Great question! For all intensive purposes, the Ecuador property market can still be a little bit like the wild-west. The market itself doesn’t have a formal MLS system and is still evolving to Ecuador’s relatively new-found popularity on the international real estate scene.
This situation creates two dangers that not having the right representation can put you in risk of.

1) Unlicensed agents are not properly aware of the legal requirements, documentation and or protection mechanisms that should be in place in order to protect their clients. This can leave you exposed to situations where the deal has not been properly vetted prior to a sale or purchase, or worse, mean that you are working with someone that has no legal responsibility to serve your best interest. More common than not, unlicensed real estate agents in Ecuador are simply other expats who are seeking to exploit the a lack of regulation in Ecuador at your expense. They are likely uninformed of the market and are more focused on the goal of simply getting you to purchase in order to gain the commission.
2) Unlicensed agents are typically not dealing with realistic pricing. “Gringo Pricing” is a real phenomena in Ecuador and which agent you choose can heavily determine how much the markup you suffer is if any. Because half of our family is local, it allows us to provide a unique edge in negotiating local’s pricing for expats and avoiding the exploitation of you as a buyer simply because you are foreign.

Of course. In fact, we recommend in many cases that you have us or another licensed agent to specifically represent you in a purchase. This avoids the seller’s agent handling your representation while being motivated to serve the seller as priority.

Of course. Come visit us in Manta, Manabi, Ecuador anytime.

Absolutely. We have worked with multiple cases of helping people through to the goal of residency in Ecuador including our family members. We would be happy to assist you in this process as well.