Panama, on your terms — not whoever's terms you land on first
A plan that actually holds up. A new business. A move here, if that's where it leads. Two oceans, a mountain an hour away, and a country that has a way of making people feel like locals fast. If you're still looking for someone to guide you through it — that's what I do.
60–90 minutes · booked at least 48 hours ahead · six short questions first
You're probably dealing with one of these
Your company relocated you to Panama and now you need a real plan — not just a plane ticket. Or you want to buy or build here but you don't know a single developer, and you have no market data to trust. Or you know there are legal steps to buying property or starting a company, and nobody's laid them out in plain language yet. Maybe you fell in love with a property on a trip and froze the second it came time to actually do something about it. Maybe you want to start a business here and just need to understand the terrain before you spend a dollar.
If any of that sounds like you, good — you're in the right place. If none of it does, this probably isn't the page for you, and that's fine too.
What if one person could actually help with all of it?
I'm Alex Garrido. For the last 12 years I've worked in Panama's business world as a practicing attorney — which means I've sat on the legal side of a deal and the "will this actually close" side, often in the same week. That experience is rarer than it should be, and it's the reason clients end up talking to me instead of bouncing between five specialists who've never spoken to each other.
The click that brought you here already did the hard part. It put you one step from having a straight answer instead of a guess. The next step is simple: let me be the one who walks you through it.
Advice built around your roadmap, honest by default
I'll advise you the same way whether you're spending $50,000 or $5 million, and I'll only point you to professionals your roadmap actually needs. My priority is that after we talk, you feel like you actually have the information you need, and you're prepared to take the next step with confidence, not a sales pitch dressed up as advice.
That comes from 12 years of actual deals, actual paperwork, and enough mistakes I've already watched happen that I'd rather you skip them. Transparency, empathy, and a refusal to sugarcoat — that's the whole practice.
Let a Panamanian Sherpa show you the terrain
Panama has real advantages for anyone coming here — but like any unfamiliar ground, it takes someone who actually knows the terrain to keep you out of the wrong ravine. I can help you map the options and choose the path that fits you, and just as important, spot the risks along the way. The decisions, and the money, stay yours.
Proper Consulting is a country advisory. We sell Clarity Sessions, not real estate or any property product. If something's genuinely outside our lane, we say so and point you to who can actually help — including outside our own network, when that's what's best for you. That's not a slogan; it's how the referrals actually work. Today Proper receives no payment from the professionals it refers you to; if that ever changes, we will say so on this page before it applies to you. Read the full story →
Treat this like an expedition, because it is one
If you were planning to climb a mountain in Nepal, the first thing you'd do is find local guidance for everything you'd need before you started the climb. Panama is that kind of expedition — exciting, genuinely rewarding, and not without real risk if you go in without a guide who knows the route.
"Every summit worth reaching has a guide who's already walked it. Panama's no different."
Why Panama
Panama runs a dollarized economy that's held stable growth for years — which matters for anyone planning around prices in dollars. The country's Foreign Investment Law puts foreigners on equal footing with Panamanians when it comes to holding property outright.
Beach, mountain, or city — you decide
It's remarkable how much variety Panama fits into a small footprint: two coastlines with real options to buy, build or relocate to. If mountain climate is what you're after, towns like Boquete, Volcán, Cerro Punta, Cerro Azul, Santa Fe and El Valle de Antón have everything you'd need. And if the city is where you want to be, Panama has an international hub, an industrial zone that houses multinational companies, a startup accelerator at Ciudad del Saber, and a metro system connecting the city straight to Tocumen International Airport.
Before you write in
Is Panama a safe place to buy, build or move?
I can't promise outcomes, and I don't give investment advice. What I can do: after 12 years in this space, walk you through the process, the legal steps and the risks, and connect you with the trusted experts I work with daily. Every decision is still yours.
What do I need to book an advisory session?
60 to 90 minutes of your time, booked at least 48 hours ahead. That's it — no intake forms, no lengthy questionnaire. Just grab a slot on the calendar.
Besides advisory, what else do you offer?
The consultative call usually surfaces other things you'll need along the way. We work with vetted companies and experts for insurance, appraisals and market research, all the way through digital marketing — coordinated from one conversation with us.
What does the advisory service actually include?
It starts with the consultative call — usually 60 to 90 minutes — which is the structuring phase: what your business, question or plan actually is, and what Panama-specific pieces you need to understand. Phase two, if you need it, is ongoing advisory on demand, or a full strategic plan as a written deliverable. From that plan, phase three connects you with the actual people who execute it.
Are other foreigners really building a life or business in Panama?
Yes. There's an enormous range of businesses, properties and relocations happening in Panama across every style, which is exactly why we chose to be guides for anyone who wants to do the same. We can't promise any particular result.
Roughly what does a Turnkey engagement cost?
Turnkey starts at $6,000, but that's a floor, not a quote — the real number depends on the scope we agree on, and you approve it before we begin. This tier is built for complex plans with several professionals and several steps; if you're earlier in the process, the Clarity Session or Full Report is the right place to start.
From click to conversation, in four steps
Nothing hidden: this is the whole path, in order.
- 1
Answer six short questions
About 90 seconds. They tell us what to prepare, and whether we are the right fit.
- 2
Reserve your session
Pay the $300 on the page. The price is the price.
- 3
Pick a time
Sessions are booked at least 48 hours ahead, so we can read your answers first.
- 4
Talk, 60 to 90 minutes
A working session about your situation, with a clear next step at the end.
Three steps. You decide how far to go.
Every step starts the same way: an honest, unbiased conversation about Panama. Where it ends is up to you.
- An honest, unbiased read on Panama — as a place to buy, build, relocate to, or simply keep on your radar
- A real conversation about your actual goals, not a sales pitch
- A clear point of view on your best next move
- The right first contacts — legal, CPA, property — matched to what you actually need. If you need a specialist, we give them a short brief; you can follow up yourself or move to Turnkey
- For when your question is purely legal or corporate — structuring, asset protection, residency requirements
- A direct read on Panama's legal framework as it applies to your specific situation
- A written summary of the recommended legal route and next steps
- Best if property isn't part of what you need right now
- Everything included in the Clarity Session
- A written market study comparing up to 5 options
- A zone-by-zone breakdown of where to look and why
- A plain-language walkthrough of the numbers behind each option
- A professional opinion from an advisory, not a certified appraisal or CPA-certified projection
- Everything included in the Full Report, then Proper acts as your project manager, building the project with vetted providers
- One accountable point of contact instead of five specialists to manage yourself — Proper answers to you for the whole project and manages the pieces, people and tasks
- Built for complexity: several professionals, several steps, one coordinated roadmap
- Engagement begins once we agree on scope and budget — not a fixed checkout, a proposal you sign off on
Let's talk before you take the next step
Bienvenido a Panamá. I'm not a fan of overselling this call — I'd rather you show up, ask me anything, and leave with a clear, honest read on what to do next. Message me and let's figure out your move.
Start with the Clarity Session