MARGARET LINGWOOD    GIPE (Gestor Intermediario de Promociones de Edificaciones)

Our business, known originally as Salobrena Villas, started in a small way from our home in Monte de los Almendros but when we had the opportunity to acquire our office at the entrance to Monte de los Almendros we wanted to be entirely legally correct. In those days, in theory at least, estate agents in Spain needed to have a qualification in order to get a licence to trade. So Margaret studied in Spanish to get her GIPE title and it is this that enabled us to become one of the few properly licensed estate agents in the Costa Tropical at that time.

By then it had become clear to Margaret that the work performed by the few local English-speaking lawyers who were around at the time left something to be desired. As she had already attended and assisted with many completions performed by various local lawyers she decided to take on the conveyancing role for those purchasers who wanted her to do so. This not only results in the saving of a lawyer’s fee but more importantly, as many former purchasers will testify, the job gets done efficiently and correctly.

Her accumulated knowledge and excellent working relationships with the local notaries and other officials helps her resolve the various issues that inevitably crop up with each transaction. Such is her reputation in the area that even buyers from other estate agents ask her if she can assist with their completions!

Of course, having said this, we are entirely happy for our buyers to appoint their own lawyers (nowadays there are English-speaking lawyers in the area that we can recommend) and quite understand anyone wanting to do so but we recommend asking around the area before committing to this additional expense if you do end up being one of our first-time purchasers. (You could also take a quick look at our testimonials page.)

JAMES THOMAS    LLB

James is a UK qualified lawyer who graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB). After going to the College of Law in London he spent two years working for a leading construction law firm in London. James then lived & worked in the USA for seven years before returning to the UK where he worked for a FTSE 100 company as part of a team of lawyers negotiating sales contracts.

Having decided for the 2nd time that he was not happy living in the UK, he decided to move to Spain and, just like Mike and Margaret, decided to buy his own new home on Monte de los Almendros overlooking Salobrena before having any thoughts of working as an estate agent in Salobrena. That was 2002 and he joined Lingwoods in 2005 having first been spotted by Mike when he accompanied his mother on a house viewing and he has since become a partner in the business.

James works primarily alongside Mike on sales and marketing and shares Mike’s negative attitude to the hard sell approach usually favoured by estate agents in Southern Spain. It has even been suggested that he is too nice to be an estate agent! James is largely responsible for the design and content of this website including having taken most of the photos. Clearly his legal qualification and background is a valuable asset to all aspects of our business.