Buying a home in Brazil: 7 mistakes to avoid

Updated on October 26, 2026

The costliest mistakes happen before signing: paying without a written contract, not reading the land's matrícula and not asking whether an off-plan property is registered. Here is a simple checklist.

1. Paying without a written contract. Every payment should be set out in a contract with a summary table of price and timing.
2. Not reading the matrícula. It is the land-registry record: it shows who owns the land and any encumbrances or mortgages.
3. Buying off-plan without registration. For a property under construction, the incorporação must be registered at the Cartório before sales.
4. Ignoring protection. Ask whether the project uses the patrimônio de afetação, which ring-fences buyers' money from the company's other debts.
5. Cash payments or payments to third parties. Pay only by traceable transfer to the company account named in the contract and keep the receipts.
6. Believing promised returns. Rental income depends on season and market: be wary of anyone guaranteeing a yield.
7. Forgetting extra costs. ITBI, notary, registry, furniture and condominium fees should be budgeted from the start.

The full step-by-step guide: Buying property in Brazil as a foreigner.