Not All Property Portals Are Alike

Not All Property Portals Are Alike 

By Darren Keohane – Founder of the KipperTree Property Portal  

Say that you’re interested in buying, renting, or selling property or land in Portugal. 

As someone who has been personally involved in all of the areas mentioned, I know that this can, on occasion, seem somewhat of a daunting prospect. You know in your own mind what you want, but just where on earth do you begin?

A good place to start is to find a property portal, where you’ll find thousands of properties for rent and for sale from regulated real estate agents, all listed in the same format within one site. It’s impossible to navigate each agent’s listings in Portugal as there are thousands to choose from, so portals are an important and professional resource to help you in your quest for your dream home.

Which property portal should I choose?

A good place to start is to find a portal that speaks your language, and not just literally. Most portals will have translation tools, usually provided by Google, but these can sometimes be a little misleading in the translation of the text. Many portals are often in Portuguese, as some agents may not speak another language, so it’s important to find a site in English (if that’s your preference), but more importantly, one that works for you. What I mean by this is one that lists the type of properties you’re looking for, as some portals can be quite specific in terms of what they display.

Usability

First, test out the site’s usability. Is it easy to navigate? Is it quick to load? Does it have private messaging? Is it an interesting site containing additional information, or is it a bog-standard portal with just pages and pages of properties? 

All portals differ in how they operate and look, so it’s really all about personal preference. Many, if not all portals, will contain the same properties from the same agents. 

AMI

From a legal point of view, you should only use a portal that is secure and correctly displays the AMI numbers of the sellers. In Portugal, Madeira, and the Azores, although the property portal itself does not need an AMI number, the agents whose properties it displays must be legally registered to sell a property. A Portuguese real estate agent is required to join the organisation INCI. The registration is recognisable by a permit with a registration number (Licença AMI-followed by a number, for example, AMI 6344). The AMI number needs to be displayed by agents in all advertisements used for the purpose of promoting their properties, so only use a portal that displays the government-approved AMI Number of the agent. If you come across sites not displaying the AMI number, be very careful, as advertisers may not be legally registered. Unfortunately, Facebook does not enforce this important piece of Portuguese legislation.

It is also illegal for property portals to take commissions based on the sale price of a property sold via their site which has been advertised by a private seller unless the portal is registered to sell real estate in Portugal and is fully licensed with an AMI number of its own.

Watch out for this if you are selling privately; these sites do exist here in Portugal. On another note, do watch out for portals/ advertisers not legally licensed to operate in Portugal and therefore not paying Portuguese tax or complying with Portuguese law. You may see them as registered charities, worker's co-operatives or non-profitable organisations, and they will usually be registered in another country. Just be careful, that's all I am saying, they don't help the economy of our beloved Portugal.

KipperTree Key Features

KipperTree was designed with both Portuguese locals and foreign investors alike in mind. Our aim was to provide a one-stop shop where everything you need is in one place.

You may like some of our site features.

As a private seller or renter, you can advertise your property for free on KipperTree. See this feature here

As a property hunter, you can post a free wanted property advert highlighting your requirements. We then take that request and email it to all site users in your chosen district location, bringing the sellers and agents to you. You can do this in as many districts as you like and as many times as you like and don't even have to be registered to the site. See this feature here

KipperTree provides live year-round weather on each Portuguese District page, of which there are 20 including the islands, giving you a better insight into your chosen District and what to expect all year round. See this feature here.

We also have a directory of approved real estate agents, currently over 4500 which is growing daily. See this feature here.

And a full directory of over 3000 categorised, searchable companies. See this feature here.

For those of you needing up-to-date financial or currency advice, we also have our own currency and mortgage page with articles from our specialist partners Spartan FX and Mortgage Direct. See this feature here.

Anyway, whether you are buying, selling, or renting properties, KipperTree is proud of the qualitative differences and benefits found on its property portal compared to its competition.

Regards Darren

Darren Keohane - CEO and founder of KipperTree