Why You NEED a Real Estate Agent in Amsterdam

The housing market in Amsterdam is no joke. Around are moving to a city that’s already densely populated. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and searching for reliable housing is perhaps the most daunting task you’ll encounter on your journey. If you’re already in the process finding an apartment in Amsterdam, you’ve likely got six tabs open and have called every listing only to find out it has already been rented.

Listings go quicker than a New York minute in this city. Taking on the job alone without some professional assistance will leave you out in the cold wasting money on expensive AirBnbs and hotels. Expats and tourists make up a considerable amount of the economy in proper Amsterdam, which drives up the cost of living. It’s a beautiful city with the best quality of life I’ve ever experienced.

If you’re immigrating to any of the larger cities in The Netherlands, do yourself a favor and invest in a real estate agent, or a makelaar. In the cutthroat market, it will make all the difference in finding a place to live. The main difference we found in real estate agencies between the U.S. and Holland is that you will end up paying a full month’s rent to the agency here if your new home is outside of their own listings. That’s actually a very likely possibility because there are very few corporate agencies here and a boat load of mom and pop agencies.

That month’s rent sounds like a lot at first, but you should factor in that it takes an average of three months to find a home in Amsterdam if you’re an expat searching alone. This comes from over a year’s worth of research we did before moving here between Facebook expat groups and internet forums. We were able to secure our dream townhouse in the middle of Jordaan, one of the most sought after boroughs in all of Amsterdam. That search only took less than a week and was the third location we viewed.

Not only did they research the owners of the place to verify their listing, but they will also be there for the walk through and facilitate the closing process for us. They made sure all the Dutch paperwork is in order and gave us the comfort of knowing our money isn’t going to be scammed and lost. We did end up having to pay three months deposit. Ouch. However, knowing that we have trustworthy landlords and an agency to back up any complaints helps soothe the burn.

We used 27 Huis after I had the idea to look up who does the most episodes of House Hunters International. 27 Huis is featured on over 10 episodes and is owned by an expat named Charles. We haven’t met him but had the pleasure of working with a wonderfully nice woman named Roos. We’d recommend her for anyone else searching. She has been responsive and respects the fact that we need official documents quickly to prepare for our immigration appointment at the end of the month. We are a needy family because we want to do this process correctly and efficiently.

Another major difference in the U.S. and Holland that expats should be aware of is that when someone isn’t at work, it will be difficult to get a hold of them. The high standard of quality of life means that the social-work balance is better for workers. When they punch out for the day or leave the office, their work day is done. Real estate is a swift-moving machine that rarely waits for the next business day. So make sure you have an agency with multiple employees. Days off are actually days off for them and you need someone that will be there to continue business if your main agent is away.

Are you searching for a place to live in Amsterdam or any other nearby city? We’d love to hear your feedback on Social media! If you have any advice to offer as well, please give us a shout..