Q&A • Real Estate

How much is the estate agency commission in Portugal and what is the AMI licence for?

In Portugal the mediation commission is a matter for the contract, not for a statutory scale, and it is normally paid by the seller. The AMI licence is what tells you the agency on the other side of the table is authorised to mediate at all.

Short answer

  1. The commission usually runs between 3% and 6% of the sale value, plus VAT at the standard mainland rate of 23%.
  2. It is normally borne by the seller, under the terms of the mediation contract. A buyer only pays it where their own case says so.
  3. The Autonomous Regions apply VAT rates different from the mainland, so the gross commission there is not the same figure.
  4. AMI is the licence number of an estate agency. Ask for it, and confirm the agency's registration with IMPIC, the body that oversees the activity, before signing anything.

Where the percentage really comes from

The band of 3% to 6% describes what agencies commonly charge; it is not a rate anyone can enforce. What binds is the mediation contract, which sets the percentage or amount, the base it is calculated on, and the moment it falls due. The tax that does have a fixed rate is VAT: at the standard mainland rate of 23%, a commission of 5% net becomes 6.15% gross - which is why a quotation should always state whether the figure includes VAT.

What the AMI licence signals

Estate mediation in Portugal is a regulated activity: an agency needs a licence, identified by its AMI number, and the sector is overseen by IMPIC. Licensed agencies show that number on their listings, their premises and their contracts, which makes it easy to check. If an agency cannot give you an AMI number, that is the point at which to stop and confirm the registration with IMPIC yourself.

  • Ask for the AMI number before the first viewing, not at the signing.
  • Check that the name on the mediation contract is the same legal entity that holds the licence.
  • Confirm the licence status with IMPIC where anything about the agency's identification is unclear.

What to read in the mediation contract

  1. The commission: the percentage or the amount, whether it is stated net or with VAT, and the value it is calculated on.
  2. When it falls due: at the promissory contract, at the deed, or at another agreed moment.
  3. The term of the contract, whether it renews automatically, and how much notice either side must give.
  4. Whether the regime is exclusive, and exactly what the exclusivity covers - read that clause word for word before signing.
  5. What the agency undertakes to do for the fee: photography, energy certificate, portal placement, viewings, document gathering, and what is charged separately.

Where the commission sits against the tax

Commission and tax are separate bills paid by different people. On a 250,000 euro purchase for own permanent housing financed with 200,000 euro of credit, the buyer pays about 10,992 euro in IMT, stamp duty, deed and registration - 4.4% of the price - and none of that is affected by whether an agency was involved. The commission, on the seller's side, is added on top and is set solely by the mediation contract.

How 4property helps your agency

A commission that lives in a signed PDF somewhere is a commission that gets argued about. In 4property the mediation contract is generated from the property record and stored with its term, its exclusivity regime and the agreed commission, with alerts before each renewal - and the fee is visible both net and with VAT. Viewings and enquiries are logged against the property and the client, which is what documents the agency's part in the deal when the invoice is issued.

See also