I am an ex employee of MRI Overseas Property. The company should be avoided at all costs.
I would like to put the record straight on what happens when you go on an inspection trip with this company.
Firstly you are met at the airport by a sales executive of the company. they take you to their shiny BMW, the employee is charged for this car an amount of £1,000 euros per month. In addition they "tour" the client out of their own money, all diesel cost etc, macanthony pays for nothing.
the clients are then taken to one of their rented offices, you are taken into a room for a T.O this is short for what is called a take over, the manager is brought in and it is his job to grill you on finances etc gathering as much info as he can. throughout the whole 3 day trip the sales exec and the manager have to provide verbal progress report to head office on the likelihood of it being a sale.
the sales execs are sworn at and constantly threatened with the sack if they are not reporting what the office wants to hear.
Accomodation is allways in a four star hotel. the sales exec is ordered to pick up clients at 9.30 am and "keep them out" until at least 7pm, and only take the client back when it is known ALL other estate agents will be closed !
If you wish to purchase, macanthony say they must take a payment of 6,000 euros, in fact the developer only requires 3,000. macanthony are paid a commission by the developer of between 10 and 16 per cent !!!! of the price of the property purchased.
The client is introduced to a lawyer, martinez ecchevarria, the client is told this lawyer is independant and they are, but the fact is macanthony introduces so many clients that the lawyers are prepared to lie and cheat to keep the connection with MRI.
The next step if you require a mortgage to fund your purchase is to be introduced to a "in house " legal advisor who claims you really need them as they know the market in the country you are purchasing.
This advisor is employed by a company called LEGAL INDEPENDANCE. most of them are NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE FINANCIAL ADVICE. Darragh Macanthony's sister wendy is married to the director of the company and they are based in the same office in marbella. the advisors are ordered to lie about capital growth, rental income etc etc.
If the client does not wish to buy a new off plan property, then mri have collaboration agreements with " selected" other local estate agents. what happens is the sales exec rings the agent and tells them what propertie to show the client, the agent increases the price of the property by 10%. this amount is mri's COMMISSION.
The problem arises on completion of how to get this 10 per cent out of the property. In spain it is called BLACK MONEY.
The client is told to withdraw the money for completion and give it to the sales executive. it is then put into two envelopes, creating one "white money to give to the Lawyer to pay for the property. the other envelope containing "thE BLACK MONEY" GOES STRAIGHT INTO DARRAGH MACANTHONYS POCKET. This money is hand delivered to the office in marbella,
Most of the managers are on drugs, mostly cocaine. I have seen this taking place on a regular basis.
As for darragh macanthony himself, he started off as a timeshare rep for a place called "club la costa" in marbella, when he was 21/22 years old, he is a bully and extremley arrogant. he has NO experience or skills that make him capable of managing staff or a company, but because of the high commissions stated above, in the boom years of the early 90s he made a lot of money very fast.
But he has no morals and no respect for anyone but himself.
Virgo
newcastle upon tyne
United Kingdom