Enter the middleman, also known as the real estate broker. This is not the easiest of species to deal with for most Indians. In fact, most of us are a little sceptical about the actual duties of property consultants. The kinds of brokers and consultants that we come across are generally local residents who are not very well organised and operate from small set-ups. Very often, these are tough-talking, big-sounding smart Alecs who have only a mobile phone, a cubicle and bluster as their assets.

It pays to know the actual role and responsibilities of a real estate consultant. Essentially, the agent facilitates a process of buying, selling or leasing, and also supervises the transfer of property while ensuring the fulfilment , of all necessary legal obligations and formalities. A property consultant carries a two-fold responsibility on his/her shoulders - to satisfy both the property owner and the property seeker. He/she is responsible for the following:

Tenant/Purchaser Representation:
The property consultant is a critical link between two parties entering into a deal. Since he is an expert, he can best suggest to the parties the prices as well as the terms and conditions.

Project Management:
The property consultant must ideally have the set-up and the capability to act as a one-stop shop for a client. He could suggest and recommend add-on services such as the right architect, builder, contractor, facility management, etc. He/she could also look after the client's interest to minimise the pilferages.

Due diligence:
This refers to checking the title of the property that is mainly done in a sale transaction. In case of freehold properties, there is not much of a problem, but in a leasehold property the complete chain of owners have to be verified right up till the original allottee. The property consultant must ensure that the client does not face any kind of legal proceedings or unforeseen liabilities in future. The consultant also has to check whether the property has been constructed keeping the local bye-laws in mind, and that all the necessary approvals have been taken from the concerned authorities so that there is no threat of demolition.

Cost/Outgoing: It is the duty of the property consultant to let his client know of all the expenses that will be incurred by him/her, so that no incidental expenses crop up in respect to stamp duties, paper drafting, etc. The consultant should maintain absolute transparency in the transaction