Currency Risks in International Property Deals and How You Can Solve Them

Property agents are losing thousands on every international sale and most don’t even realise it.

Picture this. Your UK buyer falls for a villa in Spain. You’ve handled the viewings, negotiated the offer, and guided them all the way to the finish line. Then comes the moment that can quietly unravel everything:

“Just send the money through your bank.”

With that one line, you’ve handed them to a bank that will drain their funds through inflated exchange rates and hidden fees. You get nothing. Worse, you lose control of the deal right when it matters most.

Many agents only realise the impact when they see how much clients are losing through poor exchange rates and hidden costs. After all the effort to close the deal, watching a sale wobble over payments is frustrating — especially when there’s nothing you can do to help.

The Currency Traps That Ruin Deals

International buyers face real risks. Not small ones. Risks that can wreck a deal.

• Exchange rates that move suddenly and add huge costs
• Bank fees that erode the buyer’s budget without warning
• Payment delays that risk missing deadlines and losing deposits
• Surprise charges that only appear after the transfer is done
• Compliance checks that freeze money at the worst possible time

For example, funds stuck in banking checks for several days have cost buyers their chosen properties when sellers moved on. Payment problems are more common than most agents realise – and they happen every day. Yet too often, agents simply tell clients “that’s just how international payments work.”

What It’s Costing You

Currency problems don’t only hurt your clients. They hit your business too.

• Delayed completions that slow your pipeline and tie up properties
• Failed payments that leave clients frustrated and blaming you
• Lost referrals when clients share bad experiences
• Revenue gaps from deals you’ve already secured
• Competitors winning over clients because they solved a problem you didn’t

You take the blame when a deal falls apart over payments, yet you get no control and no share of the revenue from the solution.

Turning a Problem Into Profit

Smart agencies are changing this. Instead of pushing clients toward banks, they offer a branded payment option that keeps control where it belongs.

• Lock in exchange rates as soon as the offer is agreed
• Avoid payment delays that risk losing the sale
• Keep clients inside your brand until the deal is done
• Add a new revenue stream without changing how you work
• Stand out from other agents who leave clients to figure it out on their own

Agencies that offer this service are seeing international sales move faster and clients who are happier with the process. They are also earning revenue from a service that used to be a problem.

“But We Don’t Know Anything About Currency”

That’s the first thing most agents say. And they shouldn’t have to know.

Modern payment platforms handle all of it for you. You don’t need to become a currency expert. You don’t need to deal with banks or build new systems. You get:

• A branded payment portal in your company name
• Better rates than high street banks offer
• Tools to lock rates and protect clients from currency swings
• Full compliance handled in the background
• Clear tracking so you and your client know exactly where the money is

You keep doing what you do best. The platform takes care of the rest while your brand stays at the centre.

What sciopay Does and Why It Solves Every One of These Problems

sciopay gives you a fully branded platform so your clients never have to leave your business to handle payments. They get competitive rates without hidden fees, and you keep control over the deal from start to finish.

Payments move quickly and without delays. Rates can be locked in when the offer is agreed so there are no surprises at completion. All compliance and checks are handled behind the scenes, so there are no last-minute problems.

You see every stage of the transaction and stay in control, rather than watching banks confuse and frustrate your clients. And because it’s your platform, you capture revenue from something that was previously a lost opportunity.

You are already having conversations about currency with clients. Sciopay makes sure you benefit from them, and that your clients never need to go elsewhere.