I got in touch with Marilene Castricum through my mortgage advisor, who recommended two real estate agents. The difference between them quickly became clear. The other agent barely explained his service and became unresponsive after the initial conversation. Marilene, on the other hand, was enthusiastic, clear and extremely quick to respond. She often replied within minutes and genuinely made me feel as though I was her only client, even though I know she is very busy.
Initially, I thought her fee seemed slightly high, although I think most people feel that way when paying for professional advice. I had felt the same about my mortgage advisor. However, what happened afterwards proved that Marilene’s service was worth every euro.
Shortly after starting my search, I suffered an unexpected Achilles tendon rupture, which left me unable to drive or attend property viewings myself. I assumed this would seriously delay or even stop my search. Marilene did not hesitate. She took full responsibility for attending the viewings, thoroughly assessed the properties and used FaceTime so that I could still see everything and ask questions remotely.
At the beginning, she confidently told me that she would find me a home within approximately five viewings, based on her historical success rate of over 90%. I was sceptical, but she proved me wrong. After only three viewings, she found an apartment in my ideal location in Scheveningen and managed to secure it for a very competitive price.
Her bidding advice alone saved me a significant amount of money. Had I handled the viewing and bidding myself, I would probably have offered around 10% above the asking price, which would have been approximately €30,000 extra. Marilene advised me not to overbid. Based on her experience and assessment of the seller’s situation, she believed the asking price would be sufficient. She was completely right: the seller immediately accepted my offer.
Because of her advice, I now have the budget available to fully renovate the apartment and turn it into my dream home. Without her guidance, I would likely have overpaid by €30,000 and would not have had the same renovation budget.
At first, her fee may appear substantial, but in my case, her service effectively saved me almost ten times what I paid her. More importantly, she supported me through a difficult personal situation and made the entire buying process feel manageable.
I would strongly recommend Marilene to anyone who is serious about buying a home. If your financing is in order and you are ready to buy, she will do everything she can to find the right property and negotiate the best possible deal.
