The brokerage decision is the most consequential choice you’ll make in your first year as an expat agent in Spain—yet most agents make it based on whoever recruits them most aggressively or offers the highest commission split. Six months later, they’re stuck in a situation that doesn’t support their goals, working with a brand that doesn’t resonate with their target clients, or paying for “support” they never receive.
Choosing a brokerage in Spain is more complex than in other markets. You’re navigating Spanish legal structures, deciding between international franchises and local agencies, evaluating whether the brand appeals to your international clients, and assessing whether the brokerage actually understands the expat agent business model. The wrong choice costs you time, money, and momentum you can’t afford to lose.
The right brokerage becomes your foundation for growth. The wrong one becomes the obstacle you’re constantly working around.
Understand the Spanish Brokerage Landscape
The Spanish real estate brokerage structure differs significantly from what you may know from your home country. There’s no MLS in most of Spain (though some regions have cooperating broker networks), limited franchise presence compared to the UK or US, and a mix of established local agencies, international boutique firms, and solo agents operating under minimal oversight.
International franchise brands like Engel & Völkers, Sotheby’s International Realty, and Coldwell Banker operate in major markets and offer brand recognition with international buyers. However, they typically charge higher fees or lower commission splits in exchange for that brand cachet and support infrastructure.
Local Spanish agencies often have strong relationships with Spanish sellers and developers but may lack the international marketing reach or English-language support that expat agents need. They’re established in their communities but may not understand how to support agents targeting foreign buyers.
Boutique expat-focused agencies cater specifically to international agents and buyers. They understand your market, speak your language, and often provide better support for navigating Spanish regulations—but may have limited inventory access or brand recognition compared to larger firms.
Solo agent models exist where you essentially become your own agency, affiliating with a legal umbrella company for compliance while maintaining complete independence. This offers maximum flexibility and earnings potential but requires you to build everything yourself.
Evaluate Commission Structure Beyond the Split
Commission split is important, but it’s not the only financial consideration. A 70/30 split sounds attractive until you realize you’re paying separately for CRM, transaction management, E&O insurance, portal listings, photography, marketing materials, and office space—costs that might be included at a 60/40 brokerage.
Ask about:
Monthly fees or desk fees: Some brokerages charge €200-500 monthly regardless of production. This fixed cost can be crushing when you’re building your business, or it might be worth it for the support and resources provided.
Transaction fees: Many brokerages charge €200-500 per closed transaction on top of the commission split. Calculate how this affects your real take-home income.
Technology and marketing costs: What’s included versus what you pay for separately? Idealista premium listings alone can cost €500+ monthly. If the brokerage provides this, it’s significant value. If you pay separately, factor it into your comparison.
Training and support costs: Some brokerages charge for training programs or ongoing coaching. Others include it. Neither is inherently better—it depends on whether you value and will use these resources.
Franchise or brand fees: International franchises often have additional brand fees. Understand the full cost structure, not just the headline commission split.
Calculate your real earnings at different production levels. An agent doing €100,000 in gross commission might take home €45,000 at a 60/40 split with everything included, or €42,000 at a 70/30 split after paying for all services separately. The “better” split actually nets less money.
Assess Training and Support for Your Experience Level
If you’re new to Spanish real estate, comprehensive training is invaluable. You need to learn transaction processes, legal requirements, local market dynamics, and how to serve international clients effectively. A brokerage that provides structured onboarding, mentorship, and ongoing education is worth a lower commission split during your learning phase.
Ask specifically about:
Spanish real estate law and transaction training: Do they teach you the escritura process, NIE requirements, Spanish tax implications, and legal documents? Or do they assume you’ll figure it out?
Technology and systems training: Will they teach you their CRM, transaction management, and marketing tools, or hand you login credentials and wish you luck?
Local market education: Do they provide area expertise, comp data, neighborhood knowledge, and market trend analysis?
Ongoing support: After initial training, is there a broker or manager available when you have questions during transactions? Or are you on your own?
Peer learning opportunities: Are there team meetings, case study reviews, or opportunities to learn from experienced agents?
If you’re an experienced agent, you may value autonomy over training. A brokerage that requires extensive meetings and check-ins might frustrate you when you’d rather be working independently. Know yourself and choose accordingly.
Consider Brand Recognition with Your Target Market
Brand matters differently depending on who you’re serving. British buyers often recognize and trust UK-based brands or international luxury brands. Scandinavian buyers may have never heard of these brands and care more about your personal expertise and online presence. Spanish sellers might prefer working with established local agencies they recognize.
If you’re targeting luxury buyers, affiliation with Sotheby’s International Realty or Engel & Völkers provides immediate credibility that independent agencies lack. These buyers expect a certain level of presentation, marketing, and service—and the brand signals that standard.
If you’re serving middle-market international buyers who found you through Facebook groups or personal referrals, your brand affiliation matters less than your personal reputation and service quality. These clients care more about your responsiveness and expertise than your business card.
If you’re seeking Spanish seller listings, local brand recognition and community relationships matter more than international prestige. Spanish property owners want agents with access to buyers—if you can demonstrate international buyer networks, your brokerage brand is secondary.
Be honest about your target market and choose a brand that supports your positioning with those clients.
Evaluate Culture and Values Alignment
You’ll spend significant time with your broker and fellow agents. Cultural fit matters enormously for your daily satisfaction and long-term success.
Some brokerages operate like competitive sales floors where agents guard their leads and operate independently. Others foster collaborative environments where agents share knowledge, cover for each other, and celebrate wins together. Neither is inherently better—but one will align with your working style and the other will make you miserable.
Consider:
Competitive versus collaborative culture: Do agents help each other or compete against each other? When you have a question, will colleagues share insights or see you as competition?
Work-life balance expectations: Does the broker expect you in the office daily, or can you work flexibly? Are evening and weekend work expectations reasonable or excessive?
Ethical standards: How does the brokerage handle dual agency, client confidentiality, disclosure requirements, and ethical gray areas? You’ll inherit their reputation—good or bad.
Long-term vision: Is the broker building something sustainable, or just maximizing short-term earnings? Are they investing in agent development and infrastructure, or running lean and taking maximum profit?
International agent support: Does the brokerage genuinely understand and support expat agents, or merely tolerate them? Some Spanish brokerages recruit international agents without understanding their unique needs and challenges.
Meet the broker and several agents before deciding. Ask agents candidly: “If you could change one thing about working here, what would it?” Their answers reveal a lot about culture.
Analyze Territory and Inventory Access
In markets without MLS systems, inventory access is crucial. How does the brokerage obtain listings, and will you have access to their inventory as a new agent?
Some brokerages allow any agent to show any listing. Others assign listings exclusively to the listing agent, meaning you can only show your own listings. This significantly impacts your ability to serve buyers effectively.
Ask about:
Listing sharing policies: Can you show other agents’ listings, or only your own?
New construction relationships: Does the brokerage have direct developer relationships that provide inventory access and potentially higher commissions?
Off-market listings: Some established brokerages have pocket listings that never reach public portals. Access to this inventory is valuable.
Territory restrictions: Are you assigned a specific area where you have exclusivity, or can any agent work anywhere? Neither is inherently better—it depends on your strategy.
Co-broke arrangements: Does the brokerage cooperate with other agencies? In Spain’s non-MLS environment, inter-agency cooperation varies dramatically. Some brokerages actively co-broke; others view outside agents as competition.
If you’re primarily targeting buyers, you need maximum inventory access. If you’re focused on listings, you need a brokerage with strong seller relationships and developer connections.
Review Technology and Marketing Infrastructure
Modern real estate requires technology infrastructure. Evaluate what the brokerage provides versus what you’ll need to source independently.
Essential technology includes:
CRM system: Is there a brokerage-wide CRM, or do you bring your own? If provided, is it modern and well-supported, or outdated and frustrating?
Transaction management: Do they provide systems for tracking deals, documents, and deadlines?
Website and IDX: Do you get a personal website with lead capture, or must you build your own? In Spain, portal integration matters more than traditional IDX, but website quality still affects your professional image.
Marketing resources: Access to professional designers, email marketing platforms, social media templates, or marketing funds?
Portal listing management: Who handles uploading and managing listings on Idealista, Fotocasa, and international portals? If it’s your responsibility, ensure you have the tools and training.
Lead distribution: If the brokerage generates leads, how are they distributed? First-come-first-served? Round-robin? Based on specialization? Is the system fair?
Don’t assume “included technology” means good technology. Ask to see and test the systems before committing.
Understand the Exit Strategy
This feels pessimistic when you’re excited about joining, but understanding how you can leave is crucial. Spanish employment and contract law has specific requirements, and you need clarity on what happens if the relationship doesn’t work.
Ask directly:
Contract terms: How long are you committed? Can you leave with 30 days notice, or are you locked in for a year or more?
Non-compete clauses: Spanish law limits non-compete enforceability, but some brokerages include them. Understand any restrictions on working in the same area if you leave.
Pipeline ownership: What happens to pending transactions if you leave? Do you get paid for deals in progress, or does the brokerage keep the commission?
Client database ownership: Can you take your client relationships when you leave, or does the brokerage claim ownership? This is legally complex in Spain and worth clarifying upfront.
Accounts and online presence: If you’ve built social media accounts or websites under the brokerage brand, what happens to them when you leave?
The broker’s reaction to these questions tells you something. A confident broker with fair policies will answer directly. Evasive or defensive responses are red flags.
Consider Your Five-Year Vision
The right brokerage for your first year might not be right for year five. Think beyond immediate needs to where you want to be long-term.
If your goal is building a team eventually, you need a brokerage that supports team growth and offers paths to leadership or ownership. If your goal is maximizing personal production as a solo agent, you need a brokerage that doesn’t expect you to recruit or manage others.
If you plan to specialize in luxury properties, starting with a luxury brand makes sense even if their training is less robust. If you’re building a diverse portfolio business, you need a brokerage that doesn’t restrict you to narrow positioning.
If you envision owning your own agency eventually, starting at a smaller brokerage where you learn operations might be smarter than joining a large franchise where you never see behind the curtain.
Your brokerage choice should support your vision, not limit it. Ensure the path you’re on leads where you want to go.
Trust Your Instincts but Verify Everything
After researching and interviewing, you’ll likely have a gut feeling about which brokerage fits best. Trust that instinct, but verify your impressions with due diligence.
Talk to current agents confidentially: Connect with agents outside of formal interviews arranged by the broker. Ask about the reality of working there versus the recruiting pitch.
Talk to former agents: If possible, understand why agents left. Single departures mean little, but patterns reveal systemic issues.
Review their public presence: What does their website look like? Their social media? Their property marketing? This shows their standards and capabilities.
Google the brokerage and broker: Look for reviews, complaints, or concerning patterns. Spanish real estate has its share of questionable operators—basic research prevents painful mistakes.
Review the contract with a lawyer: Spanish contracts can be complex. Having a lawyer review your agreement before signing is money well spent, especially regarding commission structures, non-competes, and exit terms.
The Decision Is Important but Not Permanent
Choosing your brokerage matters enormously, but it’s not irreversible. Most agents change brokerages at least once in their career as their needs evolve, goals change, or situations shift.
Make the best decision you can with the information available. Give it a genuine effort for at least a year—initial discomfort often reflects learning curves rather than poor fit. But don’t stay somewhere that’s fundamentally wrong for you out of misplaced loyalty or fear of change.
Your brokerage should be the foundation that supports your growth, not the obstacle you’re constantly working around. If you chose poorly, admit it and make a change. If you chose well, invest in that relationship and maximize what the partnership offers.
The most successful expat agents in Spain aren’t necessarily at the “best” brokerages—they’re at the brokerages that best align with their goals, target markets, working styles, and stage of career development. That match is what matters.
Choose thoughtfully, commit fully, and build the career you came to Spain to create.
