Unfortunately it’s often the case that it’s easier to buy international property in Central America than it is to sell it. Especially in the current soft real estate market. But there are also structural factors at play in terms of how the market operates in Central America and the most successful sellers take the time to understand these realities and plan their strategies accordingly.
The key difference between the market for real estate in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Belize and the market in the US is the lack of a Multiple Listing Service or similar central database of properties. (You can learn more about this feature of the market over at Reveal Real Estate.) Buyers are not able to meet with a real estate agents and access all properties that are available for sale in a particular market. Each agent has their own database of listings, developers maintain their own listings and informal players may also have pocket listings.
So as a seller your goal should be to get your listing in front of every real estate agent that is active in your market, whether formal or informal. Keep it as an open listing that everyone can access. It’s generally a mistake to give an exclusive to one agent hoping first, that he or she will share it with other agents and second, that other agents will be motivated to sell for a split commission (often they will prefer to sell one of their own listings for a full commission). This may be changing in certain locations, where agents are beginning to collaborate more with each-other, but it is still an exception to the rule.
If you are selling a property that you have bought in a master planned community and the developer still has their own listings to sell, you may find it difficult to get your property in-front of potential buyers. This is because the developer will generally be more motivated to sell their own listings first. Agents may find it difficult to show re-sales if they are accompanied by the developer or a representative of the developer on their property tours. The best thing you can do is offer a high commission on the property and price it aggressively, well below developer direct sales.