Hello Everyone,

This goes out to the locals more than the tourists. I am in the process of trying to buy an apartment in AMS. Living in the States it is hard to know who to trust. If anyone has a lead on a trust worthy realtor I would truly appreciate it.

Thanks to any and all,
Paraquat

I don't know about trustworthy as I've never used them but a site which seems to have more houses/flats for sale than others is funda.nl. It is in Dutch but you should be able to work it out enough to get a good idea of prices.

Realtor , a broker , a broker in real estate , a broker is a makelaar in Dutch,

google in to : Makelaars Amsterdam (or whatever city you like)

and you find a selection of websites with all the Amsterdam real estate or links to anywhere in the country.

Wim is right - you need a makelaar.

The basic premise is this:

* Houses and apartments are generally listed on FUNDA.nl
* When they go on Funda, they're either already sold, have an offer on them or are dumps which might take a few days to sell.
* Everything sells here. Everything - it's too damn crowded.

Get to know Funda, but remember - Funda is *not* your friend.

Your makelaar is the closest thing you'll have to a friend. Actually, they're more of a butt-buddy. Let me explain why...

You need a makelaar because they see the listings before the damn place goes on Funda. But be prepared to look at a property and then have to make an offer in a day. The market is hotting up, and so you need a makelaar to bring these to you before the crowd comes. And they do it - for 1-2% of the price.

Can you tell I just bought a place myself? 6 months later and it still hurts to sit down. But I have a nice place, right where I wanted, so I shouldn't complain. Really. I shouldn't.

Play the game and get a makelaar. If you want names or if you need to find a group to do financing, drop me an email. I can recommend a few people.

- Woof!

Thank you for the info gentlemen. I have spoken with a few Makelaars and have a couple looking for me. I realize it is going to take time, patience and Euros to get the right place. I would love any leads or info from your own experience Woofiee I will PM you.

Best,
Paraquat