Many of our clients start or end meetings by asking what they should be concerned with when buying real estate. Well over time, it has become very evident where are the pitfalls for investors and property buyers, so here is a simple reminder of what to stay away from.
The biggest problems investors encounter are the following:
a) Unqualified or unscrupulous attorneys that do not provide proper counsel or that defraud them. This is an important aspect of any type of real estate related decision and especially purchasing property, building a house, or developing land. The problem of working with the wrong attorney is rooted on the fact that while the lawyers in Costa Rica are licensed and under supervision of the Colegio de Abogados de Costa Rica – Attorney Bar -, it is hard to determine if someone is really a specialist or has the platform, structure, team, track record to advice. Many times, expat property buyers are provided a referral and don’t fact check it and start with the wrong foot. While the cases of a lawyer defrauding an investor are not that common, dealing with unqualified attorneys happens more often; therefore, interview your candidates. Ask them how long they have been in the legal sector, areas of practice, experience, staff, company they work for, number of transactions they do on yearly basis – someone knowledgeable will be in the three digits -, geographical areas they work in, and please, please, please, ask them to explain the purchase process like if you were a 10-year-old. If they are savvy real estate lawyer and practitioner, it should not be difficult for them to put on a show.
One of the reasons Marcela Acosta and Gonzalo Rojas founded Quatro Legal was their frustration with the industry’s status quo of mediocrity. They knew there had to be a better way to provide legal support to their clients — and they were determined to make it happen!
But they also understood that quality service rooted in empathy wouldn’t manifest without clear values that their entire team could rally behind.
Here are the values that guide each and every decision at Quatro Legal:
♥️ Empathy: We hear you, we understand you, and we support you.
⭐ Excellence: We underpromise and overdeliver.
💪 Dependability: We’re always there for you.
🦸 Integrity: We do what’s right — no matter what.
What values guide your decisions? We’d love to get inspired by you 😀
