Recommended real estate agents in Playa Del Carmen
We have had many people ask us about referrals of real estate agents in Playa Del Carmen. It is hard enough to move to a different city and look for a realtor to work with, but another country is even harder. We have found because we don’t work in real estate ourselves, people like asking us for our opinions. Over the years many of our readers have taken our advice on who to work with and been very pleased. So, we are writing this article to put in writing what we have been emailing to people that asked for advice in the past.
We hope this information helps you. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment below. We love hearing from you and helping you find what you need in the area.
Why we recommend these realtors
Investing in real estate in Mexico does require you to become familiar with the process and details. These realtors offer years of experience to help you through the process. They also have a good reputation locally and with our readers.
These real estate agents are also passionate about what they do. We find when people are passionate about anything, the business is always better whether it be a tour guide or chef. These agents work hard for their clients, spending time with them in and out of the office.
In the past the real estate market was not as regulated or organized. This meant that some wound up working with a realtor that was not as qualified or professional. A.M.P.I. is the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals and is a non-governmental organization that helps oversee the market here. These realtors are members in good standing and members.
These real estate agents are also completely bilingual and understand what people are looking for. They have worked with clients from all over the world and know how to answer detailed questions.
Contacting and sending an email to one of these agents
If you want to contact any of the real estate agents below, here are some good things to include in your email:
- Your name and a phone number. Adding a number where you can be reached is good incase email does not go through to inbox or if you want quicker response and more details. You can also add the best time to call you.
- Mention what you are looking for. A one bedroom? House? Land? These things will help the realtor be prepared with options.
- Your general price range for a purchase. Knowing this can help your realtor also help with selecting available properties.
Our First Real Estate Agent Recommendation
We have had many readers work and successfully buy property through this real estate agent in Playa Del Carmen. He is an expert in knowing what is going on with one of the largest real estate developers in the area. Since many people are looking to buy and use the property for an investment, Sebastian is great to work with! Sebastian and the company he works with has worked hard on detailed information for ROI (see the article Sebastian wrote here on ROI in Playa Del Carmen). While many real estate companies talk about ROI, Sebastian can give you in very much detail information on how to make sure you have a smart investment.
Here is our video introduction for our first real estate agent
We know it is nice to hear from the person you might be dealing with and know a little more information about them. We sat down with Sebastian so he could tell you more about himself in this video.
Background information for this real estate agent
Sebastian is a licensed realtor and property advisor in the Riviera Maya. He started out in real estate in 2012. He was born and raised in Mexico City, but soon decided to move to the Riviera Maya, which was always his dream.
Fully bilingual, Sebastian is a native speaker of Spanish and English alike and therefore also 100% bicultural. He is extremely knowledgeable about the ins and outs of purchasing property in Mexico. He therefore in a perfect position to walk you through the real-estate acquisition process. This can range from property taxes to taxation on rental income, HOA fees, legal aspects of closing, financial leverage, property management, ROI, etc. He makes the investment process easier for those looking to buy in this area.
Sebastian owns a leading real estate brokerage company in the Riviera Maya, with access to over 300 luxury projects and more than 6,500 units in the finest locations in Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras and Tulum. His focus is on investment properties and on securing the highest return on your investment. A Playa Del Carmen property owner himself, he has helped over 200 families realize their dream. Sebastian also uses a lot of research tools to help clients know more about the area.
Contact Sebastian for real estate information
If you are interested in investment properties and talking with Sebastian, click below to send him an email. It does work best if you add your phone number along with your information.
Our Second Real Estate Agent Recommendation
Lilia has been in the Playa Del Carmen area for over two decades and knows the ins and outs of the market. With so much experience she is able to help people know what is going on in the market and to work with reputable developers. If you are looking for a home, investment or land, in and around Playa Del Carmen, Lilia is good to work with.
Several things our readers have enjoyed from working with this real estate agent is the fact she is a full-service agent. What does this mean? Before, during and after the sale she is there with helpful advice and solutions. Everything from legal questions to local information, she is very knowledgeable. This aspect is something that sets Lilia apart from other real estate agents in Playa Del Carmen.
We have had readers ask us for advice for real estate agents and decide to work with someone else. Often, they write back to us asking questions that their realtor has not answered or helped them with. This is why Lilia is so good to work with. She is able to answer pretty much anything and even know what you should be asking.
Lilia is also very honest and direct. When making a large purchase like real estate, it is always better to have someone tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear.
Background about Lilia
Lilia moved to Playa del Carmen in 1996, where she started working in interior design and remodeling. She soon transitioned into real estate by creating her own real estate company and by making personal investments in Playa and Tulum real estate markets. Her real estate company has become the Riviera Maya’s premier boutique real estate company.
Lilia combines her eye for design and keen sense for sound real estate investment, to guide her clients in both residential and commercial real estate acquisitions. With a “Who’s Who” list of International and domestic clients, Lilia is the go-to real estate agent for the best that the Riviera Maya has to offer. The personal touch and hands on approach that clients receive is what keeps them coming back year after year.
Email Lilia for more information
If you would like to know about listings and information, click the email link below.
Our third recommended realtor for you
Meet Alberto. Alberto is a bilingual realtor that has worked both in the United States and Mexico. He is also an associate in a real estate company that has been working in the Rivera Maya for 27 years. After working in Texas as a real estate agent, he has turned his attention to Mexico and the market here.
Alberto focuses on the Playa Del Carmen and Tulum real estate markets as well as the beach communities around these two hot spots. Drawing on the experience of his associates of the real estate firm, Alberto guides people through the process of buying in the Riviera Maya, narrows down developers to work with, and creates relationships with clients. In the video interview below, you can hear more about Alberto and why we have him on our list of recommended realtors.
If you would like to work with Alberto, you can contact him below through email.
Our video about real estate in Playa Del Carmen
Since you are interested in real estate in the area, we put together this video. It covers a lot of common questions and hopefully gives you some good insight into the market. We hope you enjoy it.
Our video about real estate in Tulum
If you are looking at the Riviera Maya for buying something, you might also be considering Tulum. Tulum is a slightly different real estate market from Playa. Tulum is growing and changing, so we like to update and make new videos to address all the changes in the local market. Here is our latest article about real estate in Tulum and our video.
Avoid these two mistakes when looking for an realtor
The top two mistakes’ people make when looking at real estate in Playa Del Carmen or the Riviera Maya are:
- Thinking that an agent from your home country is going to be best. You may feel comfortable dealing with someone from your home country, but that should not be a basis for a decision. There are good real estate agents and not so good ones from every country working in Mexico. It is better to work with someone who knows the laws and is honest with you. Also, someone that is willing to work hard with you. However, you might mess this up if you make the mistake number 2.
- Trying to work with multiple real estate agents at once. You may reason that working with multiple agents will give you a better chance of finding the property you are looking for. When real estate agents know you are working with other agents as well, there is much less motivation to go out of their way to work hard for you. There is a good chance that all their work is not going to pay off in a commission. We have talked with many real estate agents in Playa Del Carmen, and they know when people are shopping them. It is best to pick a good agent, work with them and end up with a good solid purchase.
Other helpful real estate article about Playa Del Carmen
These are some other articles we have written on our website:
- We have this guide to Playa Del Carmen real estate with many links to helpful information.
- How the buying process works in Mexico for real estate.
- How to get off on the right foot with realtor in the Riviera Maya.
About The Author
Thanks for these recommendations. I am in the process of looking at real estate in Playa del Carmen and it seems that there is a lot of companies to work with. so many realtors have contacted me that it seems overwhelming. I will contact these two to see how it goes.
Did you buy anything Ben?
Im looking now so i was curious what agent you used?
Do these agents also work with “rental” properties? My husband and I want to rent before purchasing to make sure we are comfortable living in Playa. We have a planned visit for March of 2019.
Hello Karen
These agents don’t focus on rentals but can point you in a god direction or may even know of something. It might be a good connection since some of the buildings you might be interested in, they will know owners. That way you get a real fel for places that you might eventually buy.
Hi Karen,
Did you end up finding a agent to help you and your husband a rental? My fiancé and I are in Playa and have worked with several agents but haven’t struck any luck. We have a service dog which has complicated our search.
I rent a beautiful 2 bedroom 2 bath fully furnished in Playa, como and try leaving like a local. you will love it. find me on fb yuri parra
Are there regulations for being a real estate agent? Or can anyone present themselves as one?
Hello Joy
There are regulations now. AMPI is an organization that certifies agents and organizes the market. AMPI also does training courses and conventions. There are also regulations from the Mexican government including Hacienda (much like the IRS). In the past people could just have a website and list properties (which some still do and claim to be a broker). The real estate agent profession is now much more regulated and organized. It is still important to work with a good agent and why we have suggested some agents to work with.
I worked with Sebastian on our new condo purchase. He was very helpful and made the process go so well. I would recommend him to people looking to purchase in the area.
As I understand from your posting, you recommend these agents for buying a property. Could you recommend a realtor for selling a condo? The ones above seem to be involved with selling big developments, they are most likely master brokers, I assume their priority is to sell the developments they are involved with.
Are there any independent realtors that you could recommend that have a reasonable chance to sell my condo (pre-construction to be ready in about 3 months, 2 bedrooms lock-off in Playacar)?
Hello Luciana
Two of these real estate agents are independent and not associated with developers. Both Lilia and Sebastian are ones that are independent. Lilia might be the best one to contact since she is working more in the area. She is very honest about things like her ability to sell a unit and the listing price.
Hello I am relocating to the area and looking for a nice area for a single woman. I would like a two bedroom with view of the ocean and access to a good rooftop. My budget is 400k. Can someone send me some places to look at. Thanks.
Hello Debbie
These comments go here to our website. If you wish to contact the realtors on this page you can email them directly with the email table in their section. We are sure one or all of them would be able to help you find an area and condo that fits your needs.
A big thumbs up for Sebastian. He was great to work with. Very easy and smooth transaction with no hiccups.
hi looking for a great agent to sell my property in Tankah .. Now that i am selling just wondering what the average commission rate is??
The normal rate is about 6 or 7%. It does depend on the sales price of the property and if you have an exclusive listing with a realtor.
what are the names of the companies these 3 agents work for?
Thank u
Shane
Hello Shane. Two of these own their own companies and one works for a development company. Feel free to email them to get all the details.
Hi, I’ve enjoyed reading your articles. I’ve been looking for an apartment to rent in the area, and I’m wondering if you could recommend real estates that deal with rental apartments. Thank you!
There are not really many agents who specialize in it but there are some larger companies that offer rentals. Bric is one that does more month or shorter rentals. North American is another one that does long term rentals of mid to upper end rentals. If you are looking for something on the budget side, it is best to go around neighborhoods and look for signs. Most budget places don’t go through agents or brokers because the fees and it is more hassle. Also there are some Facebook pages for rentals in the center of Playa that you can join.
I have to say there are some agents that are not out there for your best interest. We bought from one agent in Playa that sold us a condo for rental. After we purchased it, we never heard from her again. It was short and sweet and once the money went through, there were no more friendly phone calls. We still had a lot of questions. I know they have lived to but a good agent is a big help in the process, so I hope these work well for people.
Should an agent ever ask you for gas money? Had an agent show us around and spent about 3 hours with them. the real estate agent asked if we could give him some money for fuel. i think that this seemed out of line or is it something that happens often?
A real estate agent asking you for money is not normal to pay for gas. It sounds like an novice realtor that might have felt it was a waste of time to show you around. A good agent ask questions first to know what to show and your time frame for buying. This is why we recommend agents that have a good reputation here and provide good service for our readers.
Sebastian was very helpful in helping me through the buying process. I had to figure out how to set up my condo and where everything was. I now rent it out when not in Mexico and it is running very nicely thanks to him. Anyone looking to buy in the area, he is very knowledgeable and can help people navigate the process with ease.