Choose an advisor who tells you in writing how they are paid, whether they receive commissions or referral fees, and what a licensed professional will do instead of them, and whose lawyer you can check yourself in the Judicial Branch's public lookup. We found no Panamanian register for the word "independent," so verify instead of trusting it.

Verified October 16, 2026 against the official pages linked in the sources.

Who does what, and what you can check

Moving to Panama usually involves several roles. Some are licensed and can be looked up by anyone; some are not. Knowing which is which tells you where to point your questions.

  • Lawyer (abogado)
    What they do: Gives legal advice, drafts and files legal documents, signs for you in legal matters
    License you can check: Yes: certificate of idoneidad from the Supreme Court
    Where to check: Judicial Branch lookup
  • Real estate broker (corredor)
    What they do: Markets and negotiates property sales and rentals
    License you can check: Yes: broker license under Decreto Ley 6 of 1999, granted through the Junta Técnica de Bienes Raíces
    Where to check: MICI lookup of licensed brokers
  • Trust company (fiduciaria)
    What they do: Acts as trustee and holds assets in trust
    License you can check: Yes: trustee license from the Superintendencia de Bancos (Law 21 of 2017)
    Where to check: Superintendencia de Bancos, trust companies
  • Relocation coordinator or "advisor"
    What they do: Organizes the process and connects you with the professionals you need
    License you can check: We found no license or registry for this role in the official sources we reviewed
    Where to check: Check the licensed professionals involved, and get the terms in writing

That last row is not a warning. Many coordinators and advisors do careful work. It simply means the word on the business card is not something you can look up, so the checks move to the people who hold licenses and to what is written down. For the lawyer step, see our guide to checking a lawyer before you pay; for the wider process, the relocation guide; and if building is part of your plan, how to verify a builder.

The 10 questions

A good advisor answers these without hesitation. For each one, here is what a clear answer looks like and what is worth clarifying before you pay.

  1. Who pays you, and how much?
    A clear answer: Fees in writing, split between what is the advisor's and what goes to third parties (government fees, lawyer, translations).
    Worth clarifying: A single price with no breakdown is worth asking about.
  2. Do you get paid by anyone you refer me to?
    A clear answer: A direct answer about commissions, finder fees or discounts between colleagues, ideally in the engagement terms.
    Worth clarifying: A vague answer, or "that's not relevant," is worth clarifying.
  3. Do you or your partners sell property, or have ties to developers or brokers?
    A clear answer: A clear yes or no, and what follows from it. Being paid to advise and also earning if you buy is a setup you should know about.
    Worth clarifying: Not mentioning it until you ask is worth noticing.
  4. Who will sign the legal documents, and can I check their license?
    A clear answer: A name and an idoneidad number you can look up in the Judicial Branch's public lookup.
    Worth clarifying: "Our team handles it" without naming the lawyer is worth clarifying.
  5. What will you do yourself, and what will a licensed professional do?
    A clear answer: A written scope that separates coordination from legal, notarial or brokerage work.
    Worth clarifying: A promise to "take care of everything" without saying who does the legal steps.
  6. What will you not do?
    A clear answer: A clear list. Good advisors define the edges of their work.
    Worth clarifying: No limits at all is worth a second look.
  7. Can I speak to someone you have worked with?
    A clear answer: A reference you can contact yourself. (This is advice for you as the reader; this page does not show testimonials.)
    Worth clarifying: Only quotes you cannot trace is worth clarifying.
  8. What happens if the plan changes or a step fails?
    A clear answer: Deadlines, refunds and what you pay if a bank or Migración says no.
    Worth clarifying: No answer on refunds before work starts.
  9. How do you handle my money?
    A clear answer: Payments to an account whose holder you can confirm through another channel. If funds are held for you, who holds them: a trust company needs a license from the Superintendencia de Bancos.
    Worth clarifying: Asking you to send funds to an account you cannot verify.
  10. Will you tell me when I do not need something?
    A clear answer: Examples of recommendations they have dropped because the client did not need them.
    Worth clarifying: An advisor who always recommends more services is worth a second look.

How Proper handles these questions

Proper does not sell real estate or any property product. Today Proper does not receive payment from the professionals it refers you to; if that changes, we'll tell you before it affects you. I'll only point you to professionals your roadmap actually needs.

The Clarity Session (US$300) is a private 60–90 minute call where we map your plan, what to verify and in what order, and which specialist you would need, if any. Use the questions above with us as well.

Sources

Checked October 16, 2026.

Please read: this is general information, not legal advice, and the sources are government pages and law-firm summaries that may change. We reviewed the official pages above for a license or registry for "advisor" and "relocation coordinator" and found none; that is a statement about those pages, not a legal conclusion. In a Legal Consultation the right briefing and roadmap are built for your case.