I would like to know if anyone has

Sean Carlos posted some of his information links on here some time back, this is one of them. Good luck!

Thank you for your reply.

Thanks. It's a bit of a shame you have not had other replies, but I guess forums are not doing too well these days and it is a bad time of year. People we know well are seling and as it is everywhere, getting the price right seems to be the key. Four weeks in and 4 viewings and an offer (turned down) , either a good price or time of year?

The world generally is a more uncertain place now and house-buying/selling has always been high on the stress lists. So we will still enjoy coming out here to Le Marche while we have the house.Thanks for your interest.

Well its a generic question. Are you planning on selling privately or using an agency? Do you need to sell quickly or happy to wait for the price you want? Have you had the property valued? Are you up to dealing with all the bureaucracy? Will the property appeal to Italians, locals or foreigners? Depending on those answers you can decide how to go forward.

We will use an agency as we do not live in Italy and we are considering one that markets to overseas buyers as the Italian agents do not seem to be particularly well regarded. We do not need to sell and would be happy to negotiate on the price. We have not had the property valued and know that prices do not move as much as in England but we have spent quite a bit on it. It is in a medieval hill-top town, no swimming pool or garden to worry about, but a piazzina in front and a terrace behind. We think it would appeal to all the categories you mention.Thank you for your reply.

My advice would be to find a good local agency, preferably a member of FIAIP. You are not obliged to sign an exclusive mandate with anyone, so refuse on the basis that if they cant advertise abroad and in English you will do that - and direct the buyers to the agency for viewings etc. Many Italain portals now publish in various languages, adn there is nothing to stop you advertisingprivately on a site like Gate-away.com .Most agencies who deal with foreigners are not agencies - they are just people who think they can make easy money. A portal in the UK is also just that - they will promise you te Dolce Vita but they are not an agency and will just list properties, (taking their cut which cannot appear in the act of sale), and leave you all the work. Get a couple of valuations and remember that you will be expected to negotiate on price.

Thank you. You sound as though you are experienced in these matters. We experienced several 'agents' when we were looking to buy so I hope we are a little more canny this time round.Thank you for your interest.

Interesting the “expected to negotiate on price” bit as when we bought we were told which seller would and which would not negotiate. Then there was the offer amount where we were told by the agents and others that a very small offer would be considered an insult. The dance around the subject by the agents was very interesting to watch to say the least.

I wonder if each 'agent' makes up their own rules! It is certainly a trickier process than in England. Trickier people maybe!Thank you for your post.

Hi Annie, I'm the guy who wrote the document check list referenced above (thank you Steve for posting it). If you choose to work with an agent, find one who is licensed (not one of the impostors out there, and there are many). Commit to them and they will commit to you (choose the promiscuous agent model at your own peril: they will do the minimal necessary as it is likely they will never be paid). While I am a native English speaker and am currently working with buyers from Germany, the US, China and the Ukraine, the Marches is a bit to far from where I work (Tuscany, Liguria, Lombardia, Piemonte, Veneto, depending on the property). If you wish, I can provide you the name of an agent working in the Marches who is licensed and, as a native English speaker, also often works with foreigners. Drop me a note via email (my address is on my website). Regardless, good luck with selling your property!