Insight of Experience: Tips for Choosing a Cayman Real Estate Company

The Opportunities that exist on our Islands

• 1. Specialty is Good, but Choose a Provider that can offer a Little bit of Everything

  In searching for real estate companies you will probably find that some are suited to specialty markets, whereas others are more generalized. Some real estate companies might hypothetically deal only in land or agricultural sales, whereas others might specialize only in the sales of commercially zoned properties. This is good if you know right out of the gate what you’re looking for, but not helpful if you don’t.  Specialization is certainly valuable in some markets, but if you’re starting out at square one, it can be more limiting than helpful.

  There are two ways to go about this. One is to ask yourself what you want to buy; that is, whether you’re more interested in purchasing some form of residence, such as a condo or a house, or if you’re interested in purchasing land or commercial property. Then you can proceed with a partnership with a Cayman real estate company that specializes in that area.

  The other way to proceed is by taking a general approach, partnering with a real estate agency that can offer you a little bit of everything, and narrowing down your search from there. A good real estate agent will also seek to understand your objectives, which means the right partner can help you identify where opportunities lie to help you meet your goals.

• 2. Ask Questions, and don’t Stop Until you get Satisfactory Answers

  Secondly, and this is especially important if you have never purchased in a foreign market before, you will want to ask questions, and plenty of them. If you don’t, there’s no guarantee that anyone else will - we here at Crighton Properties are consultative agents that get to learn your goals as a buyer - but you know yourself best, and only you can say for sure whether you have the information you need to proceed or to make a well-informed choice.

  When you choose a Cayman real estate company, one of the first things you need to do is start asking questions. If it’s in your mind, ask it; ask questions about anything and everything. Ask about the history of home values in the area or in the neighborhood. Ask about options for financing. Ask about any relevant by-laws that will influence how you can develop your property in the future.

  If you’re concerned about culture, history, or shopping, ask the agent for advice on what type of infrastructure is in the area. Are you going to be doing a lot of traveling, say, back and forth to the United States via air or sea? Ask about local airports, or about a marina in the vicinity where you can keep your vessel.

  Any and all of these questions are not only valuable but important because you should not move forward with a prospective purchase until your concerns have been put to rest - and you need to ask the questions to get the information you need to do so.

• 3. Look for Advice, and for a Cayman Real Estate Company with Agents that get to know you

  Once you’ve started to get an impression of what type of property interests you or is a good match for your long-term goals, then you should also make it a point to solicit the input of the agent you’ve chosen to work with. After all, they’re there to help you get through the process of buying a new piece of property for a reason. You might as well get the most possible value from the relationship.

  

  Ask them about other buyers that they have served in the past and look for feedback. No two buyers are exactly the same, but many share similar interests and you can learn from the experience of other buyers that came before you. Did they buy in one neighborhood but then ultimately move elsewhere? Did they think they wanted to buy a house but then ultimately decide that a condo or some other form of community living was better suited to their needs?

  See what the Cayman real estate company you’ve decided to work with has to offer. They should be more than happy to offer you recommendations or guide you in a direction that their experience would indicate would be fitting for you. This goes along with asking questions and will help you get closer to your goal of finding a new piece of land or a new home in the Cayman Islands.

• 4. A History of Success is a Highly Valuable Asset

  For what it’s worth, a real estate company with a history of success speaks for itself. That’s one of the reasons that businesses in so many industries are so quick to state their tenure. Business is competitive, and surviving, or even growing, for many years, is a sign that a business is doing something right.

  There is an element of trust that comes along with a longer-term of service as well. The more positive customer testimonials a business can accrue over a long period of time are more reliable than one or two positive marks upfront.

  For our part, we’ve been helping customers realize their dreams of homeownership in the Cayman Islands for almost 50 years. Since the 1970s, Crighton Properties has been a trusted resource and a helpful asset for those interested in Cayman Islands Real Estate. Our high level of service and dedication to peerless customer service continues today, and as a member of CIREBA (the Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association) are an accredited, trusted partner for prospective buyers from all around the world.

• 5. A Cayman Real Estate Agent should have in-depth Local Knowledge

  A long history of service is a convincing selling point, but it comes nowhere close to constituting a complete list of reference points for determining which real estate agent you should work with. It’s also worth your time to find a partner that specializes in your market of interest and can demonstrate absolutely extensive experience in that market as well as in-depth familiarity with all of the nuances of that market.

  If you’re set on buying in the Cayman Islands and sure there’s nowhere else you want to be looking, then your real estate partner of choice should be able to exhibit uncommon knowledge about that market. Since the 1970s that’s all we’ve done - we’ve put prospective buyers in touch with the homes and other properties in the Cayman Islands that suit their needs, from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac.

  We feature a wide range of properties from all across the islands and are actually the exclusive agents for a number of high-end communities, including Lalique Pointé, Crystal Harbor, The Channels, FIN, and Harbor Reach.

  We know the Cayman Islands because this is our home; we know the laws and codes, communities, and history and have a passion for putting buyers and sellers together. That’s why we’ve been a trusted real estate company for so long - we know the Caymans and we’re dedicated to meeting our customers’ needs.

• 6. Look for an Agent that can Help you Understand Financing Options

  Since you may find you’re going to need to work with a Cayman real estate agent in order to find the right property for you, you might as well get the most value from the bargain. A trusted real estate partner will also be instrumental in uncovering opportunities for financing on which you can capitalize to help you with the purchase.

  Unless you’re going to be buying a property in cash, financing is crucial. The right financing can make the difference between a new home that you can actually afford and one that is out of reach. It’s not only about the financing options themselves though - it’s also about the real estate partner that you choose to work with.

  It’s fairly common knowledge that you might need financing to purchase a home, but what a good real estate agency can do is actually put you in touch with lenders that will provide you with a multitude of financing options that are unique to your specific situation.

  If you aren’t sure where to start, we’ll put you in touch with local representatives that can provide you with options for financing a new purchase, which will give you a place to start.

• 7. Social Proof is your Friend

  When you’re looking for a new Cayman real estate agency, in the modern age, social proof is your ally, and there’s more than one way to go about it. You can learn more about a real estate agent through their own social channels, where you can hear what their clients are saying and keep up with news and developments. For example, you should feel free to follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram. Keep up with news and developments there so you can stay current.

  

• 8. Look through the Listings to see the Areas they Serve

  Finally, one more way you can investigate (preliminarily, at least) if a real estate agent is for you is by skimming their listings. Are they showing listings that are interesting to you or not? If they are, then at the very least you’ll know that that agency can put you in touch with properties that might meet your criteria.