Working With a Costa Rica Real Estate Agent: What to Know First

The quick answer

A real estate agent in Costa Rica does a different job from one in the United States or Canada, because the system around them is different. There is no legal licensing requirement, so anyone may call themselves an agent. There is no single national MLS, so no agency sees all the inventory. Buyers are usually not represented by anyone unless they arrange it. And the transaction itself runs through a notary, who is an attorney with public authority, rather than a title company.

None of that makes buying here risky. It makes it different, and it puts more weight on choosing the right person than it would at home. This page explains how the system actually works and what to ask before you commit to anyone, including us.

Are real estate agents licensed in Costa Rica?

Not in the way you are used to. Costa Rica has no legal licensing requirement for real estate agents. There is no state exam, no licence number to look up, and no regulator who can strike someone off for incompetence.

Two things exist alongside that gap, and both are worth knowing.

Voluntary professional bodies. CRGAR, the Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors, and the CCCBR, the Costa Rican chamber for real estate, both run training and hold members to a code of ethics modelled on the US National Association of Realtors. Membership is optional, which is exactly why it tells you something: an agent who bothered did so without being made to.

SUGEF registration, which is not optional. Under Costa Rica’s anti-money-laundering rules, real estate agents and property managers who handle third-party funds must be registered with SUGEF, the banking regulator. This is a real, checkable requirement with real consequences, including account closure for those operating outside it. It is the closest thing Costa Rica has to a licence, and it is a fair question to ask any agent directly.

Is there an MLS in Costa Rica?

Not a single national one. There are regional and private sharing arrangements of varying quality, and several portals that look like an MLS but are advertising platforms where listings are paid placements.

Two practical consequences follow, and they surprise most North American buyers.

First, no agency can show you everything. What any one agency can show you is its own exclusive listings plus whatever it can access through cooperation with others. Coverage varies enormously by region and by agency, so asking an agent what they actually have access to in your target area is a reasonable question, not a rude one.

Second, a meaningful share of property never appears publicly at all. Owners on this coast often sell quietly through an agent they know. If you are only shopping portals, you are looking at a subset of the market and not the best part of it.

Who does the agent work for?

By default in Costa Rica, the agent works for the seller. That is the norm, and it is usually unspoken. A buyer who walks into an office and is shown property is generally being sold to, not advised.

Buyer representation exists and is worth arranging deliberately. A written buyer representation agreement makes explicit who the agent owes their duty to, what they will do for you, and how they are paid. It is the single clearest way to change the default, and it costs a buyer nothing in most structures because the commission still comes out of the sale.

If you take one thing from this page: ask, in writing, whose side the person showing you houses is on.

What does it cost to buy property in Costa Rica?

Closing costs here are predictable, which is a relief after the ambiguity elsewhere in the process. As of 2026 they break down roughly as follows.

Transfer tax: 1.5% of the registered property value.
National registry fees and documentary stamps: about 0.8%.
Notary fees: 1% to 2%, on a sliding scale by value. These are set by public decree and a notary may not legally charge below the stipulated amount, so an offer to discount them should raise a question rather than please you.
Total: roughly 3.7% of the purchase price.

By rule, under Decree No. 41457, closing costs are split between buyer and seller. That split is negotiable and in practice moves with the market, so treat it as an opening position rather than a fixed fact.

Separate from closing costs: if you hold the property through a Costa Rican corporation, which many foreign buyers do, there are formation and annual corporate costs on top, and your own attorney’s fee is separate from the notary’s.

How the purchase actually runs

Offer and purchase agreement. Signed by both parties, setting price, deposit, due-diligence window and closing date.
Deposit into escrow. Funds go to a SUGEF-registered escrow agent, not to the seller and not to the agency’s own account. This is not optional and it is not a formality.
Due diligence. Your attorney, chosen by you and independent of the agency, checks title at the National Registry, liens and encumbrances, the survey plan, municipal permits and taxes, water availability, and whether any part of the property touches the maritime zone.
Closing. A notary public executes the transfer deed and registers it. In Costa Rica a notary is an attorney with public authority, and the role is closer to a title company’s than to a US notary’s.
Registration. The transfer records at the National Registry, which is what actually makes you the owner.

Remote closings are routine here, because most buyers on this coast are not in the country when they buy. Powers of attorney, escrow and remote signing are all normal. What is not normal, and should worry you, is being asked to wire funds anywhere other than a registered escrow account.

What can foreigners own?

Almost everything, on the same terms as a Costa Rican citizen. There is no restriction on foreign ownership of titled property and no requirement to hold residency.

The exception is the maritime zone on the coast. The first 50 metres measured from the high-tide line is public land and cannot be owned by anyone. The 150 metres beyond that is concession land, held under a lease-like right from the municipality, with restrictions on foreign participation and a finite term. Concession property is a genuinely different asset from titled property, and the two should never be compared on price alone. On any beachfront purchase, confirming which one you are buying is the first question, not a detail for later.

How to choose an agent here

Since the licence will not tell you, these will.

Do they live where they sell? Guanacaste is full of agents selling a coast they visit. Water supply, ASADA politics, road access and which streets flood in October are local knowledge and they decide whether a purchase works.
Are they SUGEF registered? Ask directly. It is a legal requirement for anyone handling third-party funds.
Will they represent you in writing? A buyer representation agreement changes the default. Ask for one.
Do they show you property they do not list? An agent who only shows their own inventory is selling, not advising.
Do they insist you use your own attorney? The right answer is yes, enthusiastically. Due diligence run by the agency’s in-house lawyer is not independent.
Can they show you closings, not just listings? Listings prove marketing spend. Closings prove they can get a deal to the notary.
Do they tell you what is wrong with a property? The most useful thing an agent says all day is “not this one”.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a real estate agent to buy property in Costa Rica?

No, but you do need an independent Costa Rican attorney, and that is the non-negotiable one. An agent is optional and useful mainly for access to inventory that is not publicly listed and for local knowledge that does not appear in any document.

Are real estate agents in Costa Rica licensed?

There is no legal licensing requirement. CRGAR and the CCCBR offer voluntary accreditation and ethics training. Separately, SUGEF registration is mandatory for agents handling third-party funds under anti-money-laundering rules, and that one is checkable.

What commission do real estate agents charge in Costa Rica?

Commission is not regulated and is negotiated per transaction, so any single published figure would be misleading. It is customarily paid by the seller out of the sale proceeds. Ask for the number in writing before you list or before you sign a representation agreement.

Can a foreigner buy property in Costa Rica?

Yes, with the same ownership rights as a citizen, and without needing residency. The exception is the maritime zone: the first 50 metres from the high-tide line is public and the next 150 metres is concession land under different rules.

How much are closing costs in Costa Rica?

Roughly 3.7% of the purchase price in total: 1.5% transfer tax, about 0.8% in registry fees and stamps, and 1% to 2% in notary fees set by public decree. By rule the costs are split between the parties, though that is negotiable.

Can I buy property in Costa Rica without visiting?

Yes. Remote purchases are routine on this coast. Escrow, powers of attorney and remote closings are all standard. What should not be remote is the due diligence: your attorney and, ideally, someone you trust physically at the property.

Is there an MLS in Costa Rica?

Not a single national one. There are regional and private sharing arrangements, and several portals that look like an MLS but are paid advertising platforms. No agency sees all the inventory.

How long does it take to buy property in Costa Rica?

Longer than in the United States or Canada. Thirty to ninety days from accepted offer to closing is typical, driven mostly by the due-diligence window. Any agent who promises a US-speed timeline is managing your expectations rather than your purchase.

Our team

Flamingo Beach Realty is based on Playa Flamingo, and our agents live on the coast they sell. Rather than summarise them here, the bios are worth reading directly, because the useful detail is the specific kind: which communities someone actually knows, what they did before real estate, and which languages they work in.

Between them the team works in English, Spanish and French, which matters more here than it sounds: the buyers are largely North American, the sellers and the paperwork are Costa Rican, and the attorneys, notaries and municipal offices all operate in Spanish. A transaction that crosses those languages cleanly is a transaction that closes.

The full team page has everyone, including the people who never appear on a listing but decide whether your closing runs on time.

Talk to us

If you are looking on the Guanacaste coast, tell us what you are after and we will tell you what is realistically available in that range, what we think of a listing you have already found, and what we would want checked before we bought it ourselves.