Do you represent sellers as well as buyers?

Not on the same file. We are buyer-side only for the file we are engaged on. This eliminates the structural conflict-of-interest that quietly hurts most real estate transactions.

How is your fee structured?

A transparent, disclosed buyer-side engagement fee scoped to the mandate (sourcing, due diligence, structuring, closing). Not embedded in the plot price and not paid by the seller.

Do you take referral fees from architects, contractors or notarises you introduce?

No. Any introduction we make is because we would use the professional ourselves. We are paid by you, not by them.

Will you sell me a plot quickly if I want to move fast?

We will move as fast as the paperwork allows. We will not skip due diligence to hit a self-imposed deadline. If the plot cannot be verified in the time available, we will tell you and either wait or walk.

What if you conclude the plot I want is not safe?

We tell you clearly, in writing, why. We give you the option to proceed with independent counsel if you disagree — but we will step off the file rather than close a transaction we do not believe in.

About · Approach

Our Approach

We work with a small number of serious buyers at a time. We are on the buyer's side of the table, we are transparent about what we do and don't know, and we say no more often than yes. That is the whole approach — everything below is just how it plays out in practice.

Local expertise: why it changes the outcome

We live and work on Sumba. That means we know which sellers hold genuine certificates, which access roads flood, which villages have unresolved customary claims and which notaries handle foreign-linked transactions properly. This is the part of the process that cannot be done remotely.

In practice this shows up as plots we decline to present, questions we ask before a viewing is arranged, and boundary walks done with the seller and neighbours rather than on paper. It is also what allows us to give a realistic build cost and permit timeline before a buyer commits, instead of after.

What local presence delivers in each transaction:

Direct seller relationships instead of layered intermediaries
Physical boundary verification with neighbours present
Insight into customary (adat) context per village
Realistic access, water and electricity assessments
Notaries and surveyors we work with repeatedly
Post-purchase support for design, permits and construction

Summary — the principles behind every file we work on

Six commitments that shape every engagement:

Buyer-side only — we do not represent sellers on the same file
Paperwork before price — a bad plot at a good price is still a bad plot
Local presence, not remote sourcing — every plot is walked
Second-reviewer rule — a senior colleague reviews every file before you sign
Plain-English reporting — no jargon, no hidden assumptions
We say no — if we cannot get comfortable, we tell you and we walk

How we work with a new buyer

1. Understand the brief

A private conversation, in writing or by call. Use case (family estate, boutique hospitality, investment), budget range, timeline, structure preferences and any constraints. We are direct — if Sumba is not right for the brief, we say so.

2. Shortlist, not catalogue

We prepare a short, curated shortlist of plots that genuinely fit — usually 3–6 options, each with a candid one-page brief covering title, zoning, access, buildable envelope and price context. Never a spreadsheet of everything on the market.

3. Site visit and community context

We accompany you on the ground, introduce the local context, walk the boundaries and meet the village authority. This is where most of the real information surfaces — access constraints, historical disputes, seasonal conditions that no listing can capture.

4. Due diligence and structuring

Once a plot is chosen, we coordinate independent notaris review, zoning verification, boundary survey and any technical assessments (topography, water, environmental). We structure the ownership with your legal and tax advisors — PT PMA + HGB, long-lease or Hak Pakai as appropriate.

5. Closing and post-purchase care

AJB signing at the local PPAT, title registration at BPN, and — where relevant — a hand-off to build and property-care partners. We stay engaged after closing; a purchase is the start of the relationship, not the end.

What we will not do

Explicit no-lines that make the yes lines credible:

We do not double-side deals — we never represent both buyer and seller on the same file
We do not take seller commissions in addition to our buyer engagement — one economic side only
We do not use nominee arrangements to hold freehold in a foreigner's name
We do not rush files — if a plot needs more time to verify, it gets more time
We do not sell plots we would not buy ourselves at the price presented

How we are paid

We charge a transparent buyer-side engagement fee scoped to the work: sourcing, due diligence coordination, structuring and closing. Fees are disclosed upfront in writing, not embedded in the plot price. Where we introduce trusted partners (notaris, architects, contractors, property managers) we do not take referral fees from them — the introduction is the value, not a hidden commission.

Respect for community and landscape

Sumba is not a blank canvas. Communities, adat land rights, sacred sites and ecological character are real constraints and real opportunities. Projects that engage the community — through employment, small infrastructure contributions, cultural respect — outperform projects that ignore it. We only take on files where this is a shared value, not a marketing line.

Why Best Island Projects

We are a small team, deliberately.

Best Island Projects is a boutique. Every file has a lead advisor and a senior second reviewer. We turn down more engagements than we accept — partly to protect quality, partly to protect the small number of high-integrity plots we source each year for the buyers we do take on.

Frequently Asked

Questions from international buyers

For specific questions about a plot, area or process, request a private consultation.

Do you represent sellers as well as buyers?
Not on the same file. We are buyer-side only for the file we are engaged on. This eliminates the structural conflict-of-interest that quietly hurts most real estate transactions.
How is your fee structured?
A transparent, disclosed buyer-side engagement fee scoped to the mandate (sourcing, due diligence, structuring, closing). Not embedded in the plot price and not paid by the seller.
Do you take referral fees from architects, contractors or notarises you introduce?
No. Any introduction we make is because we would use the professional ourselves. We are paid by you, not by them.
Will you sell me a plot quickly if I want to move fast?
We will move as fast as the paperwork allows. We will not skip due diligence to hit a self-imposed deadline. If the plot cannot be verified in the time available, we will tell you and either wait or walk.
What if you conclude the plot I want is not safe?
We tell you clearly, in writing, why. We give you the option to proceed with independent counsel if you disagree — but we will step off the file rather than close a transaction we do not believe in.

Continue Exploring

Private Guidance

Considering a project in Sumba?

Tell us the brief. We will reply personally within one business day with a candid view — whether or not we are the right fit.

Request a private consultation