Portugal licenses real estate mediation through the regulator IMPIC. What the licence means, how to look it up and what to read in the contract.
Portugal is one of the countries where the question "is this agent licensed?" has a clear official answer. That makes the check easy to run before you pay anything, even from abroad. This guide is informational and not legal advice, and the rules and the regulator's website can change.
Is the profession regulated?
Yes. Real estate mediation is governed by Law 15/2013, and the gov.pt guide states that exercising it requires a licence granted by IMPIC, the Institute of Public Markets, Real Estate and Construction. The licence is usually called the AMI (Alvará de Mediação Imobiliária). Other points from the official guide:
- The applicant, whether a person or a company, and its legal representatives must show commercial good standing.
- The firm must hold civil liability insurance with a minimum insured capital of 150,000 euros, or an equivalent guarantee.
- The firm must keep an up-to-date register of all the mediation contracts it enters into.
One point often misunderstood: the licence belongs to the company. A lawyer quoted in the Portuguese press says the law does not impose an individual licence on every consultant, and consultants usually work under their agency's licence through a collaboration contract. So when someone says "I am a licensed consultant", the real question is which company's AMI number they work under.
Where to check
- On the regulator's website (IMPIC), look for the section on licensed companies for real estate mediation and search by the AMI number or the company name. Third-party guides describe a "consultar empresas licenciadas" link and a search box. I could not open the page myself, so the exact wording may differ; if nothing comes up, treat that as a warning and ask IMPIC to confirm.
- Compare the name in the register with the name on the contract, the invoice and the bank account. The licence of one company says nothing about another company that uses a similar brand.
- Third-party guides say the AMI number should appear on contracts, advertising and at the agency's premises; if it appears nowhere, ask why.
- Ask for the company's tax number (NIF) and registered address and check them through a local lawyer.
The mediation contract and the commission
The official guide defines mediation as seeking counterparties for clients through a contract, so a written mediation contract is part of the activity. Read it before you sign anything:
- Who the client is: the seller, or you as a buyer who has hired a buyer-side agent.
- The amount or percentage of the commission and when it becomes due.
- Whether the agency has exclusivity and for how long.
- What you owe if the deal does not close.
In a normal resale the commission is paid by the client who signed the contract, which is usually the seller. Do not assume; ask. See who pays the estate agent and whose side they are on and contracts and forms that bind you.
Red flags
- No AMI number on the listing, the contract or the website.
- The AMI number exists but belongs to another company than the one that is asking for money.
- A "consultant" who claims a personal licence but cannot name the agency licence behind the work.
- Pressure to pay a reservation or "document" fee before you have an extract of the property from the registry and the lawyer has reviewed the preliminary contract.
- Payment to an account of a private person, or in a different country from the property.
- The agent presents "their" lawyer as the only option. See lawyer recommended by the agent or developer.
For the general patterns, see property scams abroad: the most common schemes.
What an independent adviser adds
The licence tells you the company is allowed to mediate. It does not verify the property. An independent lawyer, not paid by the agent, checks who owns it, what charges exist, whether the building has the required use permits, and what the preliminary contract says about the deposit and about what happens if the seller withdraws. See notary or lawyer: who do you need abroad and the pre-purchase checklist. Our Portugal guide covers the buying process itself.
How we help
D.H. Realting is a Warsaw-based independent consultant that vets local lawyers and agents before introducing them. This text is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice.