landlord turfs you out after 2 months having paid the year upfront....

I haven’t had that problem.
 

[OneMoreFarang]

On 3/1/2022 at 5:44 PM, stat said:

What are your experiences contacting the residences/gated communities yourself. Does one save money? I am looking in the Hua Hin PKK region either pool villa or condo.

Here is a summary of my recent experience with buying a condominium in Bangkok.

I asked at the management office for possible available units according to my criteria. One of the "normal" service people was reluctant to give me any information at all. A few days later I received some info from the deputy manager. And then some more from the manager. They showed me maybe 6 available units.

I spoke with several of the owners and especially with one owner who spoke perfectly English we talked about the details like who will pay the transfer fees, etc.

The owner also told me he has to pay the commission. I said I talked to the condominium manager directly, there should be no commission. And he explained to me that the condominium manager, whos job it is to take care of that condominium, demanded 3% commission from him. I asked him: Why do you agree to that? And he told me if he would not agree then the manager wouldn't tell anybody that his unit is available.

That was confirmed later when I heard from one of the shops in that building that there is another unit available. The management somehow "forgot" to mention that one.

After talking with several people I get the idea that this is absolutely normal. Someone will get a commission. Maybe the manager or the hairdresser or the little shop attended or a proper real estate agent...

 

Good luck!

[Pmbkk]

On 3/5/2022 at 12:45 AM, LarrySR said:

mid your looking at a rental, negotiate the best price then ask for another 10% off if you pay the entire year up front. 

 

I'd be careful about that. Once you've paid certain landlords would dawdle at best to fix issues - esp' later in the tenancy.

 

 

I rent out apts in Bangkok. The agent usually takes one months rental in my experience.

 

I agree, go to a proper agent and not just some women you met in a pub.

 

If you know and trust the vendor then obv' you can save the agent's commission by going direct. If you meet them and say they are foreign/from your home country and you can converse it maybe easier.

 

I've bought a large condo in central CBD direct from the American owner - saved me 15% on what he was asking. I trusted the guy as I knew what he did and why he was selling.

[JuanMatus]

Does anybody know how to get access to real estate comps like we have in US?  I mean, is there a site/agency/company that can provide prices of recently sold house/townhouse in a given Bangkok area?

[smutcakes]

14 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Here is a summary of my recent experience with buying a condominium in Bangkok.

I asked at the management office for possible available units according to my criteria. One of the "normal" service people was reluctant to give me any information at all. A few days later I received some info from the deputy manager. And then some more from the manager. They showed me maybe 6 available units.

I spoke with several of the owners and especially with one owner who spoke perfectly English we talked about the details like who will pay the transfer fees, etc.

The owner also told me he has to pay the commission. I said I talked to the condominium manager directly, there should be no commission. And he explained to me that the condominium manager, whos job it is to take care of that condominium, demanded 3% commission from him. I asked him: Why do you agree to that? And he told me if he would not agree then the manager wouldn't tell anybody that his unit is available.

That was confirmed later when I heard from one of the shops in that building that there is another unit available. The management somehow "forgot" to mention that one.

After talking with several people I get the idea that this is absolutely normal. Someone will get a commission. Maybe the manager or the hairdresser or the little shop attended or a proper real estate agent...

 

Good luck!

The management should not be involved in leasing or selling any units.... Co-owners should either advertise themselves and handle themselves if they dont want to pay a commission or list it with an agent. Both sides are to blame, the owner for giving it to the management for leasing out or selling it for him... and the manager for accepting to do it. Management teams are paid by all Co-owners to manage the common area of the condominium, not to be moonlighting as agents for owners who want to sell or lease their condos.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, smutcakes said:

The management should not be involved in leasing or selling any units.... Co-owners should either advertise themselves and handle themselves if they dont want to pay a commission or list it with an agent. Both sides are to blame, the owner for giving it to the management for leasing out or selling it for him... and the manager for accepting to do it. Management teams are paid by all Co-owners to manage the common area of the condominium, not to be moonlighting as agents for owners who want to sell or lease their condos.

There is how things should be an how they are. Who in Thailand will walk away from a 100,000 THB commission?

 

I wrote above to describe how reality (often) is in Thailand. And it doesn't matter if I like it or not. It is what it is.

Because agents are often unprofessional and/or useless lots of people go to the buildings and talk to people at the counter. That is the way it is. Is it correct? Is that the way it should be? Lots of questions with some theoretical answers which change very fast if a lot of money is involved.