The Baltic’s aren’t your everyday second home or emigration destination, so chances are, if you’ve decided to buy there, you’ll have some personal connection with Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia and hopefully some contacts there.

If not, a good starting point for finding an agent – or getting recommendations - could be the corresponding British Chamber of Commerce for each of the States. Latvia has a trade association for estate agents, LANIDA, set up to help maintain professional levels of service in the real estate industry, which could be useful too. Given the size of the Baltic States, you’ll find most agencies with English-speaking staff concentrated in the capital cities.

As a buyer, your ideal agent will have knowledge of the local area and its property laws, understand your – and British buyers’ in general – personal requirements, speak good English and be happy to answer any questions honestly. They should also be clear about whose interests they represent and how their commission is paid, and if you’re buying a new property, ask them about their relationship with the builder.

The best agencies are often small ones run by expats who often are doing the job as much for the love of helping fellow British people as they are for income. One such is Michael McLaughlin of Southern Comfit who fell in love with Latvia through his Latvian partner and now helps British people buy there.

The starting point for a successful relationship with any agent is establishing precisely where their responsibility starts and ends. For example, some agents go beyond what you’d expect from your regular agent in the UK, offering to assist with the paperwork that comes with moving or buying abroad, such as opening a bank account, helping you to transfer money from the UK (using a currency specialist like Smart Currency Exchange), getting you a tax number and so on. For some, after sales is just as important and they’ll happily help you find a plumber a year after selling you a house. 

Other agents may simply focus on the sale of the property and the associated formalities – this would be typical of a larger agency that deals with a large numbers of clients. Some people prefer the second type of agent and there is no right or wrong way of doing things. So long as the agent sticks to what was agreed and acts professionally throughout the buying process, there should be no problems.

Like the rest of continental Europe, the Baltic States use a notary system for conveyancing. So while it might be possible to complete a purchase with just the help of your agent and a notary, as always it’s highly advisable to employ an independent solicitor who acts solely on your behalf too.

If you accept an invite to a viewing trip, make sure you get any costs you may be liable for in writing and the agent is clear about how flexible your itinerary will be. A good agent will be selling Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia as a destination – and not just his properties – and will not pressure you in any way, even encouraging you to investigate buying opportunities other than his own.