In Italy the estate agent is paid by both sides and represents neither. For an international buyer, that structural conflict is the single largest source of overpayment and of problems discovered after completion. We act for the buyer only.
Asking prices on lake and prime rural property are frequently set for foreign buyers rather than for the market. Historic properties carry restrictions that make planned renovation impossible, and these are not disclosed unless asked for specifically. Cadastral records routinely disagree with the building as it stands, which becomes the buyer's problem at resale. Off-market stock, often the best of it, never reaches the portals at all.
Brief. We define what you are actually looking for: location, budget, use, timeline, appetite for renovation.
Search. Listed stock, agency networks and off-market. We view on your behalf and report honestly, including on properties we think you should not pursue.
Diagnostics. Before any offer: cadastral conformity, planning and heritage restrictions, condominium position, structural condition. Coordinated with a surveyor and a lawyer acting for you.
Negotiation and completion. Price and terms negotiated on your behalf, then coordination through compromesso and rogito with a notary and lawyer of your choosing.
Lake Como. Bellagio, Menaggio, Tremezzina, Como and the Argegno side. Waterfront and historic villas, where asking prices diverge most sharply from achievable prices and heritage restrictions are most common.
Milan. Brera, Quadrilatero, Porta Venezia, Cinque Giornate, CityLife. Apartments and penthouses, where the material risks are condominium liabilities and cadastral discrepancies.
Tuscany. Florence city centre, Chianti, Val d'Orcia. Historic apartments and rural estates, where planning restrictions, agricultural preemption rights and water rights require checking before an offer.
A retainer to begin the search, credited in full against the completion fee. The completion fee is a percentage of the purchase price, agreed in writing at the outset and payable only on completion. We are paid by you and by nobody else: no commission from selling agents, no share of the seller's fee. Surveyor, lawyer and notary are engaged directly by you at their own rates.
How is a buying agent different from an estate agent? An Italian estate agent is instructed by the seller and by custom takes commission from both parties. Their duty is to complete a sale. A buying agent is instructed and paid by the buyer alone.
Do I need a lawyer if the notary is involved? The notary verifies legality and registers the transfer. They do not represent your interests specifically and will not advise on whether the price is sensible or the renovation permitted. Above roughly EUR 300,000 an independent lawyer is money well spent.
What are the total costs on top of the price? Broadly eight to twelve per cent for a second home: registration tax, notary, agency commission, legal fees and survey.
Can you help if I have already found the property? Yes, and this is often where we add the most value. Diagnostics, valuation and negotiation on a property you identified yourself is a defined piece of work with a fixed fee.
Discuss a purchase: info@theitaliangateway.com
Read our Lake Como property guide ยท Step-by-step buying guide