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Services · Acquisition advisory

Buyer advisory

Professional support on the buying side: we define the criteria with you, analyse the market, verify the documentation, and accompany you at each viewing and through to the deed. Terms, including remuneration, are put in writing before any commitment.

Real-estate intermediation is carried out by a licensed real-estate brokerage, identified to the client before any brokerage activity. The search for properties, the negotiation and the brokerage itself sit with that firm. Our work is the advice at your side, the same in Lisbon, Madrid and Dubai.

Why the agent showing you the house does not work for you

Whoever brings the property to market has a contract with the seller and a duty to obtain the best price for the seller. That is their role. The buyer should not assume that the same person is also acting for them.

In Portugal and in Spain, in most residential transactions, the buyer negotiates alone and with far less information than the other party. This is where support on your side makes a difference.

Who works for whom in an ordinary residential transaction.
RoleWho engages themWhere their duty lies
The agent advertising the propertyThe sellerThe seller: the highest price obtainable
The agent who also ‘assists’ the buyerThe sellerThe seller, even while showing the house to the buyer
An acquisition adviserThe buyerThe buyer: criteria, verification and the candour to say when you should not buy

What we do, in order

Nine fixed phases, each with a typical timeframe and a closing document you keep.

The nine phases, with the typical timeframe for each.

  1. Criteria

    One session
    A requirements session: use, holding horizon, total budget (not the price alone), tax and family constraints.

  2. Terms

    48 hours
    The terms, including remuneration, are presented in writing and accepted before any commitment and before the first viewing.

  3. Search and analysis

    2–6 weeks
    The search for properties on the market is carried out by the brokerage. On our side, we analyse each property against the agreed criteria and keep a reasoned shortlist.

  4. Verification

    5–10 days per property
    Permanent land registry certificate, tax register entry, occupancy licence, energy certificate, registered charges, service-charge debts and the municipal plan.

  5. Opinion of value

    5 days
    Comparables from completed transactions, not asking prices. An independent contractor's estimate for works where applicable.

  6. Offer

    Depends on the counterparty
    The brokerage conducts the negotiation. We prepare with you the offer structure, the conditions precedent and the timetable through to the deed; every counter-offer is recorded and dated.

  7. Preliminary contract

    Agreed between the parties
    Reviewed with the client's own lawyer. The seller's draft never goes to signature unreviewed.

  8. Deed

    The date set in the preliminary contract
    At your side on the day, checking of figures and means of payment, and handover of keys.

  9. Afterwards

    Ongoing, with a review at twelve months
    Registration, transfer of contracts, municipal property tax and the first review of the property at twelve months.
See each phase in detail, and what you receive at the end of it

Terms and commitments

Terms and remuneration in writing before any commitment. Four commitments hold in every case.

The commitments of the advisory work, in writing.

  • Everything in writing before any commitment

    Nothing proceeds until the terms, including remuneration, have been presented in writing and accepted by you, before the first viewing.

  • One client per transaction

    We advise one side only. When the interests of two clients cross in the same deal, we say so and one of the sides is directed to independent advice.

  • The same rigour on every property

    Documentary verification follows the same order and the same standard whichever property is under review, which removes any interest in steering the choice.

  • Includes the recommendation not to buy

    The analysis and verification work is the same whether it concludes in proceeding or in stopping.

If we conclude that you should not buy, we say so.

Frequently asked questions

Five questions, before any commitment.

Can I work with Rhamos and still look at properties on my own?
Yes. We ask only that you tell us what you have seen before making any offer, so that document verification happens before a figure is on the table. Our work is the same whichever property is chosen.
What if the property I want is with an agency that does not know you?
You can buy through any agency. That agency keeps its relationship with the seller; on your side, you keep the document verification, the analysis against the agreed criteria, and our presence at viewings and through to the deed. Any brokerage the case requires stays with the brokerage.
What is the minimum value you work on?
We publish no minimum value: what counts is whether the advisory work adds something to the case. A straightforward purchase in an area you know well may not need it. A purchase involving works, an undivided inheritance or a corporate structure may, even at a lower value. We say which case yours is before any commitment.
How long does buying in Portugal actually take?
Between two and six weeks to a shortlist, plus five to ten days of documentary verification per property. Once an offer is accepted, the period to the deed is set in the preliminary contract and lengthens where bank financing is involved.
Do I need to be in Portugal to buy?
Not at every stage. The deed can be executed by an attorney holding sufficient powers. A Portuguese tax identification number (NIF) is required and, for non-residents from outside the European Union, a fiscal representative; both are covered, with a verification date, in the guide to buying in Portugal. We recommend attending at least one viewing before an offer.

Start with the criteria

The buying brief is the first phase. It takes a few minutes and lets us say plainly whether we are the right people for what you are looking for.

Send a buying briefRead the guide to buying in Portugal