A buyer's agent in Spain is a property professional hired and paid by the buyer to find a home, check the numbers, negotiate the price and run the purchase through to the notary. The estate agent on a listing works for the seller, who signs the mandate and pays the commission, usually 3 to 6% of the price. A buyer's agent holds no listings and takes nothing from the seller, so they answer only to you.
Buyer's agent or listing agent
| Question | Listing agent | Buyer's agent |
|---|---|---|
| Hired by | The seller | The buyer |
| Paid by | The seller, from the sale: usually 3 to 6% of the price | The buyer, a fee agreed in writing |
| Wants | The highest price | The best price for the right home |
| Shows you | Their own listings, or ones they share commission on | The whole market, including homes that never reach the portals |
| Price history | No duty to tell you | Sold prices and time on the market, before you offer |
What a buyer's agent does
- Searches the whole market if you want a search: the portals, local agents and homes that are never advertised.
- Works out what each shortlisted home will really cost: taxes, fees and, if you plan to let it, the return.
- Builds the offer on sold prices, not asking prices, and negotiates in Spanish.
- Coordinates your lawyer, NIE, notary, mortgage and, if you buy from abroad, a power of attorney.
What a buyer's agent does not do
A buyer's agent is not your lawyer. Your own lawyer runs the legal checks on the property and reviews the contracts, and you need one either way. A buyer's agent is not a lender, a notary or the seller's agent either. If someone offers to act for you and for the seller on the same home, they are not working only for you. What a property lawyer does and costs.
What a buyer's agent costs in Spain
Most published fees are around 3% of the price, up to 5% in prime markets, and Spanish firms usually add 21% IVA on top. Many also set a minimum fee.
Zenith charges 2% of the asking price, with a minimum of €7,500 and no IVA, fixed the day we make your offer, so every euro negotiated off the price stays with you. See our fee next to the taxes and costs in each region.
Do you need one?
Spanish law does not require one. You may not need one if you know the local market, speak Spanish and have time for viewings and negotiation, or if you are buying a new build directly from a developer at a fixed price. A buyer's agent earns the fee when you cannot attend every viewing, the market is hard to read from where you are, and a pricing or legal mistake would cost more than the fee.
Quick answers
Who pays a buyer's agent in Spain?
The buyer. The seller pays the listing agent; a buyer's agent is hired and paid separately by the buyer, which is what keeps the advice independent of the sale.
Is a buyer's agent the same as a property lawyer?
No. Your lawyer runs the legal checks on the property and reviews the contracts. The buyer's agent runs the search, the numbers, the negotiation and the coordination. You need a lawyer either way.
What is a personal shopper inmobiliario?
It is the Spanish name for a buyer's agent: someone the buyer hires to find and buy a home for them. Property finder is another English name for the same role.
Can a buyer's agent also work for the seller?
Some agents in Spain act for both sides on the same home, or take a share of the seller's commission on homes they introduce. An agent who does that is no longer only on your side, so ask in writing. Zenith takes nothing from sellers, agents, developers, banks or lawyers.
Not sure your purchase needs a buyer's agent? Ask us. If it doesn't, we will tell you.