Agenzia Immobiliare Houses in Tuscany

Gentili e disponibili

Agenzia molto seria .e trova sempre la situazione alle tue esigenze

Molto Bene ...

Great people great service , very knowledgeable

We had listed our local holiday home of 17 years for sale with this company. To ensure no misunderstandings I asked for a contract and breakdown of all fees. They told me they do business on the basis of trust not a contract. After a small number of viewings over 3 years I was told of a Swiss gentleman that called specifically about our house. He viewed only our house and made an offer on the spot which with a little negotiation we accepted. The agent did not have to show them anything else. Then we started on a crazy confusing roller coaster over the next few weeks. The owner of the agency works on the basis of avoiding transparency, hitting buyer and seller with unexpected cost when there is no time to look at avoiding these costs. It was impossible to get the agent to clearly list all the costs in advance. There was always vagueness and don’t worry, or that’s the way it is done it Italy so you have to live with it. As we got closer to the pressured deadline we began a direct communication with the buyer. We found that they were as angry and frustrated as we were. This culminated in the buyer and us working together for hours on the day of the sale as allies arguing with the agency about the high costs, poor service and hidden fees in the presence of the notary who was trying to help resolve the situation. The owner of the agency a gentleman known as Benito was shouting, walking in and out of the meeting and using the “F” word frequently. Nothing that he had done was wrong. We had to pay all the fees specified. That we were not respecting the Italian way of selling a house. That we would never be able to sell our house later if we did not concede. His behaviour was narcissistic and aggressive. Eventually the notary told us not to involve him anymore as he would walk out and our deal would collapse. We as buyer and seller had in effect agreed to pay almost double for things. The buyer could not face any more of this and agreed to take on the disputed costs to avoid the deal collapsing. All of this could have been avoided if a schedule of fees and conditions were presented at the start. That contracts were sent in advance to review. That there was transparency and honesty during the sale process. This was nothing like the routine process we experienced when we bought our Italian house but then we had an Italian lawyer involved. My advice is NEVER let an agent act in a dual capacity for buyer and seller. There is no cost saving in using a single agent. In this dual capacity they charge 3%+ for each role so 6%+ in total. There is a massive conflict of interest and opportunities for manipulation of both parties to maximise costs and shut out other offers. If you are a buyer include a good lawyer as their presence seems to “encourage” good behaviour of the agents and they protect you. Also negotiate on the total of ALL fees as there is no law stipulating what you have to pay. At the end of the day all the fees will come out of your pocket. Ask open ended questions in writing on what fees are due, exactly how they will be paid, what services are being provided for the fee, and what fees are being paid for by the other party. These fees all become apparent on the day of the sale so there is no good reason to hide them. If the agent does little work and provides poor service drop them and don’t pay them 3%. Find another agent. If they work hard and really help you find or sell the place want and support you during the sale process then paying 3% is fair. Obviously avoid this agency here or if you really want one of the houses they list then bring your own buyer agent and an Italian lawyer and brace for battle.

I have had a challenging house sale and I did not feel supported by this agency. I actually overheard the owner talking to the purchaser about my ‘difficult’ personality. He walked out of the meeting with the notary and this was minuted. I felt they went the extra mile and then became totally indifferent.