Best Real Estate Agency
The Yucatan Living Reader’s Choice Poll gives the expatriate community a chance to express their preferences for local merchants and service providers in Merida and Yucatan.
Reader’s Choice Polls are open for voting until the end of the year. Readers may vote in any of the polls that interest them, voting for the designated nominees, or recommending a nominee of their own during the opening week of the poll.
After the polls close, special awards will be beautifully produced and awarded to the winners sometime in January. We hope that the winners will proudly display their awards in the knowledge that they have provided an outstanding service to the community.
Best Real Estate Agency in Merida
If you are living here in Yucatan, chances are one of the first things you had to do was to buy or rent a home. While some of us were savvy enough or spoke Spanish well enough to trato directo (deal direct) with the sellers or landlords, many of us spent our initial days here with a helpful real estate agent.
Please consider many things when voting for the best real estate agency. Naturally, the best agency should hire and employ knowledgeable agents. They should know the territory and the business. They should treat customers well, with both patience and respect. They should have integrity (loosely defined as doing what they say they are going to do). They should be pleasant to work with, and after the deal is done, you would recommend them to family and friends.
We believe you can’t judge a real estate agent on how long it takes to buy or sell a house, for instance. On whether or not the seller or buyer had integrity. Or on whether or not you are happy with the house once you move in. Sometimes, forces of nature (or forces of Mexico) create havoc for the best of professionals.
We open this poll by nominating the five largest and most popular real estate agencies used by gringos and other expatriates moving to Merida and Yucatan State. This is certainly not an exhaustive list.
Here in alphabetical order are the initial nominees:
Casa Blanca Real Estate – Operated by Jorge Caceres, a Yucateco by birth who lived and worked for years in the USA, this agency has been around longer than any others on our initial list. Located on Calle 55 at Calle 66.
Mayan Living – Established by Jim Mann, an expatriate who has been working and selling real estate here for about five years.
Mexico International – founded by Mitch Keenan, the first extranjero to set up a real estate agency in Merida. His team of agents is based out of their offices in the Fiesta Americana building next to the Sanborn’s restaurant.
Real Estate Yucatan – The husband and wife team of Gabriela Isaac and Alec Stephens run this agency. Gabriela is a Yucateca and Alec hails from Mexico City, but spent many years working and living in the USA.
Tierra Yucatan – This agency is run by Jennifer Lytle and her able-bodied socio, David Palomo. Jen has traveled and lived in Mexico for over 30 years from her former home in San Antonio, Texas. Jennifer’s team works out of their renovated colonial office on Calle 66 in Merida’s centro historico.
Reader Nominees:
Casa Barbarita – For the past several years, Gabriella Kretsch has been helping people from around the world find their dream home in Yucatan. Her real estate agency is the first reader nominee.
Comments
Raymond 14 years ago
I just bought a house in Merida through Eric Partney of Mexico International. It was my first trip to Mexico and Merida. I sent him an email as to what I was interested in and a few properties I was interested in. He took me to 5 properties and was very knowledgable about each property we visited. I first heard about him when I saw him on the HGTV show Househunters International. He made the buying process very easy and explained everything to me. After he showed me the properties he told me to give him a call if I decided to buy one, I told him I had already decided on one of the houses and wanted to make an offer. He was at my hotel the same day with the paperwork, the next day he came back with the signed document from the seller at my hotel. He negotiated a great deal for me. I told him I would not be in Mexico for the closing so he took me to a lawyer for a power of attorney to close for me. Eric didn't pressure me into buying a property and was very friendly towards me. The bank trust he arranged was almost half what I expected to pay and he told me about prepaying electric and water bills. The property I bought was not an expensive property, but Eric treated me like I was buying an expensive one. Merida and the people there impressed me so much I bought a property there after being there for a few days. If I decide to sell my home in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. I will without a doubt contact Eric again to purchase a full-time home in Merida.
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Working Gringos 14 years ago
There is no one best agency in Merida... there are many! You can work with any of our advertisers or Google "Merida Yucatan Real Estate" and start at the top! Good luck!
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Ca GC 14 years ago
Hi,
I am interested in selling some property in Yucatan, do you guys know what's the agency that can get me the best profits ?
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Lizard 15 years ago
Jorge at Mayan Realty still has my vote for pre, sale and post sale support and knowledge
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16 years ago
Well my vote goes to a smaller company but well founded “Mayanrealty.net†their handling was exceptional they truly got me a beachfront bargain just when I thought that was impossible Jorge Mazun is an expert in beach properties and they have the best selection when it comes to that topic trust me I have look into others sites and I was not encouraged with their variety
Michele Hobart
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Jean Worthley 16 years ago
Gaby Krestch is the best. She understands people and is able to help them realize their dreams.
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Hans 16 years ago
Hans, says:
Yes Jim Mann @ Mayan Living is indeed one of the best realtors I've had the pleasure of dealing with, but if it wasn't for Mike Riniolo who gave me outstanding service and took a few day's of his busy schedule to show me homes I wanted to see and home he wanted me to see in the city and outside the city as well. He took me to the lawyers and everywhere I needed to go, never complaining. Yes I feel Mike is the man and deserves this recognition.
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Jill 16 years ago
Jim Mann at Mayan Living did a good job working with a local seller, completing the proper paperwork and getting the process completed. The purchase went smoothly from start to finish.
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scott 17 years ago
I am very active in the Merida real estate market and have dealt with all of the major brokers. The competition is fierce and there are some that I would rather not deal with but overall the level of professionalism is high. My vote goes to Tierra Yucatan and in particular Jen Lytle and Tim Rhodes because of their honesty and strong work ethic.
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LiIian 17 years ago
Tierra Yucatan!!! Jen and her team!!!
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adali 17 years ago
Go Tierra Yucatán!!
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