Why seeing property in Puerto Vallarta is not like back home

William Hutt
5d
5 min read

Why seeing property in Puerto Vallarta is not like back home

If you’ve shopped for real estate in the U.S. or Canada, you’re probably used to this:

You send your agent a list.

They tap a showing app.

Lockboxes magically open doors every 30 minutes.

You cruise through houses like you’re on a home-shopping conveyor belt.

Now… you land in Puerto Vallarta and say,

“Can we see these 10 condos tomorrow between 10 and 2?”

And I say something like, “Let me see who I can line up,” and your day suddenly looks a lot less neat and color-coded.

It is not because I’m unorganized.

It’s because real estate in Mexico runs on a very different system.

Let’s break down what that actually means for you as a buyer.

No lockboxes, lots of humans

The first big shock for many people:

We do not use lockboxes.

Condos here do not have:

A combo box on the railing
A Supra box with remote access
A “just go in, the seller is at work” setup

Instead, access often looks like:

A key with the listing agent
A key with the property manager
Or a person who has to physically come meet us and open the door

So every single showing requires coordinating real people, not just an app and a code.

Both realtors must be present. Always.

Here is a major cultural and professional difference:

We never show a property without both sides present.

That means:

The buyer’s agent (me) must be there.
The listing agent must be there.

No “swing by and peek in.”

No “my friend will let you in.”

No “just grab the key and go.”

Why it works this way:

The listing agent is usually the one who physically has the key.
They are responsible to the seller and the building for who enters the property.
They know building rules, what is off limits, and how to handle admin and security.
It’s basic professional etiquette in this market.

So if we cannot align your schedule, my schedule, and the listing agent’s schedule, the showing at that specific time simply cannot happen. It is not personal. It is just how access works here.

Owners, property managers, and permission

On top of both agents, there is another approval layer: owners and property managers.

Many owners:

Live in another country
Rely completely on their local property manager
Are very protective of their rental reviews and calendars

So we often need:

Owner or manager approval for the day and time
Confirmation that we are not walking in during cleaning or maintenance
Extra time to get messages answered due to time zones

Even if everyone wants the condo sold, they also want their paying guests and long-term renters kept happy. That means your perfect 11:30 time slot might get bumped to 12:30 because a cleaning crew is still inside.

Short-term rentals: guests come first

A huge percentage of condos in Puerto Vallarta are active vacation rentals.

That means:

Guests have paid good money to be there.
Owners care deeply about their online reviews.
Managers want quiet, happy guests, not constant traffic through the unit.

In real life, that looks like:

Showings squeezed between check-out and check-in.
Only showing on certain days of the week.
Last-minute cancellations if guests get nervous or feel uncomfortable.

When you hear, “We can only see that condo between 2 and 3 on Tuesday,”

it is almost always because guests or cleaners are there before or after that time.

Long-term tenants and notice

Some properties have long-term tenants rather than vacation guests.

Tenants:

Have their daily routines
May work from home or night shifts
May have pets or kids
Are not looking to move out next week

In those cases, we usually need:

24–48 hours notice
To avoid certain times of day
To group showings so we are not constantly disturbing them

If your favorite unit is tenant-occupied, we can usually get in — it just may not be at the exact moment you originally pictured.

Building administrators, security, and “rules you do not see online”

Many buildings have administrators and security teams that act as gatekeepers.

They:

Control keys
Approve or deny access
Enforce building rules

Some buildings only allow showings:

During office hours
Not on Sundays or holidays
Not when there is maintenance or construction in specific areas

So even if you and I both say, “Let’s go at 7 pm,” the building may say, “No, only 9–5.” (Not too common but it can happen)

The building wins.

Geography, traffic, and Mexico time

On a map, your chosen condos look very close together.

In real life:

One is up a steep hill in Amapas.
One is in the Romantic Zone with one-way streets and no parking.
One is in a gated community that takes time to clear security.

Add:

Seasonal traffic
Street closures
Rainy-season storms
Elevators with their own personality

And suddenly your “30-minute slots” turn into a schedule with realistic gaps.

That is why your showing day might look like:

10:00
11:30
1:00
3:00

Instead of eight showings in a row with zero breathing room.

So why can’t we see everything back-to-back?

This is the little note I love to use, because it sums things up:

Reasons we may not be able to see condos back-to-back?

Because in Puerto Vallarta:

Both realtors must be there for every showing.
Owners and property managers have to approve the time.
Many condos are rented in season, so we work around guests too.

I’m not being difficult…

I’m just coordinating real life in Mexico.

How you can make the process smoother

If you are planning a buying trip, here is how to help your own cause:

Share your dates early

The more notice I have, the more sellers and managers I can line up.
Be flexible on timing

Instead of “only Tuesday morning,” think “sometime Tuesday or Wednesday.”
Prioritize your top choices

Tell me your three “must see” properties so we fight hardest for those.
Expect a few gaps

We will absolutely fill them with coffee, tacos, or a quick beach walk.
Roll with the last-minute changes

When guests say no, cleaners run late, or an owner changes plans, it is not a reflection on you. It is just how life works here.

The payoff

Yes, it takes more coordination.

Yes, we jump through more hoops than you may be used to.

But at the end of the day, you are shopping for a home or vacation property in a place people fly across the world to visit. There are layers of people, schedules, and rules between us and that front door — and my job is to juggle all of that so you do not have to.

You handle the dream:

ocean, sunsets, your own set of keys.

I will handle: