Buyer representation
The agent you meet is paid by the seller.
We are not. ReaLaw represents the buyer alone, in a market where almost nobody does — and the same firm that would litigate the contract is the one reading it before you sign.
Why the distinction matters here
In the Riviera Maya, presale inventory is sold by commission agents engaged by the developer. Their duty runs to the party paying them. That is not misconduct — it is the structure — but it leaves the buyer with nobody checking whether the project is permitted, whether the builder has delivered before, or whether the contract can be enforced.
We fill that seat. Our fee comes from you, so our advice can be inconvenient.
What representation includes
01
Brief and shortlist
Budget, use, rental expectation and exit horizon set on paper first — then a shortlist drawn from the whole market, not from one developer's inventory.
02
Viewings and inspection
Accompanied visits, or filmed walkthroughs for clients abroad. Construction quality, common areas and the building's actual state of completion.
03
Developer background
Delivery history, current litigation, corporate standing and solvency. We litigate against these companies; we know which names recur.
04
Negotiation
Price, payment schedule, finishes, furniture, penalties for late delivery, and the right to walk away. Terms are where the money usually is.
05
Legal diligence
Title, permits, land use, debts and the condominium regime — the full review, reported in writing before any deposit is released. See the scope.
06
Closing and handover
Trust set-up, notary, escrow, taxes and registration — then the delivery inspection and the punch list enforced against the builder.
Presale, and how we handle it
Buying a building that does not exist yet is a legal question, not a design question.
Payments tied to progress
Instalments released against verified construction milestones rather than calendar dates the developer controls.
A delivery date with teeth
A fixed date, a penalty that accrues automatically, and your right to rescind and recover if the date passes.
Specification annexed
Plans, square metres, finishes and amenities attached to the contract, so a substitution is a breach and not a "change".
Escrow, not the developer's account
Where the structure allows it, funds sit with a third party under written release conditions.
Buying from abroad
Fideicomiso
Foreign ownership on the coast runs through a bank trust. We set it up and explain what it does and does not restrict.
Remote signing
Power of attorney, certified and apostilled, so you can complete without flying in.
Funds and tax
Transfer route, acquisition tax, annual predial and the tax position on resale, stated before you commit.
Rental use
Whether the building and the municipality actually permit short-term rental — checked, not assumed from the brochure.
If a project does not survive our diligence, we say so and we walk you away from it.
That is the whole value of paying your own advisor. Some of our best work has ended with a client not buying anything.
Tell us what you are thinking of buying.
Tell us the development and your budget, or book a 90-minute investment session with Miguel Torres (MXN 1,399) to plan it properly.