Realtors Limited Villa Rentals

Phone246 432 6930 Fax246 432 6919 Email Websitehttp://www.realtorslimited.com

Fosters House
Realtors Office
Realtor's Sign
Inside Realtors
Master bedroom
Living area
Buttsbury Court

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Category: Villa Rental Agents
Location: Holetown

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About…
In Depth
Services
Staff
Check In/Check Out
Departures
Booking Conditions
Meet & Greet
Weddings
Portfolio listing of Condos, Penthouses & Suites
Portfolio listing of Villas & Villa Living

At a glance
Journalist’s review
Guest reviews

At a glance

Realtors, formed in 1954, was one of the first villa management and rental companies to be established on Barbados. The company is family run, and manages approximately eighty villas now, many of them the more traditional-style properties on the West Coast, and many of those the elegant classics on the Sandy Lane estate.

Best for:: Well appointed and fully staffed Barbados villa rentals, predominantly West Coast but also South Coast condos
Who for:: Independently minded travellers looking for services and arrangements they can trust
Getting there:: Direct flights from Europe, UK and USA/CANADA

Key features

Proven track record, traditional values, good range of properties from beachfront villas to Sandy Lane classics

Client Profile:

Strong repeat client base from younger beach lovers to Sandy Lane old-timers, and golfers

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Journalist’s Review

In Depth

Like many of the best businesses on Barbados, the company is a family affair. For many years Nick Parravicino and his late wife Sheila, a secretary for Realtors at the beginning, were a team of just three. The other of which was Noreen Patterson, Nick's sister, who took charge of the long-term rental department. The company also has a real estate arm.

The key to successful villa rental is matching the client to the property. It also helps to have good villa management. This is why it makes sense for the villa rental companies to manage the properties that they rent out as there is then a central control system and transparent accountability for the times when things don’t go as expected. Realtors manage all their rental villas.

In the early years Realtors was located in Bridgetown, at the corner of Roebuck and Coleridge Street, moving as it grew to River Road, St. Michael but in 1993 they made a move to the West Coast, where the majority of their sales and villa rentals were taking place. They opened a second office in May 2008, at their condominium development Palm Beach, in Hastings on the South Coast. Nick and Sheila Parravacino had two sons, Michael and Roger, and now have 4 grandchildren including Bruce, who works for the company. Michael trained overseas with Hamptons and returned to work alongside his father in 1975, running Realtors Limited. Sadly he died in 2002.

When they started, all that was available for rent was a few local houses. The business of renting to tourists only started to take shape in the mid Fifties. Some of the first houses they looked after and rented in those early days are still on their books today, although they have been updated somewhat and may have changed hands several times. Of them, DefinitiveCaribbean is featuring Heronetta and Leigh House, both of which are prime Sandy Lane beachfront properties.

Barbados has probably the most sophisticated villa rental business in the Caribbean and generally speaking it looks after and presents its rental properties extremely well. Of course the Barbadians have had longer than other islands to develop their business, but its success lies both in the business's longevity - it has been a holiday destination for over 50 years - and in its success in meeting the demands of an extremely discerning client base, both rental clients and house owners. The leading rental agencies market their properties globally on the internet and by more traditional means, particularly to the States and Canada, the UK and Europe. Their properties are featured by the best Caribbean specialist tour operators and wholesalers in those countries.

As a visitor there are two options for booking. You may prefer to book through a travel company that has an arrangement with Realtors and which is based in your country of origin for better accountability. There is nothing wrong with this, and anyway the price of the villa should be the same. The other is to book direct, and for this you need to know that you are dealing with a reliable company that is not going to let you down, of which Realtors is one.

Realtors manages approximately 100 villas now, many of them the more traditional-style properties on the West Coast, and many of those the elegant classics on the Sandy Lane estate. If you are an owner looking for a company to manage your property in your absence or a travel professional looking for rental villas for your clients, or if you are a prospective villa guest, Realtors Limited come with a proven track record and have some of the finest rental properties on Barbados on their books.

To compliment the rental side of the business, Realtors also have a real estate department in their offices. Running since the 1950's Realtors and its staff have been right at the heart of Barbados real estate since it really took off.

Services

Villa Management

Realtors have a team of House Administrators, each of whom are assigned the responsibility of a fixed number of properties. Their duty is not just to oversee the villa staff and the smooth running of the property but to meet guests, usually the day after arrival, to make sure that everything is in place for a stress free and relaxing holiday. For those that have not booked through a tour operator or wholesaler with their own representatives on Barbados, the villa manager will also brief you on what there is to do and where to go on Barbados to make the best of your time on the island.

Reservations

The reservation department works closely with both direct clients and overseas operators/wholesalers and agents to ensure that you end up in the right property to suit your particular needs. Their Concierge will also make all the necessary arrangements prior to your or your clients' arrival. These include airport meet and greet, stocking the villa with groceries and attending to any special requests. These services are charged for accordingly.

Be aware that for British and European clients a flight inclusive holiday booked through a tour operator that specialises in the Caribbean may be more cost effective. It will also be bonded.

Grocery Supplies

Villa staff like to have the larder and fridge stocked for your arrival so that they can prepare an evening meal and have everything to hand for your breakfast the following morning. This is normal procedure and so, unless you plan to do all your shopping upon arrival and go out for dinner that evening, it is probably best to instruct the Realtors to stock the villa with food and drink supplies. There are standard lists but equally you can order whatever you wish. The service is subject to a 10% service charge and delivery fee which amy add to the cost of your shopping, but it is worth it for the sake of a hassle-free start to your holiday.

Staff

Realtors now has approximately thirty staff and Nick Parravacino still heads up the team as Chairman whilst Suzanne Davis (who has been with the company since 1987) is Manager of Real Estate and Business Development and Bruce Parravicino (Nick's eldest grandson) is Manager of Reservations and Property Management. Samantha Weikel takes care of web administration and assists with marketing, along with Allison Gill. There are three reservationists - Susie Ray-Dowding, Lori Bethell and Vern Best (senior reservationist) - a concierge, Tammy Browne, who looks after all the special requests, seven administrators, who oversee the smooth running of the villas that they manage and rent, five real estate agents, three secretaries, two receptionists and nine staff in the accounts department.

Of course each villa has its own staff employed by the owner. The property and its staff are overseen by a House Administrator employed by Realtors. At the top end, some properties come with a dedicated house manager as well as a butler, and a chef and sous chef, in addition to housekeepers and gardeners, but more commonly properties simply have a cook/housekeeper and maid/laundress.

Check In/Check Out

Check-out time is at 12 noon. Realtors will try their best to accommodate your arrival time. If the house is free and you arrive in the morning, you are welcome to check-in. However, if the departing guests are checking out at noon, you will not be permitted to check in until around 2.30 - 3pm. To avoid confusion upon arrival, the best plan is to discuss your flight details and preferences at the time of booking.

Departures

If you have a hire car, you can choose to return it at the airport (making sure the luggage will fit, or order a taxi to help you out) or have it collected from the villa prior to your departure. If your travel organiser hasn't already made the appropriate transport arrangements to take you back to the airport, you can book a taxi, minibus or limousine through Realtors.

Booking Conditions

A 25% deposit is taken to confirm a booking and the balance is due 6 weeks prior to arrival. In case of a last minute booking, full rent and VAT can either be sent to by wire or by banker's draft sent via FedEx. Visa or Mastercard are only accepted if you are the client (for instance tour operators, travel organisers and agents must make other arrangements for the transfer of funds).

Security Deposit

In addition to villa rental fees, a security deposit will be collected against any accidental damage that may occur during your stay or for miscellaneous charges that remain outstanding after your departure. This deposit is refunded seven days after departure less any charges. The security deposit may be included with your final rental payment or on island via MasterCard or Visa credit card.

Travel Insurance

Since accidents can happen, we recommend that you take out a travel insurance policy that gives you full protection for damage to Third Party property.

Meet & Greet

If you are booking direct or through an agent that does not have its own representatives on the island, at your request Realtors will send one of their company representatives to meet you at the airport and see you to your taxi, which they will also arrange for you on request. You should pay locally for this service. Alternatively you can just ask them to send a taxi to meet you. Unless you are a seasoned visitor and know your way we do not recommend that you collect a hire car at the airport or take a normal airport taxi to villa accommodation - the driver is unlikely to know how to get to the property itself.

Weddings

A villa wedding is a lovely option and offers you the sort of privacy and 'made to order' experience that you would not be able to achieve at a hotel. A number of properties make excellent venues for villa weddings and give stunning backdrops for wedding photographs so if you like this idea, your travel organiser or a professional local wedding organiser such as St James Travel & Tours will liaise with Realtors to ensure that everything goes smoothly on your wedding day. You may choose to wed at your villa or if you wish to marry in a church or at another location, you can have your reception at the villa.

Please note that Realtors do not act as wedding organisers so you must make any arrangements through your travel organiser or a local wedding specialist. There are usually restrictions on the number of guests you may have at any particular property. A few villas however will accommodate a very large number of guests, subject to you or your travel organiser working through a local wedding specialist and all the arrangements being vetted and approved by Realtors and the property owner.