Buying? Renting? Count carefully the useful and built sq. m.! 80% of all these serious people out there makes “innocent” mistakes!

It is not only a professional perversion; I really search for an office to move this period. This is always a difficult task, as we crosscheck all available offers, trying to identify the suitable ones for us. We are open to collaborate with other companies (paying commission as well) when they have an offer we do not. In this case, we are clients and, trust me, it is very good from time to time to enter in your client’s shoes and see the market through his eyes.

Vast majority of Real Estate professionals remain “not professionals”

During the last 5 years we heard a lot about “people changing”, receiving all kinds of training, values, principles etc. Unfortunately this is not the reality a client experiences out there. The vast majority of Real Estate professionals remain “not professionals”, only interested in obtaining some money without real work, talking arrogantly, making ridiculous mistakes, showing 0 respect to the client.

The best way to behave when you identify someone like this? Stop talking to him! There is nothing to win, you may only lose.

Count the surfaces very carefully!

Don’t believe the announcements! Unfortunately in 80% of the situations someone is lying. Maybe the owner, or the agent, or both. But when you go to visit a property, count the surfaces yourself! Even by walking in the rooms. It is not impolite, it is self-protection. When you do so, usually you start hearing that “ah, I didn’t know”, “ah, this is not my fault”, “ah, let’s check again” etc.

Obviously it is better to visit a property once you receive the sketch of it, but at least demand that this will be handed over to you during the visit, if not in advance. If you don’t receive it, something is wrong.

Built and Useful sq. m.

When you buy, you buy built surface. When you rent, you rent the useful one. So when you are about to rent, check carefully the useful surface you are supposed to rent, according to the papers and also according to your calculations.

At least 80% of all properties we checked have different useful surface than the declared one. In one case, an office heavily promoted lately, located in the center of the city, is declared to have 240 sq. m. of useful surface. The agent told us that he will give us the sketch on the spot, but there, he told us that he sent it by email, which we did not receive.

I measured the surface of the two levels for rent. They are circa 70 + 70 sq. m, per level. In the beginning, “the Real Estate expert” from a “famous company with many branches” was sure that all is ok. When I showed him that 8 meters X 9 meters make 72 sq. m. and not 120, he became offensive and asked me “so what is your price, I don’t have time to lose”. (I replied that I don’t want to offer a price before the owner acknowledges that we speak for 140 – 150 sq. m. and then the darkness was spread on earth and this serious professional dived in it… disappeared).

This property, and there are plenty like this, is promoted by at least 7 agencies. All of them mention 240 sq. m., something that makes me wonder: Did they visit the property before to promote it? If yes, should we arrange some kind of medical treatment for the eyes of agents who visited and found the property having 240 sq. m.?

Rewarding the unserious, you lose your right to complain

Many of you will think “never mind, I just want to do my job”. This is a bit wrong, or a bit more. These bad professionals think “why should I be serious? In the end, I will find someone to rent it, even with all these lies and then we will see what I do for my commission”. By rewarding their behavior, you simply lose your right to complain and you risk to be tricked.

There are several serious people out there. Yes they are a minority, but they exist and serve you with quality. When it is the time for you to rent a property, count carefully the surface and try to work only with professionals.

If not, buy some handkerchiefs. Your chance to cry over your lost money will be high…

 What is your opinion?