Costa Rica FAQ Series – Habla Español?, Property Managers and Do I need a Realtor

Tank Tops Flip Flops Newsletter no. 226

Welcome to the 2nd installment of our Costa Rica FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Series, where we dive into the nitty-gritty of real estate and property investment and as always – life in Costa Rica.

First of all some great news!  Costa Rica is #1 in the world for the highest amount of Foriegn Direct Investment as a percentage of GDP.  Check out the article in Q Costa Rica for details.  qcostarica.com/costa-rica-is-first-in-the-world-in-direct-foreign-investment

Video 1:  Do I need to speak Spanish in Costa Rica?

Do you have to speak Spanish to live in Costa Rica?  Really the answer is no.  Costa Rica is very bilingual especially here at the beach where you find out that everybody speaks English and it is very easy to communicate.  But at the same token you’re coming to their country so you should go out of your way to learn some Spanish and again it’s fun.  There are many different ways to take Spanish lessons: You can do it privately where someone will come to your house and teach you Spanish in your own home, also many people do these small groups where maybe there’s four or five couples.  So, this week we have the lesson at my house, next week at your house, the week after that at Martha’s house and then afterwards we all celebrate we have some wine and cheese and hang out after our Spanish lesson.  There are schools here where you can go and take Spanish lessons in a more controlled environment but no you don’t need to worry about speaking Spanish coming down.  All the menus in the restaurants are in both English and Spanish and most of the grocery stores have North American products and if you can can’t read something there’s always somebody there that will help you.  My advice would be to take it upon yourself to learn Spanish so you can more fully enjoy this beautiful country.  You can always go to night school (wink, wink).

Why is it important to work with an experienced Real Estate Agent and long-standing Real Estate Company in Costa Rica?

Most Buyers and Sellers in the coastal regions of Costa Rica are not native to the area so it seems like common sense that you would seek out advice from a seasoned and professional Agent that works in a well-established agency to guide you through the purchase or sale process of a property in a foreign county.  I think we would all agree with that statement so far.

Suffice it to say that most Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies will claim they are the wisest and most knowledgeable.  There are definitely quality individuals and companies operating in the Papagayo area and beyond.  During a hot real estate market, the number of agents working increases and the number of unexperienced agents goes up as well.  It is not too hard to put together a good website and present yourself in a good light and sound like you are knowledgeable to the unknowing client.  Especially since the laws and customs for buying and selling real estate in Costa Rica are probably much different from what you are accustomed to that could cause you to not notice that you are working with an experienced person right away.