Trent Brock
Donald and I set up an appointment for
the afternoon that I arrived in Madrid.
First, a little background on Donald:
His father was from England, and his mother is from Spain.
He is fluent in both English and Spanish. He operates a personal
apartment locator service, which is what I prefer over some
of the larger services where you feel like a number. (By the
way, apartments are usually called flats in Madrid.) He has
been in Madrid for more than twenty years and operating a flat
locater service for five years. During the school rush in August,
September, and October of 2005, his service placed 200 people
in flats in only ten weeks. Donald now has a staff of twelve
working for him. He knows the neighborhoods and areas and of
Madrid very well. He can determine very quickly by reading the
advertisement if the flat is in the area that you prefer. This
is a great service in itself since I knew the area in Madrid
that I preferred, but I did not know any of the neighborhood
or area names.
So the most asked question: How much does it cost? The fee
depends on your flat (apartment) budget starting at 50 Euros
(90 euros as of March 21, 2007). Now that the cost is out of
the way, the following is an overview of how Donald’s service
works:
Donald prefers to have face-to-face appointments when researching
the database for his client. This minimizes any potential confusion.
You are able to look at the flats on his computer while he does
the research. It allows him to ask you questions immediately
about a particular flat. Additionally, if he is on the phone
with a landlord, and they ask a question that he cannot answer
concerning you, you are available to answer. From the minute
that you sit down, you are his client. He is working for you.
It was very comforting to me to have someone in my corner when
doing something as important as trying to find a place to live.
He will ask you what your preferences are: What is your budget?
Where do you want to live? Do you want roommates? Do you prefer
a studio-apartment by yourself?
After Donald determines your preferences, he will begin researching
his database and calling landlords immediately until he makes
a few appointments for you. He prints out a map and makes sure
that you know where the flat is. Donald has a three day policy
to get you a contract or arrangement in a flat. (With some landlords,
you do not sign a contract. It is strictly a verbal agreement.)
If you have to sign a contract, Donald will review it with you.
He cannot guarantee that you will be living in the flat in three
days because each situation is different. For example, you may
have decided that you really like a flat, but you have to wait
until the end of the month so that the person currently living
in the room moves out when his lease terminates. This all depends
on your preferences. If this is the flat that you want, you
may have to wait. If not, the appointments will continue. If
there is a problem at any time during your time renting, Donald
is there to help.
When I first met Donald, we hit if off nicely. I was asking
him the typical “twenty questions” that every person asks when
arriving to a new city. He had answers for everything and did
not mind. He said that he views it as part of his job to answer
any questions that you may have about Madrid. He asked me my
preferences which were - cheap and as close to the center of
Madrid as possible. He set up an appointment for me the first
afternoon. I went and looked at the apartment, but a guy had
gotten there before me and decided that he would rent it. Sometimes
landlords will schedule a flat viewing for several different
parties at one time. The first one that gets to the landlord
is the one that is entitled to it. First come, first serve.
It was not a big deal. I knew that we would find the right place.
He invited me out to meet some of his English speaking friends
and to have a beer. It was really nice to be in Madrid less
that twelve hours and already know some English speaking people.
The next afternoon we researched again. He setup two more appointments
for me, but the landlords could not meet until the following
day. The first appointment actually stood me up. Sometimes this
will happen even if you have Donald setting up the appointments
for you. Imagine how this could be if you were doing the research
alone! For the next appointment, Donald went with me. He talked
with the landlord acting as an interpreter and inspected the
flat with me. It was exactly what I wanted. I moved in that
night!
Donald is also involved in some other businesses around Madrid
and knows many people. A friend of mine is a chef from Canada
that was looking for work in Madrid. Donald helped him to get
a job because he knows some of the owners of restaurants and
bars. He not only will help you find a flat, but if you need
something else, Donald and his team are available to help.
To conclude, I live with three Bulgarian guys. Two of them are
construction workers, and the other one is a local truck driver.
Only one of them speaks English, one speaks Spanish fluently,
and one speaks a little Spanish. Remember I only speak a little
Spanish and no Bulgarian so communication gets interesting at
times. You might be thinking, “Is he crazy to be living with
Bulgarians?” Yes, maybe a little, but I came to Europe for new
experiences. I have been living in the flat for three months,
and I do not plan on leaving anytime soon. They are the kindest
and most generous guys that I have met in Madrid.
I strongly suggest that you contact Donald. It could be just
what you need to get your new life in Madrid started on the
right foot! If you tell Donald that Trent sent you, he will
give you a five euro discount. Consider that my contribution
to you! And do not forget that most business take siestas so
call before you go.
See also: Apartments - Madrid
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