Portugal has been on the radar of property investors, particularly Americans, for some time now. And that trend is likely to continue in the coming years, predicts Kendall Bonner, a US real estate brokerage specialist and author of the book The Motivated Mover Method, speaking to idealista/news. “Portugal is still a well-kept secret,” she says.
The conversation with Kendall Bonner took place on the sidelines of her appearance at the 4th APEMIP IMOCIONATE Convention, held on 30 June 2026 at the Estoril Congress Centre. Smiling. She shares that this is her first time in Lisbon, having travelled with her husband.
She is full of praise for the capital: “We’re amazed. We travel a lot, and I’ve personally been to almost every part of the US, many European countries and the Caribbean.
Right now, we feel that Lisbon is our favourite destination. It’s beautiful. The climate is fantastic, as are the culture and the people, who are incredibly friendly. The streets are lovely. We’ve been walking all over the city, and it’s simply stunning.”
Without hesitation, she highlights the fact that the capital has buildings that are “very different” from those in the US, partly because they are older, which adds to the city’s appeal. “You can see there’s extraordinary care taken with preservation. Visually, it’s remarkable. It’s been wonderful to take it all in,” she comments.
More Americans investing outside the US? Yes…
Asked if she has noticed growing interest among Americans in investing outside the US, particularly in the property sector, she says yes, and believes the trend will strengthen for several reasons: economic, political, the search for opportunities and portfolio diversification.
“As Americans build more wealth, many will look to diversify their investments. Not everyone wants to focus exclusively on the stock market or on US real estate. Travel is also more accessible than ever, which makes mobility and international investment much easier,” she explains.
Portugal, a natural choice for property investment
Against this backdrop, it is only natural that more Americans are turning their attention to the Portuguese property market, argues Kendall Bonner.
“Portugal is still a well-kept secret. I’d love to see more people discover the beauty, the culture, the friendliness and the sense of closeness you feel here. For many Americans, especially those from large cities and with greater financial capacity, several similarities and conveniences make Portugal a natural choice.”
“For many Americans, especially those from large cities and with greater financial capacity, there are several similarities and conveniences that make Portugal a natural choice.”
In her view, Portugal should continue to “communicate clearly the value, the advantages and the ease of the process of moving to Portugal”.
In doing so, “interest will grow significantly”, she notes, adding that Americans place great importance on convenience and relevance. If that continues to be the case, strong demand is likely to persist.
USA vs. Portugal: differences in real estate brokerage.
US vs Portugal: differences in real estate brokerage
One of the key topics at this year’s APEMIP IMOCIONATE Convention, where idealista was one of the main sponsors, was the need to make training compulsory for real estate brokerage in Portugal. A new law to that effect is currently going through the legislative process.
This is one of the differences between the two markets, as in the US it is not possible to work in real estate brokerage without a licence. “There is mandatory training before obtaining a licence, followed by compulsory continuing education in most states,” says Kendall Bonner.
“It’s not a perfect system, but we’ve come a long way. We’re still working to raise the level of professionalism in the sector. Consumers, buyers and sellers invest very significant sums when they work with us. It’s essential that our level of professionalism matches that responsibility,” she adds.
The US strongly encourages innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship, which generates considerable creativity. That creativity can lead to very positive outcomes. “If Portugal wants to take the sector to the next level, there are certainly useful lessons to be learned from both our successes and our mistakes,” she advises.
“Not integrating AI into the business is a mistake”
On the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the property sector, specifically in real estate brokerage, the specialist says that in the US there is growing awareness that AI will not replace estate agents. Instead, agents who use AI will replace those who do not.
“Not integrating AI into the business is a mistake,” she warns, reinforcing the idea that AI should be used as a “strategic tool, not as a substitute for the human element, the relationship, the emotional dimension” that is inherent in real estate brokerage.
Original Portuguese article published on the idealista.pt/news site.
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