Why buy with us

Who We Help

We can provide this service to Irish residents and foreign nationals alike, whether you are:

• Purchasing a home in which to live
• Purchasing a residential investment property
• Purchasing a commercial investment property

Hogan Estates will act as your buyer’s agent at all stages of the buying process.

Professional Qualifications

• MIPAV — Member of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers.
• REV — Residential valuation qualification awarded by TEGoVA, demonstrating the valuer meets a consistent high European standard of practice. TEGoVA is the European Group of Valuer’s Associations, composed of 63 associations from 34 countries representing more than 70,000 valuers in Europe. www.tegova.org
• MSCSI — Member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.
• MRICS — Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
• CIPS — Certified International Property Specialist, certified by the National Association of Realtors in the USA.
• MFIABCI — Member of the International Real Estate Federation.

10 Stress-Free Steps to Buying

1. Arrange Your Finance

   It is vital that before we view a property on your behalf, you arrange finance for the purchase and actually have your Letter of Offer from the bank, which should then be passed to your solicitor so they can quickly process the conveyance once a sale has been agreed. If you are a cash buyer, have proof of funds available — it will be required when submitting final offers. Hogan Estates has a small panel of excellent mortgage brokers and we would be happy to recommend one.

2. Register Your Interest & Sign Your Contract

   In Ireland every property service provider must be licensed by the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), and every client must sign the prescribed Contract of Engagement — a contract designed to protect both you and us. When you register your interest we establish exactly what you are looking for, and more importantly why. With investors we need to know the yield they expect and their long-term investment plans.

3. Instruct a Solicitor

   Instructing a good solicitor is a very important task when buying property. A poor solicitor could mean the deal stalling and you waiting longer for your keys — it could even make the deal fall through. A competent solicitor is an invaluable ally and will save you money in the long run. We work with quality approved solicitors every day and would be happy to recommend one.

4. Find the Property That Is Right for You

   Our contacts across other estate agencies give us the advantage of sometimes knowing when a property is coming on the market before the general public. This allows us to analyse properties before they reach the open market and shortlist the right ones for you.

5. Buying the Property & Making Offers

   Making offers can be the most frustrating part of buying a property. Getting into bidding wars and wondering whether you are paying too much adds to the stress. Having property professionals in your corner can only help — from our training and experience we know what a property is worth and how to handle negotiations.

6. Purchase Agreed & Booking Deposit

   When your bid is accepted, the property goes “sale agreed”. This does not mean it is sold — it is not a binding contract at this stage. A booking deposit must be paid when the property goes sale agreed; it is refundable and can be returned at any time before the contracts have been signed.

7. Surveyors’ & Valuers’ Reports

   Making sure your soon-to-be home is structurally sound is of the utmost importance, so we have a list of quality approved surveyors with proven track records who will give you a professional, thorough and honest assessment of the structure of the home.

8. Exchange of Contracts

   Both buyer and seller sign identical contracts, but only when they are formally exchanged by the solicitors does the deal become legally binding. At this point you must pay a non-refundable booking deposit of 10% of the purchase price. Between exchanging contracts and completion, either side will almost certainly pay major penalties if they pull out.

9. Closing

   A date is then agreed by the two solicitors for completion, allowing sufficient time for the cheque from your lending institution to issue. On the completion date — usually two or three weeks after contracts are signed — your solicitor hands over the cheque for the outstanding 90% balance, and you are given the keys to your new home.

10. Foreign Buyers

    For buyers who reside outside the Republic of Ireland, please note that Liam Hogan is a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S.) through the National Association of Realtors in the United States.