It’s time to buy a home in Brazil. Maybe it’s new construction and you’re signing a purchase agreement with a developer, or maybe you're buying from the current owner. Either way, you’re going to need to sign and deliver documents. Lots of documents. But does your broker really know what needs to be done?

More and more we’re contacted by Americans who want to buy property in Brazil but are left to fend for themselves. Their broker says they need to sign a power of attorney, yet they don’t provide them with a form. Or they tell them to go to the consulate without knowing that a non-citizen, non-resident can’t sign a public power of attorney in the Brazilian consulate.

Buying and selling property in Brazil is complicated enough when it’s between two Brazilians. Add in a foreign buyer and the process gets even more complicated. This is particularly true when the foreigner isn’t in Brazil.

What happens when it’s time to send money from the US to Brazil? What happens when the notary wants a copy of your marriage certificate registered in Brazil? And do you really trust that your broker’s form purchase agreement is drafted to protect you?

Working directly with a broker sounds like a great idea at the start. But when they send you on a wild goose chase with no answers in sight, you’ll quickly realize you need help. A law firm that deals with these cross-border issues daily is really what you need to succeed.