Guide
Choosing an estate agent on the Athens Riviera
A checklist for buyers and sellers, and a plain list of the agencies that work the coast.
In short
- There is no single "best" agency on the Athens Riviera. The right one depends on the home, the street and what you need.
- The market works mostly on open mandates, so the same home is often listed with several agents at once.
- Judge an agency by what it publishes: prices, market data, and photos that are honest and current.
- Ask whether it works the specific streets you want, and how it is paid.
- Ask who will actually show you the house, and whether that person knows it.
Background
How the Riviera market works
Open and exclusive mandates
Most owners give an open mandate: several agents may market the same home, and the owner pays the one who brings the buyer. Under an exclusive mandate, one agent alone sells the home for an agreed period.
Who pays the agent
In Greece the buyer and the seller each commonly pay their own agency fee, typically around 2% of the price plus VAT. The fee and when it is due should be agreed in writing, usually before the first viewing.
The lawyer and the notary
The buyer usually appoints a lawyer to check the title, debts and charges on the property. An engineer checks the building against its permits. A notary drafts and signs the final contract and does not act for either side.
Why the same home shows different prices
Because several agents can carry the same home, it may appear on portals at different prices, with different photos, or at a price the owner has since changed. The price that counts is the one the owner has agreed in writing.
Checklist
Ten questions to ask any agency
The same ten questions work for every agency, including us. Clear answers matter more than the size of the brand.
- 01
Which of these streets have you sold on in the last 12 months?
Prices on the Riviera change street by street. Recent sales nearby are the best sign an agent knows the area.
- 02
Do you hold the mandate for this home, or are you passing on another agent’s listing?
An agent with the mandate knows the owner and the price. A forwarded listing adds a step between you and both.
- 03
Who took the photos, and are they current?
Old or heavily edited photos waste viewings. Ask when they were taken.
- 04
What is your fee, and when is it due?
Get the percentage, VAT and the moment of payment in writing before you see a home.
- 05
Do you publish price data I can check?
Published figures let you test an asking price yourself instead of taking it on trust.
- 06
How many viewings before an offer is typical here?
The answer tells you how the agent reads the local pace, and whether to expect pressure.
- 07
Can you introduce a lawyer, an engineer and a bank?
You choose them, but a working list saves weeks. Your lawyer should work for you, not the agency.
- 08
Do you work in my language?
Contracts and permits are in Greek. Someone should explain them to you in a language you read well.
- 09
What happens if I find the same home through another agent?
On open mandates this is common. Agree in writing who introduced which home, so you never pay twice.
- 10
Will you tell me when a home is overpriced?
An agent who works for you should say so, with the figures to back it.
Be careful
Red flags
- The fee is not put in writing before the first viewing.
- You are pushed to make an offer the same day, with a rival buyer you cannot verify.
- The agent cannot say who holds the mandate or what price the owner has agreed.
- No registration number is given, or the agent avoids the question.
- You are advised to skip your own lawyer or engineer.
Who works here
Agencies working the Athens Riviera
The list is in alphabetical order and is not exhaustive. Each entry gives where the agency’s office is and what it says it focuses on, from its own website. Buyers often talk to two or three agencies. We are on the list too, written to the same format.
Aquarium Real Estate
Office in Voula. Works the Athens Riviera from Palaio Faliro to Palaia Fokaia, with a Greek- and English-speaking team and photography and video made in-house. Publishes asking-price data for the area and gives guidance on Golden Visa purchases.
Divine Property
Office on Poseidonos Avenue in Palaio Faliro, with further offices in Mykonos, Syros and Beirut. Part of a group that, according to its website, also works in construction and hospitality.
Engel & Völkers Athens
The Athens licence partner of the international Engel & Völkers network, run by EV MMC Greece S.A. Its Athens market centre is in Athens Tower on Mesogeion Avenue, with shops in Glyfada, central Athens, Kifisia, Thessaloniki and Rhodes.
Epsilon Team
Established in 2010, according to its website. Based in Chalandri, in the northern suburbs of Athens, as stated on its site. It describes remote viewings, legal support and an in-house marketing team as part of its service.
Golden Coast Realty
A boutique agency with an office on Andrea Papandreou Street in Glyfada. It describes its focus as the Athenian Riviera, greater Athens and the coastal southern suburbs.
Greece Sotheby's International Realty
The Sotheby's International Realty affiliate for Greece, launched in 2008. Head office on Voukourestiou Street in central Athens, with a branch in Corfu. It lists homes for sale across Greece and the islands, as well as rentals, and has a dedicated Athens Riviera sales lead.
Greek Exclusive Properties
Athens office on Napoleontos Zerva Street in Glyfada, with presence in Santorini, Corfu, Halkidiki, Lefkada and Crete. It lists villas and homes across several regions of Greece as well as the Athens coast.
Ploumis Sotiropoulos
Founded in 1924, a family firm with its office on Panepistimiou Street in central Athens. It is the Christie's International Real Estate affiliate in Greece and works across Athens and other parts of Greece.
PMD Real Estate
Founded in 2005, with an office in Glyfada. Its stated services cover sales, rentals, property management and Golden Visa purchases.
Prestigia Realty
A boutique agency with an office on Aggelou Metaxa Street in Glyfada. It states its area as the coast from Alimos to Vouliagmeni.
Second opinion
If you want a second opinion from us
If you are talking to another agency and want a second view on a price or a street, ask us. Our asking-price data, area guides and Golden Visa guide are public.
- info@aquarium-re.gr
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay the estate agent as a buyer in Greece?
Usually, yes. In Greece the buyer and the seller each commonly pay their own agency fee, typically around 2% of the price plus VAT. The amount and when it is due should be agreed in writing before your first viewing.
Can I use more than one agency on the Athens Riviera?
Yes. Most homes are on open mandates, so buyers often talk to two or three agencies. Tell each one which homes you have already seen, so it is clear who introduced you to each home.
Is an exclusive mandate better for a seller?
It depends on the home. An exclusive mandate gives one agent a reason to invest in photography and marketing, and keeps one consistent price on the market. An open mandate reaches more agents but can show the home at different prices. If you choose exclusive, agree the term and the agent’s duties in writing.
How do I check that an estate agent is licensed in Greece?
Ask for the registration number. Registered estate agents in Greece hold a ΓΕΜΗ (General Commercial Registry) registration and an agent licence. The number should appear on the agency’s website and on any agreement you sign, and you can check it on the public business registry.
Are Athens Riviera property prices negotiable?
Often, to a degree. Asking prices are set by owners, and the gap to the final price varies by street, by home and by how long it has been on the market. An agent who works the area should show you what similar homes are asking.
Agency details are taken from each agency’s own website and public profiles, October 2026. If an entry is out of date, write to us and we will correct it. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.