by Adrienne » Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:37 pm
There are 3 kinds of agents in Shanghai that can help you find properties. International, Expatriate and Local Agencies. As a rule, large international property agencies only deal with developer compounds and medium to high end local housing. Expatriate agencies cater specifically for the needs of expatriates and vary in size and experience and have local or expatriate management, staff and agents. Most deal with both developer and local housing to varying degrees. Generally you can find out the kinds of properties they deal in from their webbsites and adverts. When dealing with expatriate agencies you can tell quite quickly what kind of agency they are from their level of service and attention to your requirements. The local agencies have quite a number of lower end housing on their books as this is where many of the locals go to register their property for rental however most of the local agents lack in language skils & cultural understanding so their ability to really grasp & understand the client's needs and find a matching property is limited. They also lack in understanding of customer service and most importantly the need for after service.
My suggestion is to go the area that you are looking to move to, find a bunch of new buildings as this is where the local agencies tend to establish their offices which are trypically in a row along a street close to a new block of apartments. They are more focused on Sales than Rentals but they will haave some on their books. Make sure you quiz them and ask them to call the landlord to clarify things as they tend to tell you what they think you want to hear. If you can speak with the landlord or at least be present when the discussion is going on, you can pick up some valuable clues. Of course you will need a native Chinese speaker if you are going to vet properties in an agency.
Please do be careful with what is quoted online as fake or totally inaccurate posts probably make up about 50% of the advertised properties. You also need to be careful with some of the more established expat agencies as well as they quote the BOTTOM PRICE not the ASKING PRICE and don't include the often needed fapiao (tax invoice) and management fees. They use these low prices to lure in unsuspecting new arrivals and can cause huge problems because the final rental can end up being far more than the advertised rental.
Have a look at our Advice on Leasing for some tips and advice.
All the very best.
Adrienne
