Do You Need a Real Estate Agent in Brazil?

Short answer: No, you don't need one — it's not a legal requirement to buy property in Brazil. A licensed agent (corretor) can help with local market knowledge and paperwork, and by convention the seller pays the commission, typically 5-6% of the sale price. But for a new-build home bought directly from the developer, going straight to the builder is common practice and sidesteps the whole question — you still need an independent lawyer for due diligence either way, which is a separate role from the agent.

Is an agent legally required?

No. Nothing in Brazilian law requires a buyer to work through a real estate agent. What the process does require — regardless of whether an agent is involved — is a notary (cartório) for the deed and, in practice, an independent lawyer to check the title chain and handle the paperwork correctly. An agent is a market-access and negotiation service, not a legal one.

Who pays, and how much?

By convention, the seller pays the agent's commission in Brazil — buyer-side commissions are not standard practice. CRECI, the professional body that licenses agents, publishes a reference table putting the standard rate for urban residential property at 5%, though market practice in many cities runs closer to 6-8% depending on property type and negotiation. On new-build sales, developers sometimes fold the brokerage fee into the sale contract instead of a traditional split commission.

What CRECI registration actually tells you

CRECI (Conselho Regional de Corretores de Imóveis) is the regional council that licenses real estate agents in Brazil. A legitimate agent should be able to produce a valid CRECI number on request — a simple, concrete way to screen out unlicensed operators, which matters more than usual when you're transacting from abroad and can't easily verify reputation through local word of mouth.

When buying directly from the builder makes more sense

For a new-build home sold directly by the construction company, going straight to the builder removes a layer entirely: there's no agent representing the seller's interest sitting between you and the price, and no commission math to untangle. This is common practice in Brazil for developer-led projects. It doesn't replace the need for your own independent lawyer — that role exists specifically because it isn't aligned with either side's commission, and that stays true whether or not an agent is in the picture.

How this applies to Casas Açores

Casas Açores is sold directly by AnMa Construtora, the company that built it — not through a third-party agency. That means no double-agency question and no commission built into a negotiated price on top of what the builder is already asking. We still recommend you bring your own independent lawyer for due diligence, exactly as you would in any purchase.