Selling the property yourself
As Costa Rica’s real estate market develops, it’s becoming an easier place for owners to sell their properties themselves. Real estate publications are popping up everywhere, while the keywords “Costa Rica” and “real estate” have become hot property on Internet search engines. Other higher-end marketing options – like yacht fairs and international real estate expos – are becoming more attractive as well, as Costa Rica takes its place in the world’s luxury tropical real estate market.
Should you sell your property on your own? That depends. First of all, keep in mind that it takes work, and it will certainly take work and time to get a good price. As mentioned elsewhere, property in Costa Rica isn’t flying off the shelf the same as it used to, so you might have to try a few different strategies before you meet with success. Second of all, any kind of legal transaction in Costa Rica – especially those involving large amounts of money – is highly technical, so you’ll need to hire an attorney whether you use a broker or not. In that sense, you won’t be completely on your own.
Marketing: print
If you have the time to sell your property on your own, you’ll start with listing it in print publications. Classified ads in newspapers are cheap and effective. The Tico Times, the country’s main English-language weekly, won’t charge more than about $50 per month. The country’s most important Spanish daily, La Nación, has a fairly important classified section that’s reasonably priced as well. Depending on the kind of property you’re selling, you might want to spend a bit on a classified ad there. The 4 Sale By Owner franchise in Costa Rica is also a great option for owners selling their properties. Though pricier, the magazine gets good distribution and has a variety of options for displaying your property attractively. Several other real estate magazines are around, and you find them for free in business establishments in Escazú and other areas popular with foreigners.
Marketing: Internet
Most of the print publications listed above also have Web sites where you can list your property. Usually you can get a package deal where your property listing is added to the Web site for an extra fee. The advantage of online advertising as opposed to black-and-white classified ads is that there are no length requirements and you can include several color photographs with the listing. In addition to the print publications that have their own Web sites, there are a whole slew of online listing services with a presence in Costa Rica. The good ones – that is, the ones that definitely have traffic – include costarica.craigslist.org and amcostarica.com, the first being free and the second charging a nominal monthly fee. As far as other sites you might want to list your property on, the sky is the limit, but be wary of paying to list on a site that doesn’t have guaranteed traffic.
Marketing: High end
If you’re selling a high-end property (in the seven-figures range), you’ll probably have someone take care of the marketing for you. In any case, be sure ask about the possibility of marketing the property at boat shows and international property expos. Buying a billboard on one of the main tourist routes in Costa Rica might even be a possibility, as would taking out larger ads in local newspapers and even ads in the property classifieds of international papers like the Wall Street Journal and the International Herald Tribune.
