Buying Agent.
The broker who works for the buyer.
A buying agent is a real estate broker retained by the buyer, and by the buyer alone. We start from what you are looking for, go to the market to find it, including homes that are not listed, visit, filter, assess and negotiate on your behalf. We answer to one person: you.
Why a buyer needs someone on their side.
In most high-end transactions in Brazil, the broker who opens the door was hired by the seller. He is a legitimate professional, but his fee depends on one outcome: selling that house, at the highest price the market will accept. The buyer, often without noticing, negotiates with no one on their side.
Buying agents have existed in London for over thirty years and became the standard in the United States after the 2024 NAR settlement, when buyers started signing their own representation agreements before touring a single home. In Brazil, the practice is rare. Andreatta Broker has represented buyers since 2013, first under the name Home Hunter, and since 2026 as a formal service, with a method, a contract and a limited number of clients at a time.
No visit happens before the study. No offer, before the dossier.
Buying in Brazil without being in Brazil.
If you live abroad, you cannot visit twenty houses, you do not know which gated community suits your family, and you have no way to tell a fair price from an asking price. A buying agent does the groundwork: studies the market, maps every unit in the target community, visits first, writes a dossier on each finalist with real comparables, inspection notes and legal checks, and presents only what is worth your trip. When you come, you see two or three homes, not twenty. If you prefer, the offer is signed by the buying agent with formal representation and you appear only at the deed.
Brazilians living abroad.
Miami, Lisbon, London, Zurich, Dubai. A countryside or beach house for the family in Brazil, or an apartment in São Paulo for the return. We handle everything locally, in your time zone when needed.
Executives and families relocating.
A home in São Paulo or a weekend house within reach of the city, with schools, clubs and logistics taken into account before the first visit.
International investors and family offices.
A documented search, one dossier per property, price analysis with real comparables, full due diligence and a written report for your committee.
Three stages. Nine steps.
No visit happens before the study. No offer, before the dossier.
Briefing
You describe what you are looking for: region or community, type of house, land, budget, timing and what is non-negotiable. We talk about the family, the routine, the logistics and the plans for the next years. Confidential.
Market study
We study the product before looking for a single house: records, bylaws, restrictions and the sales of recent years, to know what each type of property is actually worth there, not what is being asked.
Alignment
We present the study before the search begins. If the target is confirmed, we start. If not, we adjust the briefing. It is cheaper to change your mind here than after three trips.
Sweep
The search is not limited to our portfolio or to any single agency. For your briefing we cover the whole market: other brokers, owners, developers, estates, homes available without listing and homes not for sale whose owners accept an approach. If the target is a community or a building, we map every unit. We visit everything first. You do not appear at this stage.
Dossier
For each finalist, a critical inspection and a written dossier: photos and plans, price analysis with real comparables, condition and defects, history, community restrictions, title, liens, certificates and tax risks, estimated adaptation cost and our opinion, including when the opinion is “no”.
Your visit
You see only what is worth it, in person or by guided video tour, always with us, without identifying yourself to the seller.
Negotiation
We negotiate from the dossier and the comparables, not from the seller's expectations. When you prefer anonymity, the offer is signed by the buying agent with formal representation and you appear only at the deed.
Due diligence and closing
Certificates, title, bylaws, building compliance, community dues, purchase agreement, deed and registration, with your lawyer or one we recommend. For foreign buyers: CPF registration, foreign exchange and the Central Bank registration of the inbound capital, coordinated with your bank and lawyer.
Handover
Keys, staff and supplier transition, architects, landscapers and builders on request, and support while the family settles in.
Paid by the buyer. Only by the buyer.
The buying agent is paid by the buyer, in two parts.
Retainer.
Paid at signing. Covers the study and the search: market study, sweep, visits and dossiers. A fixed amount set in the contract; it is what allows us to take a few clients at a time.
Success fee.
Paid at acquisition. A percentage of the purchase price, by a fixed schedule disclosed before signing. It only exists if the right home is found and bought.
- Retainer, Brazil (São Paulo state)
- BRL 25,000 (approx. USD 4,500)
- Retainer, other states
- BRL 40,000 (approx. USD 7,200)
- Success fee, Brazil
- 4.5% of the purchase price
- International purchases
- On request
Compensation / Credit Clause (Offsetting Rule)
Should the seller or a partner agency pay a brokerage commission on the transaction, that amount is deducted in full from the buyer's success fee or formally declined, ensuring a neutral or reduced cost to the client and the absence of double compensation or conflict of interest.
In one sentence: if the seller pays a commission, it is yours. The buying agent receives a single fee, the buyer's, and you know the amount before signing any offer.
Fees are quoted in Brazilian reais; USD figures are approximate and for reference only.
Who it makes sense for.
Wealth.
A high-end home stays with a family for decades. Buying well decides what it is worth, what it passes on and what it sells for one day. At these values, a pricing error or an unread bylaw costs more than the whole service.
Access.
Much of what is worth buying is never listed. Without someone searching actively, a buyer sees only what is left.
Discretion.
Executives, known families, public figures and anyone who does not want the market to know they are buying. Prices rise when the seller learns who the buyer is; with a buying agent, the seller does not.
Unfamiliar territory.
Buying outside your city or your country, with someone who knows the community, the street and the history before you travel.
Family offices and wealth managers.
Buying on behalf of others, with an independent technical counterpart: documented search, dossier per property, price analysis, full due diligence and a written report.
Where we work.
Gated communities where a partner lives, and the city.
- Countryside
- Fazenda Boa Vista, Quinta da Baroneza, Boa Vista Village (about 90 minutes from São Paulo).
- Coast
- Condomínio Iporanga, São Pedro, Tijucopava and Taguaíba, in Guarujá (about 90 minutes from São Paulo).
- City
- São Paulo, in Jardins, Itaim Bibi, Cidade Jardim, Vila Nova Conceição and surrounding neighbourhoods, by buying agent and off-market portfolio.
Questions we are asked.
Can a foreigner buy property in Brazil?
Yes. Urban residential property can be bought by foreign individuals and companies with few restrictions. You need a Brazilian tax number (CPF), which can be obtained from abroad, and the purchase funds must enter Brazil through a registered foreign exchange operation. We coordinate this with your bank and lawyer as part of step 08.
Do I need to be in Brazil to buy?
No. The search, the visits and the dossiers happen before you travel. The offer can be signed by the buying agent with formal representation, and the deed can be signed by proxy. Most clients come once, to see the finalists, and once more for the handover.
How long does a search take?
Usually three to six months from briefing to deed, depending on the community and the budget. A serious search cannot be rushed, which is why we take a few clients at a time.
Do I pay two commissions?
No. If the seller or another agency pays a commission, it is deducted in full from your success fee or declined in writing. The buying agent receives a single fee.
Can I remain anonymous?
Yes. You do not need to identify yourself to the seller during visits or negotiation. The offer can be signed by the buying agent; you appear only at the deed, if you wish.
Which languages do you work in?
Portuguese and English. Documents are in Portuguese; we provide summaries in English and coordinate certified translations when required.
How do we start?
With a conversation. Fill in the form below or write on WhatsApp. The first call is to understand what you are looking for; the briefing comes after.
Request a conversation.
Tell us what you are looking for. We answer within one business day.