Griselda White de Riess – Consultation & Service

From property search to contract signing – as your personal Buyer’s Agent I support you throughout the sales process. With many years of experience as a real estate agent, I am well acquainted with the characteristics and peculiarities of the real estate market in Portugal. For the smooth road to your dream property.

Your personal Buyer’s Agent

As a real estate agent for a large German, internationally operating real estate firm, I have traveled to many countries and met different cultures. But Portugal immediately put me under its spell and never let me go. In the nineties I lived there with my family, today I commute between my residence on the Atlantic coast in Estoril and Germany.

I not only know the country, but also its people. My network includes  lawyers, tax consultants and all the important authorities for your smooth real estate purchase on site. Since I speak fluent Portuguese, Spanish, English and German, communication is not an issue.

From search to purchase – not only do I find your desired object, but I also support you with my knowledge of the particular sales behavior and the negotiation tactics until the signing of the contract. Moreover, I inform you about the important differences in the purchase of real estate between Portugal and other countries.

I am registered in Portugal as a Real Estate Agent at IMPIC (Instituto dos Mercados Públicos do Imobiliário e da Construção).

Consultation & Service

If you buy a property abroad, the risks of making a mistake is greater than that in your home country.  Despite EU legislations, the laws and the peculiarities of the real estate market in your country and Portugal have significant differences. My support during the purchase process helps you to avoid these mistakes.

What is a Buyer’s Agent?

Buyer Agents are real estate agents who accompany individuals throughout the process of buying a property. Their priority interest is in the buyer’s perspective.

Whereas in Portugal, real estate agents receive their commission from the seller alone and prioritize their interests. Furthermore, the agency can only offer the property when they themselves have a contract with the owner.

A buyer’s agent, unlike real estate agents, represents the interests of the buyer. Their advantage is that they can search the entire market for the right property and select the most suitable one from the different objects offered by all real estate agencies.

Hiring a Buyer’s Agent as a buyer will not cost you anything. The fee paid by the owner of the property is shared between the real estate agency and the buyer’s agent.

Benefits in working with a buyer’s agent

  • I support you in the search, localization and evaluation of the property. You get an unbiased counselling with a critical and objective real estate analysis.
  • In addition, I have an extensive network in Portugal i.e. personal contacts, Real Estate Developers, Construction Firms, Real Estate Agencies etc. I keep you in the know as soon as a suitable property comes onto the market – and sometimes even before it appears on the market.
  • I support you in asking the right questions about each property and I give you a comprehensive analysis of the positive and negative aspects of each property.
  • Among my service is the coordination of appointments, object visits and preparation, which are beneficial if you come to Portugal on a tight time schedule.
  • Together, we examine the condition of a property interest and I share my professional assessment.
  • I prepare a price comparison for the market so you do not pay too much for a property. Not every object is offered at a reasonable price and sometimes the expectations of the seller are well above the realistic market prices. Furthermore, I support you in the price negotiation.
  • I assist you in putting together the necessary documents for the purchase process with the adequate securities. Additionally, I ensure that the transaction is carried out correctly and support you in hiring the Portuguese lawyer for the purchasing process.

Differences in real estate purchase between Portugal and other countries

In Portugal, the purchase is usually completed directly at the notary and the purchase price is paid via central bank check. This is different to many countries,  where your rights as a property purchaser are secured in the cadastral register even before the conclusion of the property sale.

My services for you

As your buyer’s agent, I support you from search to signature. Firstly, I check the validity of the information and evaluate it. With my knowledge of local market prices, I support you in the price negotiations. For the signing of the contract, I provide you with established lawyers on site, organize meetings with the notary and assist you in signing the purchase contract and the notarial document.

What are the costs for you?

Contrary to other countries, in Portugal the seller of a property pays the sales fee. Upon successful completion of the property sale, I receive a part of said commission. Thus, you pay only the real estate transfer tax, the notary and lawyer costs. If you require any additional personal assitance on side I charge you the incurred costs.

An annual property tax (IMI) is due for the purchase of your property. This is calculated on the basis of the cadastral value. The tax is 0.2 to 0.5 percent of this cadastral value. Of course there are also running costs such as electricity, heating and water.