The new arrival in the Cayman Islands can save time and stress by finding a trusted realtor to work with when looking for a rental property.
Thanks to a simple, light-touch tax regime, a stable economy, and a growing and increasingly wealthy population, relocating to the Cayman Islands has gained a lot of attention in recent years from entrepreneurial and adventurous foreigners looking for new horizons.
Finding somewhere to live is going to be one of the top priorities for any new arrival. With a wide range of houses, condos, and villas of all sizes in many locations, with many lifestyle options and prices to suit every income, there is a mass of information and data out there to sift through to make the right decision and ease into a new life in our Caribbean paradise.
A neophyte Cayman resident has to face this bewildering multitude of choices as they attempt to navigate through the hundreds of the Cayman Islands rental properties listings. Without professional assistance, that is a lot of detail to digest alone.
The best news for newly arrived residents is that the Cayman Islands has a well-regulated real estate market. Most agents belong to the Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association (CIREBA) regulatory body, guaranteeing that you are working with a qualified professional working under a strict code of ethics.
Then there is Cayman’s own Multiple Listing System (MLS), first developed in the US and Canada real estate markets. Here listings are shared in an online database that allows a potential renter or buyer to see all available properties listed by all member agents while still working with the agent of their choice.
This close relationship with a single agent, yet with access to the entire local market, gives the new resident a valuable resource in their agent’s years of in-depth knowledge of the residential areas, their facilities, their convenience for work or school, access to beaches and nightlife, even the type of neighbors you will find in each district.
From the beginning of the relationship, the agent will guide his client through their wish-list of requirements while filtering out areas, unsuitable and overpriced properties, in an area that might be too busy, too remote, in the wrong price bracket, or doesn’t meet client lifestyle expectations.
The takeaway? It’s tempting to hit the online listings and go it alone. And certainly, study the Cayman Islands property listings beforehand for valuable information on prices and availability, and locations. But hiring a professional real estate agent will ensure that time is saved, stress is reduced, and only the most suitable properties at the best prices are on the viewing list.