Market Trends & Insights

Yes, foreigners can freely buy property in Portugal with no restrictions on ownership. Both EU and non-EU citizens can purchase homes, land, or commercial properties. The process is straightforward, you only need a Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a local bank account to begin your purchase.

The most popular regions for international buyers include Lisbon, the Algarve, and Porto. Lisbon attracts investors seeking high-end urban apartments, the Algarve is renowned for luxury villas and golf-side homes, and Porto offers excellent value and strong rental yields.

Buyers should budget for IMT (Property Transfer Tax) — up to 8% depending on value, Stamp Duty (0.8%), and legal fees averaging around 1% of the purchase price. There are no annual wealth or inheritance taxes on Portuguese real estate for most international buyers.

The traditional Golden Visa route via real estate ended in 2023. However, investors can still obtain Portuguese residency through fund investments, or by applying for the D7 (Passive Income) or Digital Nomad Visa, which are both accessible to property owners and long-term renters.

Portugal offers a unique mix of lifestyle appeal and financial stability. The market remains resilient with steady capital appreciation, high rental yields, and strong international demand. Combined with a stable economy, tax advantages, and world-class living standards, it continues to attract global investors.

Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo owns several luxury properties across Portugal, including a penthouse in Lisbon’s Avenida da Liberdade and a modern mansion in Cascais. His high-profile investments have drawn international attention to Portugal’s luxury real-estate market, highlighting the country’s appeal among global investors seeking prime coastal and city assets.

Learn more about Ronaldo’s Portugal properties

Chestertons Global is an international real estate network connecting leading property professionals across 20+ countries and 4 continents.

Unlike traditional franchises, affiliates retain their independence while gaining access to cross-border referrals, marketing support, and global exposure through the Chestertons brand.

Learn more about us.

Unlike franchise models that charge royalties or enforce strict branding, Chestertons Global operates on a simple annual fee structure, no hidden costs, no revenue sharing.

You maintain full control over your business systems, CRM, and brand identity.

We welcome agencies specialising in residential, commercial, investment, and mixed-use developments.

Whether you’re a boutique brokerage or an established firm, you’ll find value in our cross-border property exposure and referral system.

Our marketing team provides affiliates with shared content resources, PR exposure, and thought leadership opportunities that enhance brand visibility.
From digital campaigns to international press, we help affiliates reach buyers worldwide.

Joining Chestertons Global means becoming part of one of the world’s most established and trusted names in real estate.

You gain access to:

• Cross-border referrals that open new revenue opportunities across 20+ countries.

• Global property exposure through a unified listing distribution network.

• Marketing and PR support that elevates your brand presence internationally.

• Networking events like the Chestertons Global Conference and Polo in the Park Dubai that build lasting partnerships.

Commercial Ejari registers your business lease through RERA oversight. DED requires it as proof for commercial licenses. This step ensures your address holds up under government checks.

DED always demands an Ejari. It verifies your lease and location. Applications fail without it, so complete registration early to avoid delays.

Gather initial approval from DET, your Ejari certificate, signed lease, and activity details. Submit the full package to DED for processing.

UAE offers commercial for trading, professional for services, and industrial for manufacturing. Each matches your core operations.

A trade license handles general business activities. A commercial license focuses on retail sales and goods distribution.

Commercial licenses support sales and retail. Professional ones cover consulting, while industrial suit factories. Every type needs Ejari validation.

Yes, foreigners can freely buy property in Cannes without restrictions. France has an open real estate market, allowing non-residents to purchase apartments, villas, or investment properties. However, buyers must follow the French legal process, which includes signing contracts through a Notaire and complying with local tax regulations.

The property purchase process in Cannes is secure and structured. It begins with an accepted offer, followed by signing the Compromis de Vente. Buyers then have a 10-day cooling-off period, after which a deposit (usually 10%) is paid. The Notaire conducts due diligence, and final completion typically takes around three months.

Property prices in Cannes vary depending on location and property type. Prime areas like La Croisette or Californie can reach up to €40,000 per square metre, while more affordable areas such as Le Cannet offer lower entry points. Luxury villas and sea-view apartments command premium prices due to strong international demand.

Cannes is considered a strong “safe-haven” real estate market with consistent international demand. The city hosts major global events year-round, such as film festivals and business conferences, which support high rental yields and long-term capital appreciation. This makes it attractive for both lifestyle buyers and investors.

Buyers should budget for registration fees (around 5.8% for older properties), Notaire fees (1–1.5%), and agent commissions (typically included in the price). Annual costs include property tax (Taxe Foncière), and non-residents may also be subject to wealth tax if their real estate assets exceed €1.3 million.

The guide suggests mapping where your international enquiries originate, then asking the network for its presence and track record in those specific markets. It also suggests speaking with partner agencies in destination markets.

Check whether the network takes a share of revenue, whether it has approval rights over hiring, pricing or operations, and what the exit terms are. Networks range from prescriptive to lighter-touch models.

Ask how many cross-border introductions were made within the network in the past 12 months, what process exists for managing and tracking them, and whether you can speak with an agency in an overlapping market. Volumes depend on network concentration, member participation and infrastructure.

The guide says affiliation adds most value when the agency has the capacity and infrastructure to use it. Agencies that stepped back often cited timing, such as internal consolidation, a key hire leaving or unfavourable regional market conditions.

Chestertons Global describes itself as an affiliation network with roots in London since 1805, operating across 25+ markets in MENA, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Member agencies run as fully independent businesses, the network takes no share of revenue and does not direct operations, and membership is selective.

A forward is an obligation to exchange currency at a pre-agreed rate on a future date, usually with no upfront premium, but it gives no benefit from favourable rate moves and carries counterparty risk. An FX option gives the right, but not the obligation, to exchange at a strike price, for a non-refundable upfront premium, which limits downside to the premium while keeping upside.

The guide says forwards suit committed deals with fixed cash flows, while options suit contingent deals such as competitive bids or deals subject to due diligence. The principle is to match instrument certainty to transaction certainty.

The guide gives an illustrative example: a €10m Spanish property costing £8.55m at a GBP/EUR rate of 1.17 rises to £8.85m at 1.13, a £300,000 loss. It also notes a 1% adverse move on a €20 million deal can erase €200,000.

It describes transaction risk (the cost of a specific purchase moving with the rate), translation risk (the reported value of foreign holdings moving with the rate) and economic risk (sustained currency strength altering an asset's market position, rental demand and occupancy).

The guide advises verifying regulation (such as the FCA, MAS or DFSA) and credit ratings, and notes that specialist and digital FX providers may offer competitive rates compared with traditional banks. Rates in the guide are illustrative only; speak to a qualified adviser before hedging.

The guide explains that limited partners commit to a "blind pool" without knowing the specific assets in advance. The typical term is about 10 years with a 3 to 5 year investment period. Management fees are 1.5% to 2.0% of committed capital during the investment period, and carried interest is typically 20% of profits after a 7% to 9% preferred return.

The guide cites minimum fund commitments of US$1m to US$10m+, while a single trophy asset acquisition is often over US$100m. Direct deals carry acquisition fees of 1% to 2% of the purchase price.

Funds offer high diversification and a low management burden but less transparency, relying on quarterly reports from the general partner. Direct assets offer full control and high transparency, but no diversification.

The guide cites a median net IRR of 11.88% to 15.68% for real estate funds from vintages 2012 to 2018 (Preqin, 2024), and notes that subscription lines of credit can inflate reported fund IRRs. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

Co-investment is described as the main structural shift, typically with minimal or no management fees or carried interest. Technology and ESG criteria are also reshaping transactions, with green-certified offices showing rent and value premia. This is general information, not financial advice.

The article names qualification (selective entry over scale), agreement architecture (financial terms, operational parameters and protection mechanisms), technology infrastructure and culture.

The article cites issues such as lost tracking of introductions, commission disputes, abandoned follow-up, inconsistent service and currency conversion losses. It labels its figures as indicative, and several are not traceable to sources, so treat them with caution.

The article outlines days 1 to 30 for the legal framework, technology and a first set of qualified prospects; days 31 to 60 for onboarding partners and running test transactions; and days 61 to 90 for expanding the partner base and marketing. Costs and targets in the article are indicative.

The article states that Portugal real estate no longer qualifies for the Golden Visa under Lei n.º 56/2023 (effective 7 October 2023), mentions a 10-year Dubai Golden Visa for property of AED 2M or more (DLD), Singapore ABSD of up to 60%, doubled stamp duty for non-residents in Hong Kong and FIRB approval in Australia. Rules change, so confirm with local advisers.

The article says Asian UHNW decisions involve 5 to 7 stakeholders, versus 2 to 3 for Western counterparts, which affects how agencies communicate and plan.

The article says independent agencies can keep their edge through personalised service and deep local knowledge, even as luxury brands and national franchises merge to gain scale.

The article presents affiliate networks such as Chestertons Global as a middle path between going alone and fully joining a franchise. Affiliates keep operating under their own name.

It lists independence (operating under your own name), dual branding, collaborative marketing and PR support. Benefits vary by network, so review the terms of any affiliation carefully.

It suggests deepening local expertise through community events, designing signature offerings such as investment property tours, and using network PR channels for press releases, media partnerships and thought-leadership pieces.

The four steps are to map the market and position the agency as the local authority, create a tailored client journey, use network PR channels, and share case studies and testimonials.

The article argues that agile affiliate networks offer an alternative to mandated technology stacks, letting agencies choose tools that fit their business rather than being required to adopt one system.

According to the article, Chestertons Global charges no mandated technology fees.

The article names Zoho One Suite for integrated CRM, finance and HR workflows, Coraly for transaction and document management, 1060 (Tensixty.ai) as an upcoming AI assistant for lead scoring and market insights, and Mimecast for email security, with agencies choosing their own email service.

The article says many businesses struggle with disconnected databases and outdated platforms, and that replacing failed systems increases business disruption costs. It does not give a specific source for these general claims.

The article says the global real estate market is forecast to grow at a 5.00% CAGR through 2032, driven by urbanisation and infrastructure demand.