FAQs

Choosing the right real estate agent or agency in Portugal can be quite challenging — especially for foreign buyers.

From my own experience, the websites of many agencies didn’t inspire much trust. It was hard to get a real sense of their ethics, professionalism, or adherence to a code of conduct. Many sites lacked clear, detailed information and felt outdated or unprofessional, which made it difficult to feel confident about who to work with.

Since moving here, I’ve come to understand why this is common. Even in Lisbon, the capital city, the real estate market has a surprisingly small-town feel. Everyone seems to know someone who’s a real estate agent, and agencies often rely on word-of-mouth rather than investing in a polished online presence. While this local dynamic works for residents, it can make things extra challenging for foreign buyers living abroad who don’t have these personal connections.

Fortunately, I was lucky to be introduced to an excellent realtor (who I’m now proud to call my colleague) through a trusted business associate in the industry. He had worked with her before, and when he learned I wanted to buy in Lisbon, he connected us. From our first conversation, it was clear she was the right fit – professional, knowledgeable, transparent, and patient with all my questions.

For foreign buyers especially, personal networks are invaluable.
Reach out to your friends, colleagues, and online expat communities to find recommended agents who understand your needs and can guide you through the process and give you the support foreign buyers require.

Estate Agencies or independent Estate Agents (Realtors) in Portugal must operate under an AMI licence (typically 4 digits), which should be clearly displayed on their web page and marketing materials.

For example, our agency, the RE/MAX Vantagem Group, has an AMI licence number of AMI 7772.  All of our Agents in the group operate under this number.  

If an Estate Agent works independently and not for an Agency, they should have an AMI number. 

You can verify a realtor’s licence by following these simple steps:

1. Check the Realtor’s website.  Their AMI number is usually written in the footer.  
2. Visit the official website of IMPIC (Instituto dos Mercados Públicos, do Imobiliário e da Construção), which issues the licences.
3. Type in the licence number (Nº Licença) of the Realtor or Agency and search (Pesquisar).
4. If the licence number is legitimate, the search will yield the following information:

   • Company Name

   • Address  (TIP: Check if the location is credible.)

   • AMI Licence No. 

   • NIPC (This is the number that serves as Corporation tax reference number, VAT registration number & company registration number)

   • Licence issued date (TIP: Check how long the Agency or Realtor has been operating in Real Estate)

   • Insurer (TIP: Check that the Agency or Realtor fulfills their legal obligation to have liability insurance)

   • Insurance Expiry Date

Haven’t heard back after contacting a real estate agency about their listing?  Don’t be discouraged. 

Here are some common reasons why you may not be getting a response:

• High volume of inquiries: Lisbon is a competitive market, and agents receive dozens of daily requests. Generic or incomplete messages may get overlooked.

• Spam filters: Messages from foreign emails, unusual domains, or with formatting issues sometimes get flagged as spam.

• Scam concerns: Unfortunately, realtors are frequent targets of fraudulent requests. Messages that feel impersonal or unclear or AI-generated may be ignored.

• Language barriers: If your email is poorly translated or uses characters that don’t display properly, it can look like “gibberish” to the recipient.

• Technical issues:  Technical problems may be preventing your message from being delivered.  

How to increase your chances of getting a response:

1. Use a professional or company email address. Agents are more likely to trust and reply to emails from recognizable domains than from free providers like Gmail or Yahoo.

2. Personalize your message. Mention the agent by name, reference a specific property, and explain why you’re reaching out to them. Avoid copy-paste templates.

3. Be clear and detailed. Share your needs—budget, preferred location, property type, move-in timeline. This helps the agent know you’re a serious client.

4. Show commitment. Explain why you’re reaching out to this particular agent and how you found out about them.

5. Write in the language of the person you’re contacting. Bear in mind that many realtors in Portugal don’t speak English.  When contacting Portuguese Realtors, use a translation tool such as DeepL to help you write the message in Portuguese.  You can explain that you don’t speak the language and ask if they or a colleague would be able to help you in English.  

6. Try other communicaiton methods – e-mail, contact form, phone.  

No.  Realtors in Portugal are usually only paid on commission. ie They receive a percentage of the real estate transaction (a commission) once the deal concludes.  

Realtors usually pay all their own expenses including transport, phone, computer, and marketing materials (including signage, flyers and outsourced services such as photography, videography, home styling, etc.)