Let’s be honest—just knowing the name of the local baker or where to find a good café doesn’t qualify someone to sell your property. Yet too many sellers still fall into the trap of choosing an agent based solely on “local knowledge.”
That might sound reassuring on the surface, but in 2025, it’s far from enough.
When you’re trying to attract international buyers—and you almost certainly are if you’re selling in the Costa Tropical or southern Granada—you need far more than someone who grew up in the village. You need someone who understands buyer psychology in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, or New York as well as they understand the back roads of Órgiva.
A one-size-fits-all approach just won’t cut it anymore. Here’s why:
1. Buyers from different countries have very different expectations
In northern Europe, buyers are used to floor plans, detailed documentation, and video tours. In the US, many buyers expect a high degree of agent communication and negotiation expertise. And in Spain? The buying process is still deeply under-regulated, which means the bar is often set worryingly low.
If your agent doesn’t adapt your marketing to reflect those differences, your home won’t appeal to the right people.
2. Property platforms aren’t enough
It’s no longer enough to rely on Idealista or Fotocasa and hope the right person finds your listing. Your agent should be using smart retargeting, international advertising funnels, and buyer tracking software to keep your property visible to the right audience.
We covered this in our post on, why just putting it online isn’t a marketing strategy (https://www.holaproperties.com/articles/why-your-listing-photos-arent-getting-viewings).
3. Your buyer might not even be actively looking yet
A well-run international marketing campaign can attract passive interest from people who didn’t even know they were ready to buy. But to do that, your agent needs to understand more than just local footfall—they need to understand digital buyer behaviour, content strategy, and how to seed interest over time.
The best results we see come from multi-layered campaigns that combine video, storytelling, targeted outreach, and strong follow-up. All of which you can read more about in this case study
So what does that mean for sellers like you?
It means that if your property is being marketed with a one-language brochure, no digital plan, and an agent who promises “they know the area,” then you’re probably leaving money on the table.
At Hola Properties, we’ve built our whole agency around making sure sellers don’t fall into that trap. We combine proper international marketing experience with boots-on-the-ground local support. You get the best of both worlds—and your buyer gets the confidence to move forward.
Thinking of selling soon?
Let’s have a conversation about what your ideal buyer really looks like—and what kind of marketing will get their attention.
📞 Call us today on 0034 858 215 333
🌐 https://www.holaproperties.com
