The French are the foreigners who invest the most in Portugal in the purchase of real estate, a trend that has been maintained in recent times and this was once again seen in the first half of 2019. Among international investors, the French have a share of 21%. Next on the list are citizens of the United Kingdom and Brasil (18% in both cases), Germany (9%) and China (7%).
These are estimates drawn up by the Studies Office of Portuguese Real Estate Professionals and Brokers Association (Associação dos Profissionais e Empresas de Mediação Imobiliária de Portugal or APEMIP).
| Country | Market share among foreign investors |
| France | 21% |
| United Kingdom | 18% |
| Brasil | 18% |
| Germany | 9% |
| China | 7% |
“The French continue to be among the top investors in Portuguese real estate. There is no doubt that this trend is here to stay, and the diversification of this investment is accentuated, which is not only focused on the main cities. With the increase in prices in large urban centres, there is increasing demand in areas with lower population density," says Luís Lima, the entity's chairman, in a statement.
Regarding the British investment, the representative of the real estate professionals considers that it is expected to maintain this representation, even with the doubts that Brexit still generates.
“(...) British representation has been growing in real estate investment. The British are currently looking for other baskets to lay their eggs, and Portuguese real estate continues to be a safe haven for investment. Contrary to what may occur in other export sectors, real estate should not feel the effects of Brexit so intensely,” adds Luís Lima.
Regarding the types of properties most sought after by foreigners, T3 or 3-bedroom-apartments (46%), T2 or 3-bedroom-apartments (37%) and T1 or studio apartments (15%) prevail, reveals APEMIP, adding that in the first six months of the year foreign investment represented about 16% of total transactions in Portugal.