The existing methodology for the conveyancing of residential property in Portugal is crippled by:
- Excessive fees charged by a preponderance of lawyers, notaries, agents, surveyors and lenders
- Antiquated bureaucratic procedures centred on a feudal system of land registration by the provision of often inaccurate documents (cadernetas) prepared by “Finanças”.
- The systematic and subversive suborning of “gatekeepers” to speed the production of certificates and licences.
- The dark and widespread underworld of property dealing, which is often aimed at profiting illegally from the acquisition, at less-than-market-value, of the homes of vulnerable, elderly and lame vendors or their executors.
For the average sale of a home, approximately 20% of the value can be attributed to the total effect of these ancillary charges. Any reform to mitigate these will result in lower asking prices and smoother transfers to the benefit of both vendor and buyer.
An immediate solution to this compounded problem would be the application of Artificial Intelligence to the creation of a national property register in which data is collated from reliable sources and processed to provide a “log-book” for each residential unit containing:
- Details of materials used in the construction especially those intended for precautionary measures against earthquake, floods, fire and intruders.
- A geophysical site map and detailed floor plans
- Details of wayleaves and access to communal amenities
- A record of structural alterations and additions made within the last five years
- Referrals for connected services of water, electricity, gas and telephone
- Values for taxes and condominium charges payable
- Notifications received of proposals for alterations to municipal services, planning consents, projects and obligations to the community
- The value of the sum insured for building reconstruction and the premium paid
- Liability for repayment of mortgages, loans and other financial obligations
- Full details of the two most recent transfers of the property with identities shown of the parties thereto
- A history of recent tenancies and details of any current letting
Responsibility for the maintenance of such a register must be undertaken by an independent not-for-profit organisation with full legal powers to require the notification by vendors or their agents of an intention to sell or to let.
The pertinent registration will then be displayed as a digital internet listing with open public access so that prospective purchasers may obtain complete and accurate Particulars of Sale and comparable valuations for neighbouring properties.
With the speed at which AI is able to work, this streamlined replacement of conventional marketing procedure could be operative within a year.
This essay is a sequel to “Housing: The Plight of Portuguese People in Year 2025”, published in the Portugal Resident on August 18, 2025.
