In Portugal, the real estate industry is heavily regulated, much more so than in the UK.

All estate agents in Portugal must train for their profession and be registered with the government. All legal estate agencies will display an official AMI (Associacao de Mediadores Imobiliarios) licence number on their premises. If you need to check out their credentials, you can contact the Instituto da Construcao e do Imobiliario.

Always check that any estate agency you deal with is operating within the law. Checking their AMI registration also means you have an avenue of complaint and escalation in the event of problems.
With legality out the way, what should you expect from an estate agent in Portugal? A lot depends on the area in which you are searching for a property. If you are looking in popular expat areas such as the Algarve, Cascais, or the Silver Coast agencies will be well rehearsed in dealing with expat buyers and will probably all speak English. In more rustic areas, such as rural Central Portugal, you may find a Portuguese interpreter all but essential!

Another difference between the areas is how easy it is to identify what property is for sale. While agencies in areas like the Algarve operate much like the UK with “For Sale” (Venda-se) signs, brochures, and regularly updated websites, in more rural areas talking to the agents themselves may be the only way you will find out that certain properties are even available!

Fear of the unknown leads many expats to use British or expat agencies and ignore Portuguese businesses. While doing this may make you feel more comfortable in your dealings, it does represent an unwillingness to embrace the local culture. The best advice to find a property you like, make sure the agency selling it has the correct credentials and just proceed from there. Try not to limit your options.
In Portugal, the estate agent’s role is essentially limited to listing and selling properties. As soon as an offer is accepted, the lawyers and notaries take over. This doesn’t, however, mean that estate agents won’t attempt to push you in the direction of a “pet” lawyer to handle your purchase. While this may make the transaction seem more straightforward, it does go against the conventional wisdom that states that a lawyer working hand-in-hand with an agent has an undeniable conflict of interest.

The best advice is find a lawyer of your own who you have found via a personal recommendation. This doesn’t mean you should necessarily refrain from accepting your agent’s help in obtaining fiscal numbers and other bureaucratic pieces of paper – just make sure your lawyer is acting exclusively in your interests. Most importantly, don’t let anyone pressure you into any decisions – take the time to enjoy your property search!

For details of property for sale in Portugal, visit the Portuguese listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when buying property in Portugal, or retiring there, is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into euros to complete the purchase of your property. For more information on this, visit the Currency Zone.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Portugal, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Portugal Property Buying Guide’