Its true, a 250,000 Euro investment in real estate in Greece would render you eligible to apply for Permanent Residency the Hellenic Republic. Euro500,000 investment would render you eligible to apply for Residency by Investment activity in Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Spain, and the list goes on.
The question that begs itself however, how much are you really paying for your asset? It is not uncommon for a real estate agent to charge a commission. In said programmes, there are other players on the field; Immigration consultants! An immigration consultant who refers a potential investor to a real estate agent or a developer usually expects a commission or a kick-back on the deal. Very few immigration advisors / firms out there do not accept this kind of financial gain.
The problem is, there is an ocean of service providers offering to introduce candidates to real estate agents or developers. How would you, the investor know if your advisor is engaged in this kind of practice or not?! You may want to ask them! But don’t expect other than “No” for an answer.
The good news is that you do not need to worry about finding out weather your immigration advisor is receiving a commission on your purchase or not! Sounds paradoxical? Well its not!
You, the investor, can perform a proper due diligence on the asset you are about to purchase using a governmentally sanctioned person or entity to unearth the true market value of the asset you are looking to purchase.
Each of the countries mentioned above has governmental entities that are the competent authorities in performing such an exercise. Very few immigration practitioners actually offer due diligence services as part of their scope prior to an investor
Do not be a victim to immigration fraud.
