What is a finders fee?

Thank you Nicola for your reply. 600 euros, equivalent to one months rent is a lot of money to give an agent . I thought they were paid by the landlord. I will write to her now. She has not given me the address and I have not viewed it. I have however found it on google maps with the phone number of the owner. If she insists on the payment could I contact the owner directly? 

I have written to the agent and given her the choice as to whether I go through her or directly to the owner. I have not viewed the property and she has not given me the address.
Let’s see what she decides to do.

"I answered a advertisement on the estate agents site. Should I pay?"

By looking on their site you were for all intents and purposes asking them to find you a property and the fact that they happened to have a suitable one already on the books can't be used as a excuse to not pay their fees.

Personally I've never either rented or rented out a property in Spain - or anywhere - but I have to say that I would have expected agents fees to be down to a landlord and not a prospective tenant but maybe that's the norm here I don't know.

One thing is for certain though, agents can't work for free so one party is going to have to pay. 

You could look at another way, if a tenant is not paying the fees then a landlord might well put the rent up to cover them which in this case would make it €650/mth instead of €600 and you'd be paying them anyway. 

NO!!

It seems I have upset the estate agent by questioning her finders fee and will not be renting the property after all. As her reply is she does not trust me.

You have freedom of choice, from many other estate agents, and many other properties, or direct,’just he careful whichever route you take!

Good luck

Ray

Thank you for your replies. My concerns were raised when I was asked to bring the money in cash and to sign the contract before being given the address or having the opportunity to view.

When I first came to Benidorm and signed up for my rental contract I was given the same terms as you...a months rent plus a months rent in advance plus a finders fee. The estate agent has to earn a living but I think the owners should pay the agency fees and not the renter.

Steve 

http://www.webexpressguide.com/costadelsol/article.php?id=2631

I found this article during my property search