One of the only industries where you give your all and many don’t even acknowledge
The value of a buyer’s agent - and why paying for it should be the norm
If you are a realtor, you have had this sticky situation at some point 🤔
Imagine you just started working with a new buyer, as their buyer’s agent.
After you qualify them, you:
Coordinate showings to properties
Negotiate prices
Review contracts and other paperwork
Smooth out every hiccup possible along the way
Weeks or even months of work can pass and your buyer…
Walks away and vanishes
No payment, no strings, no recognition (only maybe a “thanks for the effort” message on WhatsApp).
And that is not because you are doing it wrong. It is because the industry has trained buyers to not see the value of a realtor’s work.
Think about it. In almost no other sector do you provide a complex, high-stakes service without upfront payment. And yet the expectation is that you do it for free while the client holds all the cards.
💡 Where we stand: This should not be the norm. Globally. Every agency. Every market. Every client. The service of representing a buyer, truly advocating for them, negotiating the best deal, and making the process smooth should be recognized as a premium, essential service.
So why not make the service tangible - for a fair price!!
Instead of hoping buyers will get it, make it always visible:
Show the money you are saving them
Highlight the risks you are preventing
Explain the strategic decisions you are making on their behalf
When buyers understand this, every showing stops being just a walkthrough. It becomes a guided, high-value experience - exactly what it is.
💎 Global standard mindset: What if every agency treated this as the baseline? Buyers would finally get it. Hiring a realtor is having someone in your corner, fighting for the best deal, making the process smooth, and actually giving you real value.
It is time the industry recognized what realtors have always known. Advocating for a buyer is work that deserves respect, recognition, and proper compensation.
Realistically, this standard is already happening in some places, in some form. But what is lacking is when the realtor presents their written terms of service, sets expectations with the buyer, and explains exactly how they can help. Then, if the buyer chooses to work exclusively with the realtor, they pay a fee that reflects the value of the service.
Example:
Realtors present x amount of listings in x amount of time
Communication is done through WhatsApp and official channels like email, with a response time of less than 24 hours
The realtor is responsible for presenting all risks and documenting them officially before sending them via email
Negotiate prices and make a fair offer
This is what service should be like and, above all, professional and transparent.
What about you?
Share your story by replying to this email, we’ll feature it in the next issue!
Real Estate #2 Meme of the Week
Investor’s Corner with Irina Leca
Pitch your investment projects the right way
Not every listing is a dreamy villa with a pool.
Sometimes it’s land with a project, a fixer-upper, or a commercial space.
Too often, agents pitch these to investors like they would to homebuyers: glossy photos, emotional language, vague “opportunity” talk.
That’s why, this week, we asked Irina Leca, an experienced real estate investor in Portugal, how agents should actually present these deals.
Investors think differently.
Numbers and clarity matter but adjectives don’t.
Here are Irina’s answers to four key questions:
Q1. What are the top numbers you need to see right away when evaluating a project?
“When I look at a potential deal, I can usually tell within minutes if it’s worth pursuing - but only if the right numbers are presented upfront.”
The essentials for her are:
Acquisition price and €/m² ($/sqft) compared with market benchmarks in that location.
Gross Development Value (GDV) - the realistic resale or rental value after works.
Capex/rehabilitation budget - the expected construction and soft costs.
Projected ROI (annualized) - how the margin translates into yearly return.
Timeline - expected duration of licensing, works, and exit.
Without these, an investor can’t even do a quick “back of the envelope” calculation to know if the project deserves a deeper look.
Q2. How do you prefer to receive information?
“The best way is a short WhatsApp teaser with the key points: location, type of investment, projected ROI, acquisition price. Then add a link to a shared folder or listing with more details for when I want to go deeper.”
Example: WhatsApp Teaser Investors Want to See
📍 Lisbon, Alfama
🏢 Rehab project, 1,200 m²
💶 Acquisition €2.5M | €2,083/m²
📈 ROI 12% annualized | Exit in 24 months
🔗 Full details & brochure: [Google Drive link here]
Why? Investors scan dozens of deals every week. A concise snapshot helps them filter fast. If it looks promising, they’ll dedicate time to spreadsheets, presentations, and calls. If it’s buried in a 20-page brochure, it may never even get opened.
Q3. What makes you dismiss a project instantly?
Investors like Irina pass on deals where:
❌ The projected ROI is below market expectations for the level of risk.
❌ The asking price is inflated compared to the market.
❌ There is no clear exit strategy (resale assumptions are vague or unrealistic).
❌ Key risks are hidden or not addressed, such as heavy licensing uncertainty or underestimated renovation costs.
“In other words: if the numbers don’t add up, or the story doesn’t make sense, it’s not worth further time.”
Q4. What do you wish agents did differently?
Here’s Irina’s wish list for agents working with investors:
Provide structured data: acquisition price, sqm/ sqft pricing, license status, market studies, realistic exit pricing.
Be transparent: share both strengths and weaknesses of the property. Overselling is counterproductive because investors always uncover the problems anyway.
Understand the investor perspective: clarity on risk, ROI, and timelines above all else.
Cut the hype: phrases like “amazing opportunity” don’t help. Facts and numbers do.
“When agents approach deals this way, they save everyone time, build credibility, and increase their chances of closing with serious investors.”
Key Takeaway
If you want to attract investor clients like Irina:
👉 Lead with numbers, not adjectives
👉 Share structured, transparent data
👉 Use concise formats like a WhatsApp teaser plus a detailed folder
👉 Always clarify ROI, risk, and exit strategy. (Simple numbers anyone can calculate)
A big thank you to Irina for taking the time to answer the questions. Really valuable insights!
Here is Irina’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lecairina/
Download this fully editable Excel table template to customize as you like
How to actually value and present an investment opportunity
So, now that you know exactly what information you need to pitch investment properties or projects to potential buyers, you need a way to calculate its potential using simple info like:
GDV
ROI
Expected construction costs
Soft costs…
💡 We are sharing a simple Excel calculator that you can download and use to assess the potential of your listings aimed for reconstruction or renovation.
You can:
🔹 Attach your file along with photos and documents when presenting to investors or other brokers
🔹 Quickly assess whether a listing is worth presenting to an investor
Here’s a snapshot of the Excel table
Fully editable Excel table template here (for realtors in Europe) 👇:
This one is for the realtors located in North America 👇:
And that’s it for today!
We hope you find these tips and tricks useful and can start applying them right away!
In the next issues we will be bringing more people and start implementing challenges on the 7th of October involving social media so you can follow up and boost your personal branding and engagement, in a fun way.
Let us know if you found this content useful - we read every email 😉
See you in the next one!
Alex and Daria