Buying or selling real estate is the biggest investment in the life of most people. The process itself consists of large amounts of information and decisions, and the contracting, payment and transfer of ownership can be complicated and risky. In addition, most buyers become aware that the real estate does not fully meet their needs only after the purchase, when they move in and spend some time in their real estate.
Business customers can be even more exposed to the wrong choice as inadequate real estate may reduce profits, increase costs and even hinder the business process.

Of course, not everything has to be so negative. All important matters can be verified in advance and on time. If you are well versed in finance, legislation, civil engineering, architecture, energy efficiency, demographics, traffic, contractual relations and administrative procedures, then the process of buying or selling real estate will be fast and simple.
Of course, one person can hardly be versed in all those fields, but there is a solution.
As you always hire a law firm to advise and represent you in legal affairs, real estate also requires professionals who will do this very important work for you. Those professionals are licensed real estate agencies.

A quality real estate agency gathers a team of professionals, composed of experts from various fields who will check each real estate in advance and when you describe your requirements, the process will be really fast and simple, and the contracting, transaction and transfer of ownership safe.
But, first things first…

Due diligence and the preparation of real estate
Real estate offered on the market by a licensed real estate agency is safe, starting from technical prerequisites and all necessary permits to specified ownership and possible encumbrances from the bank or state institutions. This provides a good foundation for the entire transaction to go smoothly and without problems. One might think that it is worth engaging in self-checks and buying and selling in order to not have to pay the agency's fee, but one small oversight can cost you your life savings. Besides, each real estate is checked multiple times, when being listed on the market and when signing the purchase and sale agreement, because very often the circumstances may change. A quality real estate agency and its agents are faced with different situations on a daily basis and after many years of experience, nothing can slip by them.

Expert assessment of real estate market value
Most real estate agents can determine the price of real estate within the first minute of walking through the door. The experience of inspecting and selling hundreds and thousands of real estate is priceless. That is why it is important that you hire large and quality agencies because their experience is an advantage to the buyer. If the agent has extensive experience in a specific market, they know exactly what is being sold and what prices are achieved, because one price may be listed on the advertisement, whereas the actual selling price may be completely different. The agent is in daily contact with the real estate owner and knows how much they are willing or not willing to lower the price so they will not waste your time and take you on a tour of a real estate that is not within your budget.

A licensed agent will not try to sell, but advise you
Buying real estate is not an easy job because every buyer has specific needs and requirements. It is true that you can examine a large number of real estate directly with the owner, but will the owner present all weaknesses of their property? Can you yourself assess the state of the real estate, installations, energy efficiency and potential for improvement? Do you know anything about the neighbourhood you are about to move into, such as transport connections and amenities?

A good agent who is familiar with the market and professional in their job is sure to find real estate much faster.
Let's say you want your own parking space, swimming pool, terrace, playground for children… If you are looking for something specific, the real estate agent is the person whose job it is to know whether the market has any real estate which would suit your needs.
In addition, at your request our team can make a proposal of remodelling or upgrading your potential real estate with an advance cost estimate so you know at every moment what you can get and how much it will cost you.
Since you will be spending many years in your real estate, the support of an experienced agent has value and weight.

Also, even though most real estate is available for purchase on various portals, there are cases where sellers do not wish to have their real estate advertised in such a public way. In those cases, only the real estate agency knows the real estate is for sale, and it may just be your ideal home.

Legal security
Real estate agencies which meet the legal requirements for performing real estate brokerage are listed in the Register of Real Estate Brokers at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce. This makes it easy for you to verify at least the minimum – whether the agency you contacted is operating legally and by the rules of the profession. One of the more important legal obligations is that the real estate agency pays Professional liability insurance. In other words, the buyer is indirectly insured through the agency in case of any problems. The agency is required to hire a lawyer for drafting purchase and sale documents (pre-contract and/or purchase and sale agreement). As a buyer, you are in that manner legally insured, and you do not have additional costs because it is included in the agency fee. The agent is required to introduce you to all the relevant facts and deficiencies related to the specific transaction. If your future real estate is encumbered by a loan guarantee or mortgage, the agent will protect your interests and will advise you against the purchase if you cannot register your property quickly and simply. Indeed, the agent will do the whole transfer and registration process in your stead.

Administration
Once you have signed the agreement and become the formal owner of the real estate, the administrative part begins. A request for registration in the land registry needs to be drafted along with the contract to complete the transfer of ownership and obtain a certificate of title. Of course, the real estate agent will do it for you. When you remember how much time of your life you have spent waiting in lines in front of various counters trying to obtain numerous certificates and legal documents, you will come to appreciate the service of your agent. And finally, all those services are included in the agency's fee, from attorney's fees for drafting the purchase and sale documents, the submission of documents for registration, the submission of documents to the tax administration office for tax assessment, and even transferring all real estate utility costs to the new owner.

The 'Turnkey' solution
A quality real estate agency will not consider its job done when the buyer signs the agreement. In this profession, the goal is for the buyer to be completely satisfied and free from all problems and waste of time. The point of hiring a real estate agency is for the experts in real estate to do all the work for you. You do not have to worry about anything, whatever happens in the process of purchasing, transfer of ownership to moving in, the real estate agent will solve it for you. Because it is their job.

To summarize, your agent will be there for you all the way from selecting to acquiring your real estate with advice and a professional team of associates, and they will arrange everything for you. Of course, they will take responsibility for all the work they carried out. In other words, you will receive a 'turnkey' service. There will not be any errors or problems because a quality real estate agency is insured against business risk so any potential mistakes will not be paid by you, which may happen if you go through the whole process alone.

That's why you should always choose a quality licensed real estate agency, well organized and with a big team of various experts because the size and quality of the agency does not affect the agency's fee, but only your satisfaction. A satisfied client is the best reference.


Your Biliškov team.

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