Buyer's agent in Portugal: an IMPIC licence, and one client per deal.

Is a buyer's agent a licensed role in Portugal?

Yes, in the way that matters. Estate agency needs a licence from IMPIC and liability insurance of at least EUR 150,000, whichever side the agency works for. A free gov.pt search finds licensed agencies by name, licence number, tax number or district. If you engage an agency to find you a property, you become its client under a written mediation contract.

Search the licence before you sign. The fee rules in full: Portugal real estate agent fees.

Who pays the estate agent in Portugal, and how much?

Whoever signs the mediation contract, at the fee it states, with the VAT rate. The law forbids an agency to take a fee from its client and from the other side in the same deal. One market source, quoted on our cost page, puts the agent's fee at 3% to 6%, normally paid by the seller. No law sets that range. VAT is 23% on the mainland.

Every cost line: Portugal property buying costs.

What does a buyer's agent do in Portugal?

Finds and shortlists properties, arranges viewings, negotiates, and takes you through the sequence: a NIF, the promissory contract (CPCV) with its deposit, the registry checks, finance, then the deed before a notary or at the Casa Pronta counter, and registration. A market source puts it at about one to three months from accepted offer.

• Deposit. Reported as typically 5% to 10% under the CPCV. If the buyer withdraws without legal cause the seller keeps it; if the seller withdraws, the seller pays back double.
• Registry check. The certidão permanente shows the owner and charges. See the caderneta predial explained.
• Money you hand the agency before the CPCV is held for you, must be handed back when you ask, and may not be used by the agency.

The full process: buying property in Portugal as a foreigner.

Do I need a lawyer or a notary to buy in Portugal?

The deed is signed before a notary, or in one sitting at the IRN's Casa Pronta counter, then registered at the Land Registry. Hiring a lawyer is common; whether it is legally required was not confirmed. One market source puts legal fees at 1.25% to 2.00% of the price. A non-resident also either signs up for electronic tax notifications or appoints a fiscal representative.

You need a Portuguese tax number (NIF) first; anyone, resident or not, can request one from the tax authority.

Where does independent research fit when buying in Portugal?

Before the mediation contract. Brinkman Data analyses every listing for sale in your Portuguese city and budget, checks rents against real lets, prices in purchase tax and holding costs, and sends you the five worth buying with a spreadsheet of every listing. It is not an agent, takes no commission and is paid only by the buyer. $499, delivered in 5 days.

Tax changes the ranking. Since 25 May 2026 a non-resident buying a home pays IMT at a flat 7.5%, plus 0.8% stamp duty, and municipal IMI runs at 0.3% to 0.45% of the tax value each year. Since 7 October 2023, buying property no longer qualifies for a golden visa.

The order that works: research first, then an agent to view and negotiate, then the notary and your own lawyer. The full comparison: how to find a property to buy abroad. What an independent analyst does: independent property analyst. A real report, page by page: the sample report.

What should I check before signing a Portuguese mediation contract?

The agency's IMPIC licence on gov.pt, the fee and VAT rate written in the contract, when the fee falls due, and how long the contract runs. If it says nothing on duration, it runs for 6 months. If it asks for an advance on the fee, it must say so, and the advance comes back if the purchase does not happen.

The twenty-one-country comparison: real estate agent fees by country.

Header photo: Dale Cruse, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.