{"id":1453372,"date":"2026-10-06T16:48:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T20:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/?page_id=1453372"},"modified":"2026-10-06T17:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:38:22","slug":"choosing-a-real-estate-agent-in-curacao","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/choosing-a-real-estate-agent-in-curacao\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing a Real Estate Agent in Cura\u00e7ao: Checklist for Buyers and Sellers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> choose an agent who demonstrably works for you, knows the local market and puts in writing what they will do and what it costs, before you sign. Check the agency&#8217;s registration with the Chamber of Commerce, and expect to be asked for identification when you buy or sell: in Cura\u00e7ao that is a legal requirement.<\/p>\n<p>This guide explains what a real estate agent in Cura\u00e7ao does, which legal duties apply, how to compare agencies and what to agree in writing before you give an instruction.<\/p>\n<h2>What does a real estate agent in Cura\u00e7ao do?<\/h2>\n<p>A real estate agent (in Dutch: makelaar) acts as an intermediary in the purchase, sale, rental and letting of property. In a sale, this usually includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>setting a well-founded asking price;<\/li>\n<li>presenting and marketing the property;<\/li>\n<li>arranging viewings and contact with prospective buyers;<\/li>\n<li>negotiating price and conditions;<\/li>\n<li>preparing the purchase agreement and giving the civil-law notary the right information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The legal transfer is handled by the civil-law notary. Property is transferred by notarial deed; the notary drafts the deed of transfer and arranges the registration. For the costs involved, see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/buyers-guide\/buying-costs-curacao\/\">buying costs in Cura\u00e7ao<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Who does the agent work for?<\/h2>\n<p>A selling agent works for the seller and represents the seller&#8217;s interests. If you view a property through the seller&#8217;s agent, that agent is not your adviser. If you want your own support with searching, making an offer and checking documents, you can hire your own <a href=\"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/aankoopmakelaar-nodig\/\">buying agent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So always ask: who do you work for in this transaction, and who pays you? Ask for the answer in writing.<\/p>\n<h2>Legal duties: identification and FIU registration<\/h2>\n<p>Anyone in Cura\u00e7ao who acts as an intermediary in the purchase or sale of property in the course of business is covered by the anti-money laundering rules. These are set out in the National Ordinance on Identification when Rendering Services (Landsverordening identificatie bij dienstverlening) and the National Ordinance on the Reporting of Unusual Transactions (Landsverordening melding ongebruikelijke transacties), amended several times, including in May 2024 (P.B. 2024, no. 41). Among other things:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the agent must register with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Cura\u00e7ao and report unusual transactions to it;<\/li>\n<li>the agent verifies the client&#8217;s identity and records, among other things, the amount of the transaction, the source of the funds and the identity of the other party.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a buyer you may therefore be asked for valid identification and for information about the origin of your funds, also by the seller&#8217;s agent. This is a legal duty, not a sign of distrust. If an agency never asks, ask them why.<\/p>\n<h2>How to check an agency<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Trade register.<\/strong> Ask for the legal name and the Chamber of Commerce registration number. With the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curacaochamberofcommerce.com\/registry-services\/registry-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">registry search of the Cura\u00e7ao Chamber of Commerce<\/a> you can look up a registered entity by name or registry number. An official excerpt can be ordered from the Chamber of Commerce for a fee.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Office and contact.<\/strong> A permanent office address, a fixed contact person and a business email address make agreements easier to verify.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Experience with your type of property.<\/strong> Ask about recent transactions in the same neighbourhood and price range, or with the same type of property: apartment, villa, plot or commercial property.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Membership.<\/strong> If an agency mentions a professional or trade association, ask which code of conduct and complaints procedure apply, and check the membership with the association itself.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Working remotely.<\/strong> If you buy or sell from abroad, ask how remote viewings, document sharing and signing by power of attorney are arranged.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Commission and costs: what to agree in writing<\/h2>\n<p>Commission and other costs are agreed between you and the agent. Before you give an instruction, put in writing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the fee, as a percentage or a fixed amount, and whether it includes or excludes turnover tax (OB);<\/li>\n<li>who pays the commission and when it is due, for example only after the notarial transfer;<\/li>\n<li>which costs you pay if the sale does not go ahead, such as photography, advertising or a valuation;<\/li>\n<li>the term of the instruction, whether it is exclusive and how you can end it;<\/li>\n<li>exactly which services are included.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Compare quotes on these points, not only on the percentage. Notary fees, transfer tax and financing costs are separate from the agent&#8217;s fee; see <a href=\"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/buyers-guide\/buying-costs-curacao\/\">buying costs in Cura\u00e7ao<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Questions for the first meeting<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Who do you work for in this transaction?<\/li>\n<li>Which comparable properties have you recently sold or handled?<\/li>\n<li>How do you arrive at your advice on the asking price or the offer?<\/li>\n<li>Who is my fixed contact person and how quickly do you respond?<\/li>\n<li>Which documents do you check, and what do you leave to the notary or a building inspector?<\/li>\n<li>What does your service cost, and what do I pay if the transaction does not go ahead?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Warning signs<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>you are asked to transfer money to a private account or to an account that was only provided by email;<\/li>\n<li>there is no written instruction or no clear agreement on costs;<\/li>\n<li>you are pressured to sign quickly before you have had the documents checked;<\/li>\n<li>nobody can explain which right you are buying: full ownership, leasehold (erfpacht) or an apartment right.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Only transfer money to a verified escrow account (in Dutch: derdenrekening). If bank details change, always call back yourself, on a number you already knew.<\/p>\n<h2>At Home Cura\u00e7ao as your agent<\/h2>\n<p>At Home Cura\u00e7ao is a <a href=\"\/en\/\">real estate agent in Cura\u00e7ao<\/a> for buying, selling, renting and letting, with an office at LXRY Mall in Brakkeput Mei Mei. You can hire us as a <a href=\"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/sales-broker\/\">selling agent<\/a> or as a <a href=\"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/aankoopmakelaar-nodig\/\">buying agent<\/a>. Ask us about our terms and fee in advance. View the <a href=\"\/en\/for-sale\/\">current properties for sale<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/contact\/\">contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This guide provides general information and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules may change; have your situation assessed by an expert. Sources consulted on 6 October 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Official sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/gobiernu.cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/41.-Lv-bestrijding-witwassen-terrorisme-en-proliferatie-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National ordinance P.B. 2024, no. 41, amending among others the identification and unusual-transaction reporting ordinances (in Dutch)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.curacaochamberofcommerce.com\/registry-services\/registry-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cura\u00e7ao Chamber of Commerce and Industry: registry search<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Short answer: choose an agent who demonstrably works for you, knows the local market and puts in writing what they will do and what it costs, before you&#8230; <a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/choosing-a-real-estate-agent-in-curacao\/\">&#8230; more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8633,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1453372","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","property"," post "],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1453372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1453372"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1453372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1453434,"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1453372\/revisions\/1453434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/athomecuracao.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1453372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}