Moving to a new place can be exciting, and extremely stressful. Having moving all over the world during my military career, then my final move to Guam in 2004, I get it.
In my case, I moved from San Diego, California. When I found out I was moving to Guam for my new job, there was very little information out there about what it’s REALLY like on Guam. That’s one of the reasons we’ve put so much effort into our website to provide people moving here with accurate information they can use.
Obviously one of the biggest stressors is “Where am I going to live?” That was my first question.
I wasn’t expecting to engage with a real estate agent, I’d never used one before to rent a place. But you’ll find on Guam, real estate agents are used much like they’re used in the mainland to purchase a property. There will be an agent for the landlord, who has been contracted by the owner to market the property and find a tenant. Then there’s the tenant’s agent, who will be assisting the tenant in locating a property that meets the tenants needs and budget. Sometimes, tenant’s will go directly to an owner’s agent. Perhaps they saw a “For Rent” sign, came across something on social media, or a variety of other sources. This is where things can get tricky. For the purposes of this post we’ll be using “buyer and tenant” and “seller and landlord” interchangeably. Here’s why:
The owner’s agent is legally obligated to work in the owner’s best interest. This includes:
- Negotiating the best price for the OWNER.
- Limiting the concessions (conditions) to keep more money in the OWNER’s pocket.
- Negotiating on the OWNER’s behalf for “recommended repairs” that may be identified in a property inspection.
Working directly with the owner or their agent, it’s imperative to keep in mind that your best interests may not be on the top of their priority list. This can create some obvious conflicts. Looking out for the best interests of two “opposing” parties is difficult to navigate.
Having your own agent is the best protection to ensure that YOUR best interests are being given due attention. Your agent will negotiate on YOUR behalf for YOUR best interests.
Please give us a call or send us a message and we can discuss how the Island Realty team can help you find the right place when you arrive on guam.
