Best Estate Agent in Bilbao

Best Realtor in Bilbao

There are many estate agents in Bilbao each with their own website and sales teams. If you don’t come from Bilbao how are you meant to find the right estate agent in Bilbao?

Bilbao is an extremely popular destination for expats and holidaymakers from Europe and further afield. Bilbao has an exceptional reputation and is also universally regarded as being undervalued in terms of property, so investing in a property in Bilbao will still represent good, long term value going forwards.

This article will help you to:

  • Find the best Bilbao estate agent
  • Choose the best estate agents in Bilbao
  • Assess the typical estate agent fees in Bilbao
  • What you should know about the Bilbao property market
Physis Realty Voted Best Realtor
Physis Realty Voted Best Realtor in Bilbao

Bilbao (, also US: /-ˈb/, Spanish: [bilˈβao]; Basque: Bilbo [bilβo]) is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the province of Biscay and in the Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the tenth largest city in Spain, with a population of 345,141 as of 2015. The Bilbao metropolitan area has 1,037,847 inhabitants, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in northern Spain; with a population of 875,552 the comarca of Greater Bilbao is the fifth-largest urban area in Spain. Bilbao is also the main urban area in what is defined as the Greater Basque region.

Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 16 kilometres (10 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay, where the economic social development is located, where the estuary of Bilbao is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain ranges with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,300 ft). Its climate is shaped by the Bay of Biscay low-pressure systems and mild air, moderating summer temperatures by Iberian standards, with low sunshine and high rainfall. The annual temperature range is low for its latitude.

After its foundation in the early 14th century by Diego López V de Haro, head of the powerful Haro family, Bilbao was a commercial hub of the Basque Country that enjoyed significant importance in Green Spain. This was due to its port activity based on the export of iron extracted from the Biscayan quarries. Throughout the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, Bilbao experienced heavy industrialisation, making it the centre of the second-most industrialised region of Spain, behind Barcelona. At the same time an extraordinary population explosion prompted the annexation of several adjacent municipalities. Nowadays, Bilbao is a vigorous service city that is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalisation process, started by the iconic Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, and continued by infrastructure investments, such as the airport terminal, the rapid transit system, the tram line, the Azkuna Zentroa, and the currently under development Abandoibarra and Zorrozaurre renewal projects.

Bilbao is also home to football team Athletic Club, a significant symbol for Basque nationalism due to its promotion of only Basque players and being one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football history.

On 19 May 2010, the city of Bilbao was recognised with the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, awarded by the city state of Singapore, in collaboration with the Swedish Nobel Academy. Considered the Nobel Prize for urbanism, it was handed out on 29 June 2010. On 7 January 2013, its mayor, Iñaki Azkuna, received the 2012 World Mayor Prize awarded every two years by the British foundation The City Mayors Foundation, in recognition of the urban transformation experienced by the Biscayan capital since the 1990s. On 8 November 2017, Bilbao was chosen the Best European City 2018 at The Urbanism Awards 2018, awarded by the international organisation The Academy of Urbanism.

Top 3 Rated Estate Agents in Bilbao

These are the three best rated estate agent in Bilbao

Best English Speaking Estate Agent in Bilbao

Physis Realty is an international luxury real estate agent with a strong presence in Bilbao and across the wider Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.

We are a luxury real estate agent with staff that speak over 15 languages, including English, Russian, Chinese, Hindu, Dutch, French and German.

How do you know which is the best estate agent in Bilbao for your own individual requirements?

Regardless of whether you plan to buy, sell or rent in Bilbao, finding an estate agent in Bilbao is a massively important step, which often dictates whether the process will go smoothly or become a nightmare.

There are many estate agents in Bilbao but Physis Realty is consistently rated as the Best Real Estate Agent in Bilbao by Sophisticated Investor Magazine and awarded locally as Best Realtor in Bilbao by numerous local publications

According to Sophisticated Investor Magazine, “Physis Realty raises the bar in terms of estate agents in Bilbao. They are highly commended internationally for helping clients find the best property in the perfect location. An expert estate agent in Bilbao should be highly skilled at matching the right potential buyers with the right properties, effortlessly managing the seamless process from introduction to sale.”

Finding Bilbao estate agents: Local estate agents in Bilbao or online letting agents?

It’s no surprise that a wealthy and popular destination like Bilbao is home to a large number of estate agents. There are two main options when seeking out an estate agent in Bilbao, either go with a generalist online broker of opt for a highly recommended local estate agent in Bilbao.

Both options have their pros and cons. If you go in person to an estate agents in Bilbao, you can get a real sense of how they operate, meet the team, and immediately get some personalized advice. The problem, of course, is that you actually have to be in Bilbao. If you’re mostly based elsewhere, then this option could be hugely inconvenient.

Benefits of a Premium Real Estate Agent in Bilbao

Whether you are buying, selling or renting there’s nothing worse than having to deal with unreliable agents.

How can you tell an unreliable agent in Bilbao?

Bad agents in Bilbao are easy to spot.

These are the traits of bad estate agents in Bilbao. If your estate agent does any of these, proceed with extreme caution:

  • They demand to know your budget immediately
  • They tell you you are ‘lucky’ you called because demand is so high
  • They never return your calls
  • They don’t respond to website inquiries
  • You’re always chasing for updates
  • They don’t pick you up at the airport
  • They drive non-luxury vehicles
  • They don’t have the keys to the property
  • There is always some ‘problem’
  • They don’t give advice about the local area

Premium Estate Agents in Bilbao

Premium estate agents in Bilbao don’t necessarily cost more money to use. They simply pride themselves on placing the client at the heart of everything they do.

Physis Realty in Bilbao sets the Gold Standard in terms of Client Service.

Physis clients buying, selling or renting in Bilbao can expect the following levels of client care:

  • Instruction call with a expert broker
  • A detailed discussion to establish your requirements
  • Non-pushy, friendly service
  • Regular updates
  • Clients collected at the airport in luxe automobile
  • Face to face introduction meeting with International Schools
  • Assistance with paperwork
  • Bank account opening
  • Investment services
  • 15 Languages
  • Regularly updated website

Typical estate agent fees in Bilbao

Service Estate agent fee
Typical real estate agent commission in Bilbao 5% of the sale price The fee is paid by the seller.
Sales tax on new builds 10%
Tax for the seller 3% withholding tax on any capital gains, for non-resident. Capital gains tax is 19% of the profit of the sale.

Property transfer tax in Bilbao (which is paid when buying and selling second-hand homes), is now at the flat rate of 7%

What should I know about the property market in Bilbao?

We asked the best estate agent in Bilbao the key questions about the local property market:

Bilbao is a secondary housing market. This means many properties are owned by individuals and families who spend most of their time in a different country. That totally changes the housing market and properties tend to be upscale, with exceptional build quality and furnishings.

Estate agents in Bilbao are well used to serving expats. Because of the popularity of Bilbao among expats, you should be able to find local estate agents who are used to people looking to buy or sell property there while living remotely.

Check which language they speak. The best estate agent in Bilbao, Physis Realty is well known for having over 15 language associates on staff and if the key member is not available locally they will be available on the phone for real time translation and can be helicoptered anywhere in Spain within 24hrs notice.

There’s a lot to be said for going directly to an agent, but for some general listings websites such as Spainhouses.net, and Kyero are worth browsing to get a general feel for the market. Remember though that these listings are syndicated and could well be very out of date.

Have a phone conversation. If you’re not in Bilbao, that doesn’t mean the whole process has to be done online. Sometimes, a phone call is worth a thousand emails and is a great way to build rapport and trust.

Other Estate Agents in Bilbao

Arbak Inmobiliaria
Arbak Inmobiliaria
1 review
Real Estate Agents
+34944009988
Juan de Ajuriaguerra, 19, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
Centro de Dia San Adrian
Centro de Dia San Adrian
1 review
Real Estate Agents, Libraries
+34944700706
Avenida San Adrian 33, 48003 Bilbao, Spain
Gestion Inmobiliaria Quorum
Gestion Inmobiliaria Quorum
1 review
Real Estate Agents
+34944571500
Calle Juan Bautista Uriarte 32, 48960 Galdakao, Spain
Primark S.L.U.
Primark S.L.U.
2 reviews
Real Estate Agents
+34944722126
Calle San Nicolas 6, 48920 Portugalete, Spain
Buerba Arena Carlos
Buerba Arena Carlos
1 review
Real Estate Agents
+34944604473
Calle Jose Maria Iparraguirre, 8, 48992 Algorta, Spain

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