Selling property online or using a full-service agency: which fits you?

Online still means regulated

Portuguese law treats searching for transaction counterparties and promoting property through advertising as real-estate mediation activities. Delivering that work through a website or dashboard does not remove licensing, insurance, contract or disclosure requirements.

An owner-led online plan should therefore be presented as a defined service through a licensed agency, not as an unregulated advertising shortcut.

Compare the division of work

With IMOJA Online Sale, the fixed fee pays for a written 90-day scope: preparation and agreed-channel publication, enquiry handling, activity in My IMOJA and document-readiness support. The owner supplies suitable photographs and conducts physical viewings.

With Full Agency, the mediation agreement assigns more operational work to IMOJA, including professional photography, hosted or coordinated viewings, active negotiation and completion coordination within the agreed scope.

• Online Sale: fixed price for defined work, paid at activation and not dependent on a sale
• Full Agency: percentage-based remuneration under the written mediation agreement
• Both routes: one Property File, recorded enquiries, offers and team communication
• Neither route: a promise that a buyer or completed sale is guaranteed

When an owner-led plan may fit

The owner-led route is usually most practical when the seller is near the property, can host viewings and is comfortable making availability decisions through a structured workspace.

It can also suit a vacant or straightforward property where the owner wants professional portal exposure and centralised enquiry management without delegating every physical step.

When full agency may fit

Full Agency may be more suitable when the owner lives abroad, access is difficult, tenants or several owners are involved, or the seller wants the agency to host viewings and take a more active negotiation role.

The word ‘online’ should not decide the choice. Compare the work, responsibilities, contract term, fee and level of owner involvement.

Questions to answer before signing

The contract and service summary should make the commercial arrangement understandable before payment or signature.

• Which portals and services are included?
• Who supplies photographs, plans and property information?
• Who answers enquiries and who conducts viewings?
• How are offers recorded and relayed?
• What happens after the agreed term?
• Is VAT included and can an earlier fee be credited on upgrade?
• What work is guaranteed, and what result is not guaranteed?

Understand withdrawal rights for online contracts

Where the statutory withdrawal right applies, a consumer generally has 14 days to withdraw from a distance service contract. Applicability depends on the facts and how the contract was concluded.

If a consumer expressly asks work to begin during that period, the request and required acknowledgement should be recorded. A proportionate amount may become payable for work actually performed if the consumer later withdraws. Complete performance and any loss of the right require the prescribed express consent and acknowledgement.

IMOJA’s final contract and contracting flow should be approved by Portuguese counsel. This article is general information, not an interpretation of a specific customer’s rights.