Here is something that surprises almost every foreign buyer in Spain. In a normal transaction, nobody in the room is working for you. The estate agent is paid by the seller. The seller’s lawyer is paid by the seller. Even the friendly person showing you around the flat gets paid only if the seller signs.
That is not a scandal. It is simply how the market is built. But you should know it before you spend three hundred thousand euros.
The short version
- In Spain the seller pays the estate agency, usually somewhere around 3 to 5 per cent plus VAT.
- In rentals, since 2023 the landlord pays the agency. That fee is never yours.
- A buyer’s agent or property finder is paid by you, which is exactly why they can act for you.
- Typical market fees for buying sit around 1 to 3 per cent, or a fixed fee agreed in advance.
- It is worth it when you are abroad, short of time, or new to the city. It is not always worth it otherwise, and I will say so.
Who pays whom in Spain
| Who | Paid by | So they act for |
|---|---|---|
| Estate agency selling the flat | The seller | The seller |
| Rental agency listing the flat | The landlord, by law since 2023 | The landlord |
| Developer’s sales office | The developer | The developer |
| Buyer’s agent / property finder | You | You |
This is the whole point. If you are not paying anyone, then nobody has any duty to tell you that the flat is overpriced, that the block has a special assessment coming, or that the same money buys you more one street away.
What a buyer’s agent actually does
The job is not just sending you links. Anyone can send you links. The work is:
- Defining the brief properly, which usually means telling you honestly what your budget does and does not reach.
- Searching everywhere, including agencies, private sellers and properties not yet advertised.
- Filtering hard, so you see five real options instead of fifty maybes.
- Viewing on your behalf, in person or by video if you are still abroad, and telling you what the photos hide.
- Checking the basics before you get emotionally attached: charges on the property, community debts, works planned, the real state of the building.
- Negotiating, with market evidence, against someone who does this professionally.
- Coordinating your lawyer, the notary appointment and the mortgage timing so nothing collapses at the end.
What it costs
There is no fixed tariff in Spain. The models you will find are these.
| Model | How it works | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of the purchase price | Paid on completion | Around 1 to 3 per cent plus VAT |
| Fixed fee | Agreed at the start, regardless of price | Common on smaller purchases |
| Retainer plus success fee | A small amount to start, the rest on completion | Used for demanding or long searches |
| Rental search | A one off fee for finding and securing the home | Agreed in writing before starting |
My own fee depends on what you need, and I tell you the number before we start, in writing. What I will not do is quote you a figure on a web page without knowing whether you want a studio in Tetuán or a house in Alcobendas.
Renting: the distinction that matters
Since 2023 the law is clear that the landlord’s agency fee is the landlord’s to pay. If an agency listing a flat tries to charge you, the tenant, for their management or for drawing up the contract, that is the fee you refuse.
Hiring someone to search for you is a different thing entirely. If you ask me to go and find you a home, that is a service you choose to buy from me. It covers the search, the selection, the viewings, the negotiation and the advice. It is agreed in writing before I start, and it has nothing to do with the landlord’s costs.
Two commitments that come with that, and you should demand them from anyone you hire: the fee is never for the paperwork of the contract itself, because that belongs to the landlord, and I never take money from both sides on the same property. If I am working for you, I am working only for you.
Is it actually worth it?
When it clearly is
- You are buying from abroad and cannot fly over for every viewing.
- You do not know the city and cannot tell a good street from a bad one three minutes away.
- You are on a deadline, because a school year or a job start date is fixed.
- The market is moving faster than you can, which in Madrid right now it is.
- You want someone to say no. Most of my value is in the properties I talk clients out of.
When it probably is not
- You already live here, know your area and have time to look properly.
- Your budget is small enough that the fee is a meaningful share of it.
- You have already found the property yourself and just need a lawyer.
I would rather tell you that on day one than take an engagement I cannot justify.
Five questions to ask any buyer’s agent before you sign
- Do you ever take money from sellers or landlords? If the answer is yes, they are not independent.
- Is the fee in writing before the search starts? It should be.
- What happens if I do not buy anything? Know this before, not after.
- Do you have properties of your own to sell me? If they do, guess which ones you will be shown.
- Will you view without me and give me the bad news? That is most of the job.
Questions I get asked a lot
Is a buyer’s agent the same as an estate agent?
No, and the difference is who pays. An estate agent is engaged by the owner to sell. A buyer’s agent is engaged by you to buy well.
Do I still need a lawyer?
Yes. I find and negotiate. An independent lawyer does the legal checks and the contract. They are different jobs and you want both.
Can you help if I only want to rent?
Yes, and it is a large part of what I do for people arriving in Madrid. See the distinction explained above.
Do you work outside the centre of Madrid?
Yes. Madrid city, the north around Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes, and the Henares corridor towards Alcalá.
You might also want to read
The Madrid Buying Guide
Everything I explain to my own buyers: the real timeline, the money in full, the legal checks and the red flags. In one place you can keep.
- The honest timeline
- The 10 per cent on top
- Price cheat sheet by district
- Documents you need
- The process step by step
- The legal checks that matter
- Viewing checklist and red flags
- Useful Spanish phrases
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Want to know if it is worth it in your case?
Tell me what you are looking for, your budget and your timing. I will tell you honestly whether you need me or whether you can do this yourself, and if you do need me, exactly what it costs before we start.
Talk to me on WhatsAppOr book a free 30 minute callGeneral information about how the Spanish market works, not legal advice. Fee ranges are indicative of the market and are not a quote. Any engagement with me is agreed in writing before any search begins.