Best English-speaking estate agents in the Azores (2026): São Miguel, Terceira, Faial and Pico

How we built this list

The Azores (Região Autónoma dos Açores) are nine islands in the mid-Atlantic, with 19 municipalities. Most of the market is on São Miguel, around Ponta Delgada, Lagoa, Ribeira Grande and Vila Franca do Campo. Smaller markets are on Terceira (Angra do Heroísmo, Praia da Vitória), Faial (Horta) and Pico (Madalena, São Roque, Lajes).

We included an agency if it has an office in the Azores or a named team covering it; works in English; markets to international clients; and holds an AMI licence. We read each website on 16 October 2026 and checked every licence on the IMPIC public register the same day. IMPIC shows the registered seat, which can differ from the office. “Languages” means what the agency states or the language versions of its website.

Does the AMI licence apply in the Azores? Yes, as far as we can find. Estate agency is regulated nationally by Lei 15/2013, and we found no separate Azores licensing regime. The IMPIC register lists 92 licence holders with their seat in the Azores: 55 on São Miguel, 21 on Terceira, 10 on Pico, 4 on Faial and 2 on Santa Maria.

Portugal Owners is listed first because it is our own free matching service; it is not an estate agency. No agency paid to be listed. The agencies are not ranked; they are grouped by type and listed alphabetically. Corrections are welcome through the contact page.

Not sure which to choose? Start here

Portugal Owners: free agent matching

Portugal Owners is an independent English-language guide, not an estate agency. Contacting one agency gets you one opinion, and an agency pitching for your listing has a reason to quote high. Tell us about the property once and we ask two or three agencies from this list that suit it for a price estimate, so you compare like with like. Buyers get the agencies and buyer’s agents that hold the kind of home they want, because Portugal has no shared listings system like the US MLS and each agency mainly shows its own stock. It’s free, no agency pays to be listed, and your details go to no agency until you choose. Tell us about your property.

Tradeoff: we don’t list, value or sell property ourselves, so viewings, pricing and the sale itself are handled by the agency you choose.

Who are the best estate agents in the Azores?

No regulator or independent body ranks them, so the best agency is the one that sells on your island, in your segment, to your likely buyers. This shortlist matches common Azores sales to agencies whose own websites or portal profiles state that focus; it is not a ranking.

If you are selling…	Agencies whose stated focus fits	What they state
A home in or around Ponta Delgada	A. Machado, Azorean Real Estate Services, Casa é Comigo, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices	Offices in Ponta Delgada
A luxury home or a hospitality property on São Miguel	Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices	Azores office set up for luxury homes and hospitality sales
On Terceira	Arlindo Teles Azores Real Estate	Office in Angra do Heroísmo
On Faial	ERA Horta & Pico, Azores Properties	Offices in Horta
On Pico	Azores Real Estate, ERA Horta & Pico, Azores Properties	Seat in Madalena; Faial agencies that name Pico
On another island, such as Santa Maria or São Jorge	A. Machado, Arlindo Teles	Says it is present on 8 of 9 islands; lists São Jorge homes
To Dutch, German or other European buyers	Azores Properties, A. Machado	Dutch-born founder and Dutch and German site; site in eight languages
Nothing: you are buying	Goldcrest, Pearls of Portugal	Buyer-only representation

Ask two or three for a valuation backed by completed sales near you, and compare commission in euros (see the cost table below).

Comparison table

Agency	Type	Island	Office	Languages (stated)	AMI (verified on IMPIC)	Says it acts for buyers
Portugal Owners	Free matching service (not an estate agency)	All	Online	English	Not applicable	Suggests 2–3 agencies that fit your property
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Portugal Property	Network (franchise)	São Miguel	Ponta Delgada	Website EN, PT, DE, FR, IT, RU, ZH	8460	Not stated
ERA Horta & Pico	Network (franchise)	Faial, Pico	Horta	EN, ES, FR, PT (portal profile)	18681 (matched by address)	Not stated
A. Machado	Independent	São Miguel; says 8 of 9 islands	Ponta Delgada	Website PT, EN, ES, FR, DE, IT, NL, FI	622	Not stated
Arlindo Teles Azores Real Estate	Independent	Terceira; São Jorge listings	Angra do Heroísmo	Website PT, EN; ES (portal profile)	9666	Not stated
Azorean Real Estate Services	Independent	São Miguel; also Pico, Terceira	Ponta Delgada	Website PT, EN	18683	Not stated
Azores Properties	Independent	Faial, Pico; some Terceira	Horta	Website EN, DE, PT, NL, FR, IT	12778	Not stated
Azores Real Estate	Independent	Pico	Madalena (registered seat)	Website PT, EN	18900	Not stated
Casa é Comigo	Independent	São Miguel	Ponta Delgada	Website EN, PT	21091	Not stated
Goldcrest	Buyer’s agent	All nine islands (guide)	Lisbon	Website EN	23310	Yes, buyers only
Pearls of Portugal	Buyer’s agent	Azores, with local partners	Porto	EN, DE, FR, PT, ES	14801	Yes, buyers only

A listing agency acts for the seller under the mediation contract (contrato de mediação imobiliária), and one agency cannot be paid by both buyer and seller in the same deal (Lei 15/2013, article 17(2)(a)).

Azores property prices in 2026

INE (the statistics office) publishes the median price paid on completed sales for each municipality; it publishes no parish figures in the Azores. idealista publishes average asking prices by municipality.

Municipality	Island	Median paid, INE (12 months to June 2026)	Change on a year	Asking, idealista (September 2026)	Asking change on a year
Ponta Delgada	São Miguel	€2,083/m²	+14.6%	€2,575/m²	+7.1%
Lagoa	São Miguel	€1,975/m²	+19.6%	€2,488/m²	+9.1%
Vila Franca do Campo	São Miguel	€1,613/m²	+18.9%	€2,266/m²	+20.3%
Ribeira Grande	São Miguel	€1,676/m²	+81.0%	€2,144/m²	+16.3%
Angra do Heroísmo	Terceira	€1,366/m²	+24.5%	€1,844/m²	+19.5%
Praia da Vitória	Terceira	€1,370/m²	+10.3%	€1,882/m²	+36.0%
Horta	Faial	€1,370/m²	+24.3%	€1,694/m²	−5.7%
Madalena	Pico	€1,277/m²	+39.7%	€2,163/m²	+14.2%
São Roque do Pico	Pico	€1,610/m²	+28.1%	€1,889/m²	+18.6%
Azores region		€1,574/m²	+23.5%	€2,101/m²	+12.2%
Madeira region, for comparison		€2,690/m²	+5.1%
Lisbon, for comparison		€5,192/m²

The Azores median is 59% of Madeira’s and 30% of Lisbon’s; Ponta Delgada’s is 59% of Funchal’s (€3,538). Large rises in Ribeira Grande and Madalena rest on few sales, so treat them with care. None of the municipalities here saw the median paid fall. INE counted 2,440 home sales across the Azores in the 12 months to June 2026, 12.2% fewer than a year earlier (2,778), including 727 in Ponta Delgada (793 a year earlier).

Asking prices run well above what buyers pay. idealista asking prices are 24% above the INE median in Horta, 24% in Ponta Delgada, about 36% on Terceira and 69% in Madalena. Part of that is the three months between the two periods, but it is also why a valuation should rest on completed sales, not listings. Asking prices in Horta are down 5.7% on a year and 9.0% below their August 2025 peak; on Terceira they are up 24.6%.

What is a typical home worth? A 120 m² house at the INE median is €249,960 in Ponta Delgada (120 × €2,083), €237,000 in Lagoa, €193,560 in Vila Franca do Campo, €164,400 in Horta, €163,920 in Angra do Heroísmo and €153,240 in Madalena. Sea-view villas price well above these medians, so ask for completed sales in your own parish, or get a free price estimate.

Who buys in the Azores?

Foreign-based buyers pay close to local prices. In the 12 months to June 2026, buyers with a tax address abroad paid a median €1,807/m² across the Azores, 15.8% more than buyers based in Portugal (€1,561). In Ponta Delgada they paid 2.4% less (€2,035 against €2,086). A year earlier the gap was 13.9% across the region and 37.7% in Ponta Delgada. In Madeira, foreign-based buyers paid 31.6% more (INE). INE does not publish how many of the sales were to foreign buyers.

The agencies’ languages point to European buyers: Azores Properties on Faial has a Dutch-born founder and Dutch and German websites, and A. Machado’s website runs in eight languages, including Dutch and Finnish.

International networks

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Portugal Property (Azores office)

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Portugal Property is run by Appreciating Portugal – Sociedade de Mediação Imobiliária, Unipessoal Lda, whose head office and registered seat are at Marina Plaza in Vilamoura, in the Algarve. Its Azores office, opened in March 2023, is at Rua Marquês da Praia e Monforte 25 in central Ponta Delgada. When it opened, the firm said the office would handle three areas: hospitality-focused commercial sales, single-family homes and luxury property. The website is in English, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Russian and Chinese, and gives UK and US freephone numbers. AMI 8460, verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: the licence and head office are in the Algarve, so ask who in Ponta Delgada will handle your sale.

ERA Horta & Pico

ERA Horta & Pico is an ERA franchise office in Horta, on Faial, at Largo Duque d’Ávila e Bolama. Its profile on the Kyero portal says it has worked on Faial and Pico for five years, with a team covering sales, paperwork, mortgage brokerage and marketing, and lists English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. On 16 October 2026 it had more than 300 homes for sale on Kyero, the largest Azores listing book there. IMPIC lists AMI 18681 for Valorbase, Lda at the same Horta address (checked by licence number, 16 October 2026); check that Valorbase is the company on your contract. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: its stock is on Faial and Pico, so it is not the agency for São Miguel or Terceira.

Local independents

A. Machado Imobiliária

A. Machado – Sociedade de Mediação Imobiliária, Lda is at Rua do Provedor 11 in Ponta Delgada. It says it was founded in 1982 by Manuel António Amaral Machado, still its managing partner, which makes it one of the first agencies in the archipelago, and that it has a presence on eight of the nine islands. It says it serves local, national and international clients and advertises on national and international property portals. The website is in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Finnish. AMI 622, verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026, the lowest number on this page. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: it doesn’t say which island it doesn’t cover, so for a home away from São Miguel, ask who will show it.

Arlindo Teles Azores Real Estate

Arlindo Teles II, Lda is the property arm of Arlindo Teles Azores Consulting, a family business at Rua de Santo António dos Capuchos 18 in Angra do Heroísmo, on Terceira. The group’s main trade is investment consultancy: it says it has spent more than 25 years preparing applications for EU-funded investment in the Azores, and it also arranges mortgages and insurance. On 16 October 2026 its featured listings were on Terceira and São Jorge. Its English website names a “National and International Client Portfolio”. The website is in Portuguese and English; its Kyero profile adds Spanish. AMI 9666, verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: property is one service among several, so ask how many homes it sold on Terceira in the past year.

Azorean Real Estate Services

AZRS – Azorean Real Estate Services, Unipessoal, Lda has its office at Rua Engenheiro José Cordeiro 66, in São Pedro, Ponta Delgada. Its Kyero profile names its founder and broker, Filipe Pacheco, as speaking English and Portuguese, and describes a “100% Azorean company” offering legal support, insurance and bank financing alongside sales. The website is in Portuguese and English, and its home page carries client reviews in English from foreign buyers, one praising help with the paperwork of buying as a foreigner. Its property search covers São Miguel, Terceira and Pico. AMI 18683, shown on the website and verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: the website names no team beyond the founder, so ask who will handle your sale day to day.

Azores Properties

Azores Properties is the trading name of Oceandragon, Mediação Imobiliária, Unipessoal Lda, at Rua de São João 52 in Horta, on Faial. Its founder, Laurentius Metaal, was born in Rotterdam. It says it works mainly on Faial and Pico and is expanding to other islands; its search on 16 October 2026 also covered Terceira. It is a member of APEMIP, the estate agents’ association, and also holds a construction permit; its menus include sales, rentals, construction and homes registered for short lets. The website is in English, German, Portuguese, Dutch, French and Italian. AMI 12778, shown on the website and verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: its news page was last updated in March 2024, so check that the listings and team are current.

Azores Real Estate

Azores Real Estate is the trading name of 447 Picocreativ – Construções e Imobiliária, Lda, registered at Avenida Carlos Dabney 20A in Madalena, on Pico. Its partners include Paulo Ávila, president of the Azores tuna producers’ association, and Rui Pereira, who has more than 25 years in building on the central islands of Pico, Faial and São Jorge. It says it has extensive experience with national and international clients, and offers sales, property management and marketing. The website is in Portuguese and English and gives no street address. AMI 18900, shown on the website and verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: its owners also run construction and fishing businesses, so ask who works on sales day to day.

Casa é Comigo Real Estate

Casa é Comigo Real Estate is the trading name of Alpendre de Cortesias, Lda. Its office is at Rua Bento José Morais 17 in São Pedro, Ponta Delgada; IMPIC gives the company’s registered seat as Rua Teófilo Braga 21 in Vila Franca do Campo. It was founded in Ponta Delgada by businessman Paulo Pinto. On 16 October 2026 its English-language listings were land, houses and a commercial property around São Miguel, from Capelas and Fenais da Luz to Ribeira Chã. The website is in English and Portuguese. AMI 21091, shown on the website and verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. It does not say whether it represents buyers.

Tradeoff: the website says little about the team beyond the founder, so ask who will handle your sale.

Buyer’s agents covering the Azores

A buyer’s agent works only for the buyer and takes no listings, so these firms help buyers, not sellers. For a seller, a buyer’s agent is someone who may bring a buyer to your listing agency. Get any fee in writing. See buyer’s agents in Portugal.

Goldcrest

Goldcrest is the trading name of Golden Solstice – Lda, a buyer-only agency headquartered at Avenida 24 de Julho 4 in Lisbon, with offices in Porto and the Algarve. Its guide to buying property in the Azores, updated on 30 July 2026, covers all nine islands, from São Miguel and Terceira to Flores and Corvo, and says the firm is “dedicated exclusively to protecting the buyer’s interests”. It names no office in the Azores. The website is in English. AMI 23310, verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. It does not publish its fees, so ask for a written proposal that says how much you pay, when, and whether travel to the islands is extra.

Tradeoff: it covers the islands from the mainland, so ask who will attend viewings for you.

Pearls of Portugal

Pearls of Portugal, Lda is a buyer’s agent at Rua de Camões 218 in Porto. Its buyer’s agent page says it also supports buyers “on Madeira and the Azores, together with local partners”. It works in English, German, French, Portuguese and Spanish. It says its fee is fixed or a percentage, depending on the package, and is invoiced on success: the first payment falls due only once the right property is found, the price agreed and the buyer decides to go ahead, and searching and viewings cost nothing before that. AMI 14801, verified on IMPIC, 16 October 2026. Ask which local partner will show you homes and whether their costs are included.

Tradeoff: it covers the Azores from Porto through local partners, not its own staff.

Other firms active in the Azores

Other firms active in the Azores that we haven’t profiled yet include Century 21 Azor (AMI 7597, Ponta Delgada) and Century 21 Nature (AMI 23843, Ribeira Grande), whose office pages are in Portuguese only, Century 21 Imagine (Angra do Heroísmo), RE/MAX 4You, KW Feel Azores, Zome Azores and Realty ONE Group Azores (Ponta Delgada), and Mayer & Andrade (AMI 16242, Pico). We’ll add firms once we’ve confirmed their licence holder and English-language service. You can check any agency yourself on the IMPIC website.

What does selling cost on a €250,000 house or a €500,000 villa?

The seller pays the agent; the buyer pays IMT (property transfer tax), stamp duty and the deed. In the Azores the VAT on commission is 16%, not the mainland’s 23%: the regional assembly sets lower rates (VAT Code, article 18(3)), and an agent’s service on a property is taxed where the property is. Commission is worked at 5% plus 16% VAT.

Cost the seller pays	€250,000 house	€500,000 villa	Basis
Commission at 5%	€12,500	€25,000	Negotiable; typical range about 3–6%
VAT on commission at 16%	€2,000	€4,000	Azores standard rate
Commission including VAT	€14,500	€29,000	Paid at the deed
Each point of commission, with VAT	€2,900	€5,800	1% × price × 1.16
Saving against mainland VAT (23%)	€875	€1,750	Check the contract states 16%
Energy certificate	about €150–350	about €150–350	Typical; required before advertising
Early repayment fee on €150,000 still owed	€750 (variable) or €3,000 (fixed)	€750 or €3,000	0.5% or 2% caps, Decree-Law 74-A/2017, only if the loan contract provides
IMT, stamp duty, deed and registration	€0	€0	Paid by the buyer

The buyer’s tax shapes your buyer pool. Since 25 May 2026 a buyer who is not tax resident in Portugal pays IMT at a flat 7.5% on a home (Decree-Law 97/2026, IMT Code article 17(10)). The article makes no exception for the Azores, so on its wording it applies here; the tax authority has published no Azores-specific guidance. Residents buy on the islands’ own tables, whose bands are 25% wider than the mainland’s. On the €250,000 house a non-resident pays €18,750, against €5,756.85 for a resident buying a second home, so €12,993.15 more; on the €500,000 villa it is €37,500 against €24,125.11. A buyer who becomes resident within two years can claim the difference back. The IMT calculator has the Azores tables.

Capital gains tax. Non-residents are taxed on 50% of the gain at the national progressive rates of 12.5% to 48%, with no withholding at the deed; the old flat 28% rate no longer applies. The Azores’ reduced regional income tax rates apply only to people resident in the Azores, not to non-residents. Commission and the purchase taxes you paid reduce the gain. Use the selling calculator, and see capital gains tax for non-residents, selling as a non-resident, UK residents selling and selling as a US resident.

How to choose an agent to sell in the Azores

• Check the licence and the company. The AMI number on your contract must belong to the company that signs it. Most agencies here trade under another name (Azores Properties is Oceandragon, for example), and three firms on this page, including both buyer’s agents, hold licences registered on the mainland.
• Pick an agency on your island. Each island is a separate market with its own prices: the INE median ranges from €1,277/m² in Madalena to €2,083/m² in Ponta Delgada. Ask for completed sales on your island, ideally in your parish.
• Price from sales, not listings. Asking prices run 17–69% above the INE median paid in the municipalities in our price table. Ask each agency for its recent completed sales and the time they took.
• Negotiate commission in euros. Use the cost table above, check the contract states 16% VAT, and see estate agent commission.
• Keep exclusivity short. The contract must state its duration and commission (Lei 15/2013, article 16); with no stated duration it lasts six months. Under exclusivity, commission is owed if the sale fails through your fault (article 19(2)); simple exclusivity does not stop you selling to a buyer you found yourself (Supreme Court, 12 April 2023).
• Check the paperwork early. From 1 October 2026 the deed must state whether a habitation licence exists (Decree-Law 108/2026). See unlicensed works.
• Selling from abroad. You can sign the CPCV (promissory contract) and the deed through a power of attorney (procuração); see selling with a power of attorney.

See also costs of selling, estate agents in Madeira and the national agents list.

Frequently asked questions

Which estate agents in the Azores speak English?

All 8 agencies and 2 buyer’s agents on this page work in English with international clients. Four are on São Miguel (A. Machado, Azorean Real Estate Services, Casa é Comigo and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices), one on Terceira (Arlindo Teles), two in Horta on Faial (ERA Horta & Pico, Azores Properties) and one on Pico (Azores Real Estate). If you’d rather not compare them yourself, Portugal Owners will suggest two or three that fit your property, free.

Does an estate agent in the Azores need the same licence as on the mainland?

Yes. Agencies need an AMI licence from IMPIC under Lei 15/2013, and we found no separate Azores regime. The IMPIC register lists 92 licence holders based on the islands. Ask for the AMI number and look it up on the IMPIC register. We checked every agency on this page on 16 October 2026.

How much do estate agents charge in the Azores?

Commonly about 5% plus VAT, and it is negotiable. VAT in the Azores is 16%, not 23%, so commission is €14,500 on a €250,000 house and €29,000 on a €500,000 villa. Each percentage point is worth €2,900 or €5,800 at those prices. See agent commission in Portugal.

What is a house in Ponta Delgada worth in 2026?

Homes in Ponta Delgada sold for a median €2,083/m² in the 12 months to June 2026 (INE), up 14.6% on a year, against €1,574/m² across the Azores. Asking prices averaged €2,575/m² in September 2026 (idealista). A 120 m² house comes to about €250,000 at the INE median. For your own property, get 2–3 free price estimates.

Key points

• There is no official ranking of estate agents in the Azores. This list covers 8 agencies and 2 buyer’s agents, grouped by type and alphabetical, not ranked, each with an AMI licence checked on IMPIC on 16 October 2026.
• Match the agency to the island: A. Machado, Azorean Real Estate Services, Casa é Comigo and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices for São Miguel, Arlindo Teles for Terceira, ERA Horta & Pico and Azores Properties for Faial, and Azores Real Estate for Pico.
• Homes sold for a median €2,083/m² in Ponta Delgada and €1,574/m² across the Azores in the 12 months to June 2026, 59% of the Madeira median; asking prices run 17–69% above what buyers pay.
• Buyers with a tax address abroad paid only 15.8% more than local buyers across the Azores, and 2.4% less in Ponta Delgada.
• Commission of 5% plus 16% VAT is €14,500 on a €250,000 house and €29,000 on a €500,000 villa; a non-resident buyer pays 7.5% IMT, about €13,000 more than a resident second-home buyer at either price.