You found it.
The house.
Perhaps it was 11:47 at night when you first saw it. You were supposed to be answering emails, but somehow you were on Idealista again.
And there it was.
The terrace.
The light.
The view.
The Portuguese tiles you didn’t know you needed until approximately thirty seconds ago.
You sent it to your husband.
“This one.”
Naturally, you want to know more.
Is it still available?
Does it have air conditioning?
Is that really an ocean view, or was the photographer hanging rather precariously out of a bathroom window?
So you find the agent’s number.
You think about calling.
Stop.
Don’t book the viewing yet.
Don’t start discussing what you might be willing to pay.
Instead, send me the listing.
Because the first professional conversation matters.
The First Call Matters
The person whose name appears on that Idealista advertisement is very often the seller’s agent.
They know the house.
They know the owner.
They know what the seller wants.
And they were hired to represent the seller.
There is nothing wrong with that.
In fact, I work with listing agents across Cascais, Estoril, Lisbon and the surrounding areas all the time.
But their responsibility is to their client.
The seller.
So asking the same person to show you the property, advise you on whether the asking price makes sense, tell you what you should offer and then negotiate that offer on your behalf is a little like hiring your husband’s divorce attorney and asking:
“While you’re at it, would you mind protecting my interests too?”
Lovely person, perhaps.
Excellent attorney, quite possibly.
But I’d still want my own.
That’s why I want you to call me first.
Or, better yet, send me the link.
Let me make the call.
I will contact the listing agent, gather the information, arrange the viewing and establish from the beginning that I am representing you.
Then we walk through that front door together.
This Is Where I Come In
My job as your buyer’s agent isn’t simply to open the front door.
Frankly, opening doors is the least interesting part of what I do.
My job is to stand on your side of the table.
When you are buying a property overseas, you need someone who understands more than what looks beautiful in the photographs.
I want to know why the property has been sitting on the market.
I want to know what has sold nearby.
I want to understand the local market.
I want to know whether €1.8 million is a defensible price or a particularly optimistic owner’s favourite number.
I want to know what isn’t obvious in the photographs.
And I want to understand the circumstances surrounding the sale.
Because sometimes the most important information isn’t written in the listing.
It comes from asking the right questions.
What You See Isn’t Always the Whole Story
A beautiful photograph can make almost any property look irresistible.
That’s what photographs are supposed to do.
But buying a home requires something more.
How does the property compare with others nearby?
What have similar homes actually sold for?
Has the property been sitting on the market for months?
Has the asking price changed?
Are there repairs that need attention?
What is included in the sale?
Are there documentation issues that need to be clarified?
What are the practical considerations that won’t appear in the listing?
These are the things I want to understand before you become emotionally attached to the house.
Because once you fall in love with a property, everything becomes a little harder.
That terrace suddenly feels priceless.
The view becomes irreplaceable.
And the house that looked slightly overpriced yesterday starts to feel like the one property you simply cannot live without.
That’s precisely when you need someone calm sitting beside you.
“But We Already Know What the Seller Wants.”
Wonderful.
That’s information.
It isn’t necessarily the answer.
The seller has a price in mind.
The listing agent has already discussed that price with the owner.
They may even tell us:
“The owner will never accept less than X.”
That’s their side of the negotiation.
Now let me do mine.
Because price is only one part of an offer.
There is the CPCV deposit.
Timing.
Financing.
Inspections.
Contents.
Repairs.
Documentation.
Closing dates.
Conditions.
And sometimes, after I’ve looked at the property, the comparables and the circumstances surrounding the sale, I may tell you something you weren’t expecting:
“I don’t think you should pay that price.”
That is not the conversation you necessarily want to hear.
But it may be the conversation you need.
You Shouldn’t Have to Be the Difficult One
When you are buying a home, particularly one you have fallen in love with, negotiating can become surprisingly personal.
You don’t want to offend the seller.
You don’t want to seem difficult.
You don’t want to lose the house.
So you start thinking:
“Maybe we should just offer what they’re asking.”
This is where I step in.
If our position isn’t what the seller hoped to hear, I’d much rather that news come from me than from you.
You shouldn’t have to be the difficult one.
That’s part of what you hired me for.
I can speak agent-to-agent.
I can explain the rationale behind our position.
I can use market data and comparable properties.
I can ask the questions that need to be asked.
And I can reposition the conversation without turning a negotiation into something personal.
A good negotiation should allow everyone to walk into the room at closing and still shake hands.
The Seller’s Agent Isn’t the Enemy
Quite the opposite.
The seller’s agent is doing their job.
Their client is the seller.
My client is you.
That’s exactly how it should be.
I work extremely well with listing agents across Cascais, Estoril, Lisbon and the surrounding areas.
I need them.
They need me.
And some of my favourite transactions have happened because two experienced agents sat on opposite sides of the table and found a solution that worked for both clients.
There is no need for hostility.
There is no need for games.
Just clarity about who represents whom.
The listing agent’s job is to obtain the best possible result for the seller.
Mine is to obtain the best possible result for you.
Buying From Abroad Changes the Equation
When you’re sitting thousands of miles away, a property purchase can feel very different.
You may not know the neighbourhood.
You may not understand every part of the local buying process.
You may be unfamiliar with the paperwork, timelines or professionals involved.
And you certainly don’t want to make an important decision based solely on a beautiful photograph and a thirty-minute viewing.
This is where having someone local becomes invaluable.
I can be there when you cannot.
I can coordinate viewings.
I can gather information.
I can communicate with the listing agent.
I can help you understand what you’re seeing.
And when the time comes to make an offer, I can help you approach that decision with a clear understanding of the property and the circumstances around it.
You don’t have to be in Portugal every day to have someone on the ground working for you.
When You Fall in Love With the House
This is the part nobody really talks about.
Sometimes you walk through the front door and you just know.
The light is right.
The kitchen works.
The terrace is exactly what you imagined.
You can already see where the dining table is going.
You have mentally invited friends for dinner before you’ve even reached the second bedroom.
It happens.
And I’m not going to tell you not to fall in love with the house.
That’s half the fun.
But when you fall in love with a property, you need someone who hasn’t fallen in love with it too.
Someone who can look at the numbers.
Someone who can look at the comparable sales.
Someone who can ask why the seller is moving.
Someone who can notice the things you may have stopped seeing because you’re already imagining your life there.
That’s one of the most valuable parts of having a buyer’s agent.
I can be excited for you while still doing my job.
An Offer Is About More Than the Price
A strong offer isn’t always the highest number.
There are many other pieces to consider.
The CPCV.
The deposit.
Financing.
The proposed closing date.
Inspections.
Documentation.
Fixtures and contents.
Repairs.
Conditions.
Timing.
Sometimes a seller is looking for certainty more than an extra amount on the offer.
Sometimes flexibility matters.
Sometimes the circumstances of the transaction create an opportunity that isn’t obvious from the asking price.
This is why negotiation isn’t simply about saying:
“We’ll offer €X.”
It’s about understanding the whole picture.
And then deciding how we want to position you within it.
What Happens After the Offer?
Making the offer is not the end of my job.
It is another beginning.
There may be negotiations.
There may be questions.
There may be documentation to review.
There may be inspections or other due diligence to coordinate.
There may be details that need to be clarified before you move forward.
My role is to keep the process moving while making sure you understand what is happening at each stage.
And when other professionals need to be involved, I can help coordinate with the appropriate local experts, including attorneys, inspectors and financial professionals.
You shouldn’t have to figure out an unfamiliar system entirely on your own.
That’s why you have representation.
Why the Relationship Matters
Buying a home overseas isn’t simply a transaction.
For many people, it is the beginning of something much bigger.
A move.
A second home.
A new chapter.
A place where family will gather.
A future in Portugal.
That means the person helping you buy the property should understand that this isn’t simply about finding four walls and signing paperwork.
It’s about understanding what you’re trying to achieve.
Why are you buying?
How do you want to use the property?
What matters to you about the location?
Are you looking for a permanent home, a holiday property or an investment?
What does the right property actually look like for your life?
The more I understand about you, the better I can represent you.
And that relationship matters.
Because the best buyer’s agent isn’t simply someone who knows the market.
It’s someone who knows their client.
You can learn more about Wiley & Partners and the experience behind the way we work here.
So You Found the House.
Wonderful.
Send it to me.
Browse Idealista at midnight.
Send me twelve links before breakfast.
Send me the strange one you can’t stop thinking about.
Send me the house that’s €200,000 over budget because perhaps there’s a story behind that asking price.
Send me the one with the ridiculous Portuguese tiles.
I want to see them all.
But send them to me before you book the viewing.
Let me make the first professional contact on your behalf.
Let me establish that I’m representing you.
Let me ask the questions.
Let me arrange the viewing.
Let me look at the property, the numbers and the circumstances surrounding the sale.
And when the time comes, let me negotiate.
Because once you’ve gone through the door with the seller’s agent and started negotiating directly, I may not be able to come running in afterward and suddenly become your representative.
The seller already has someone sitting on their side of the table.
Before you sit down at yours, make sure you do too.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I really need a buyer’s agent if I found the property myself?
Absolutely.
Finding the property is only the beginning. You can browse Idealista, send listings to your partner and decide which homes you want to explore. My role begins when it is time to contact the listing agent, arrange the viewing and represent your interests throughout the purchase.
2. Should I contact the listing agent before my buyer’s agent?
I recommend contacting me first.
Once you have started viewing the property or discussing price and terms directly with the seller’s agent, it can become more difficult for me to step in and represent you in the same way.
3. What does a buyer’s agent actually do?
I represent you.
That means helping you evaluate properties, gather information, arrange viewings, understand the market, negotiate terms and coordinate the various stages of the purchase.
Opening the front door is only a small part of it.
4. Can you work with the listing agent directly?
Yes.
The seller’s agent isn’t the enemy.
I regularly work with listing agents across Cascais, Estoril, Lisbon and surrounding areas. We are simply representing different clients, which is exactly how the process should work.
5. What if I already have a property in mind?
Send me the listing.
Even if you’ve already found the exact house you want, I can help you understand the property, the market, the asking price and the circumstances surrounding the sale before you move forward.
6. Can you help if I am still overseas?
Yes.
International buyers often need someone on the ground who can coordinate with local agents, arrange viewings and help keep the process moving when they cannot be physically present.
7. Is the asking price always the price I should offer?
Not necessarily.
The asking price is one piece of information.
Comparable properties, recent sales, market conditions, the seller’s circumstances and the condition of the property can all influence what makes sense as an offer.
8. What else can be negotiated besides price?
Quite a lot.
Timing, deposits, financing, inspections, contents, repairs, documentation, closing dates and conditions can all form part of an offer.
9. What happens if I fall in love with a property?
Enjoy it.
That’s the fun part.
But let me remain the calm one.
My job is to make sure the excitement of finding the right home doesn’t stop you from looking carefully at the numbers, the property and the terms before making a decision.
10. When should I contact Wiley & Partners?
Contact Wiley & Partners before you book the viewing.
Send me the property you found, and let me make the first professional contact on your behalf.
The seller already has someone sitting on their side of the table.
Before you sit down at yours, make sure you do too.
