Real Estate
Selling Property in Portugal: Taxes and Capital Gains
Understand Portugal’s property selling tax rules including capital gains, non-resident taxes, and reliefs.
Sell a property in Portugal
In any nation, selling a property is not simple. Errors can escalate swiftly in cost. Even more challenging is trying to complete the deal in a foreign nation like Portugal. At Pearls of Portugal, we put your needs first above all else and conduct the sale for you quickly and easily. We provide you with top-notch sales support in your native tongue.
Sell your property the best way in Portugal.
Book a free consultation with one of our experts now!
Which documents do you need to sell your property in Portugal?
Before selling your property, you need to have all the necessary documents, such as:
- The last Deed
- ‘Certificado Energético‘ (Energy Certificate)
- Property tax payments
- Caderneta Predial (Title Certificate)
- Certidão Permanente de Registo Predial (Land Registry Certificate)
- Licença de Habitação (Habitation License)
- Floor plans
- Ficha Técnica da Habitação (Housing Technical File)
- Condominium Declaration
What is the normal process to sell your property?
1. Initial personal consultation
The focus of the first steps is understanding your objectives for selling your property in Portugal, your preferences for the progression of the sale process, as well as knowing all aspects of the property. This way, we create the foundation for a detailed study of the property and surroundings. This is done through intensive inspection, capturing images for internal discussion and evaluation, and cataloging the object’s characteristics. This way, we analyze the strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of potential buyers.
2. Well-founded assessment
Based on comprehensive market analysis, trends, local experience, and the characteristics of your property, we determine the ideal price for your property listing. Among other things, you benefit from the use of specialized Software, which develops and uses algorithms for well-founded price assessments. This state-of-the-art technology, combined with expert on-site advice, is available to you with Pearls of Portugal.
3. Target group analysis and marketing strategy
Your property must be presented in the best possible way to the right audience. Combined with the wide range of marketing channels, each property ad is formulated to suit the target group so that the property reaches as many suitable buyers as possible. Traditional and innovative marketing channels are complemented by a comprehensive approach aimed at potential buyers. This is one of the success factors for selling your property.
4. Viewings
Who knows your property better than yourself? We will have a profound onsite briefing with you and the responsible agent to know everything that we need to introduce your property to potential buyers. You will receive free professional real estate agent signs that can be placed on your property and we will provide you with important documents that will help to prepare the property for the viewings.
5. Reports on the status of the advertising campaign
The foundation of our daily work with clients is regular reporting on marketing-related status and activities, as well as direct information on relevant events (purchase price offers, market knowledge, etc.). The same rule applies to individual coordination with expanding marketing activities and increasing the publication’s popularity.
6. Price negotiations and purchase process
Contract and price negotiations are professionally conducted and moderated by us. Our team prepares the relevant documents for the contracts and coordinates all parties like lawyers and investors in the purchase process. We also stand by you to the notary’s appointment and other contract signings like the CPCV or other reservation contracts. We will be with you through the entire sales process right up to the deed.
What are the legal requirements for realtors and contracts in Portugal?
Portuguese real estate brokers are subject to legal regulations through the IMPIC (Instituto dos Mercados Públicos, do Imobiliário e da Construção) and are required to hold a valid license AMI. The realtors are required to identify their license in any marketing communication and are also obliged to identify them whenever their conduct viewings with potential investors.
In Portugal, where an agent’s commission is typically 5% and provided for in the sale price, there are no legal restrictions on the fees that can be charged. Realtors are paid exclusively by the seller so there is no split of mediation costs between buyer and seller.
A real estate mediation contract CMI (Contrato de mediação imobiliária) is a contract by which a company duly authorized to practice acts of real estate mediation seeks, for its clients, receivers for the realization of businesses that aim at the constitution or acquisition of real rights over real estate, the exchange or the lease of the same, the trespass or the cession of position in contracts that have real estate as an object, by means of remuneration, due with the conclusion and perfection of the business aimed by the exercise of the mediation.
The real estate mediation contract is obligatorily reduced to writing and must contain, obligatorily, the following elements
- The identification of the characteristics of the real estate property that constitutes the material object of the contract, with the specification of all the encumbrances and charges that fall on it;
- The identification of the business targeted by the mediation exercise
- The remuneration conditions of the company, in fixed or percentage terms, as well as the payment form, with the indication of the applicable VAT rate;
- Identification of the civil liability insurance or financial guarantee or equivalent instrument, with an indication of the policy and insurance entity or, when applicable, the capital guaranteed
- Identification of the real estate agent that may have collaborated in the preparation of the contract;
- The detailed identification of eventual accessory services to be rendered by the company;
- Reference to the exclusivity regime, when agreed upon, specifying its effects for both the company and the client.
Models of real estate mediation contracts with general contractual clauses are subject to prior approval by the IMPIC.
Why should I sell my property with Pearls of Portugal?
We have a team of experienced professionals ready to help you at every step of the process. Pearls of Portugal knows the national real estate market as well as the Portuguese laws and costumes. Your agent will create a marketing strategy to promote your property to potential buyers using various platforms like international websites, social media, and local investors.
We will help you to get all the necessary documents, set the right price, show you how the current market is, advertise your property and screen out potential buyers from “tire kickers” whose interest won’t get you anywhere.
We offer a wide and unique range of services for our clients:
- Assumption of costs and organization of the preliminary contract, which is carried out for you by our partner attorneys
- Personal support by a client advisor throughout the entire sales process
- Carrying out the local viewings
- Professional valuation of the property to achieve an optimal sales price
- Preparation of the energy certificate
- Provision of sales materials
- Placement on all relevant platforms
- Professional photos and virtual tours (optional) of the property
- Marketing on our website and in the newsletter
- Coordination of the notary appointment
Why sell a property with exclusivity?
Anyone who wants to sell a property as an owner is regularly faced with the question of hiring one or more real estate agents to sell. The real estate agent has a central role as a mediator for the owner and all potential buyers. Clients commit to the real estate agent during the contract period with intensive efforts to bring the desired sale to a successful conclusion.
The real estate agent’s activities include, for example, carrying out appropriate advertising measures at their own expense. In return, the client waives the involvement of other real estate agents or third parties. In the case of an exclusive contract, the real estate agent puts all their experience, connections, and market knowledge, as well as their knowledge of the modalities of a real estate transaction, at the service of their client.
