QualityMana wrote:Hi hedgehunter: My 5 cents worth:
I suggest your wife attend any of the free career seminars held by the real estate companies and pose them your questions. You can easily get the info on the seminar dates and times (available almost every week). Also give your wife a good opportunity to choose the Real Estate company she'd like to work with. I don't think she'll be the first expat to do this. I'm sure there are already others in the market.
Good luck!
I've actually just been contacted by a friend of mine here, who is also an agent..There are loads of expat agents too..its not at all difficult to do the course..but it can't be worth much credibility for 600$.. I was under the impression it would take at least a year...,not a few weeks.
But there again looking at the service, maybe they have 1 day courses too
Better still you can probably get authorised on the internet!
Okay, well I have been updated, and here goes, all the agents work for the companies, that hold the licence, there is a shortage of agents at the moment, for specific areas....it looks like the early birds get the worm,, with a 30% cut, and the agent gets what he can, normally 1 to 3 % depending on several factors..
Its really a strage setup here, like very cut throat, with agents having to pay their own advertising out and other costs, out of their small cut.
Seems like the big boys have it tied up, with taking 30% of the cut, they also take the agents on the courses, which they have to pay for, literally thousands of agents like taxis, are paying for these courses, to become agents and they upgrade, by paying more money for courses, with a licence holder, until they are capable of passing the state authorised exam, to get ones own licence...
Correct me if i'm wrong please!
Its not really the agents concern, that tenant, doesn't get there deposit back, because the agents job, is just to get the contract signed...although if he is nice, he will attempt all he can to please, however, because the agent doesn have his own costs involved, with advertising, he needs to keep his costs to a minimum, not paying for sorting out deposits and back payments, that is between landlord and tenant.
It appears some landlords, do keep the deposits to pay for damage, utilities, phone bills, ect, because quite often tenants abscond, without paying these bills, which the landlord hangs on to the money until, these bills are cleared..Some deliberatly keep the deposit, knowing that expats are leaving, and can do very little about it, although when you think of how many expats are here, its only a minority, that are treated badly, and this believe it or not happens in all countries, even with legal protection...
Rents and sales, are governed, by supply and demand, so a cut throat attitude is used, because anyone can back out, of a sale, even though a contract is signed..the landlord can change the price when he wants, and doesn't consider, if you are a good tenant or not, its all about money here and now, that matters, so I have been told and with the agent having to pay advertising fees, is can be very costly, and put the agent out of business.
Hope it makes more sense now.
I had a post like this in the staying in Singapore section, but it vanished!
