Panama real estate runs on legal precision. From inception to final closing.
Real estate in Panama is not a single transaction — it is a legal architecture. Developers, investors, family offices, and private buyers all move through a regulatory and transactional environment that rewards preparation and punishes improvisation. At CHANIS, our real estate practice is led by Desireé Castro, a specialist in Horizontal Property regime law, development structuring, and real estate transactions with deep knowledge of the regulatory framework governing Panama’s property market. When a real estate matter moves into dispute — developer-buyer, administrator-owner, or title litigation — we stay in it through every stage.
- Horizontal Property (PH) Regime
- Real Estate Transactions
- Development & Construction]
- Regulatory & Administrative
- Financing & Security Structures
- AML Compliance for Real Estate
- Real Estate Investment & Residency Programs
Full-cycle legal counsel for Panama’s real estate market
HORIZONTAL PROPERTY (PH) REGIME
The legal design of a horizontal property development determines how it operates for decades. We advise developers and administrators on regime creation, governance documents, pre-sale and sales processes, and compliance with Law 284/2022 — from first structure through administration.
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- PH regime design and implementation — residential, commercial, and mixed-use
- Compliance with Law 284/2022 and developer obligations
- Governance documents, bylaws, and administration regulations
- Pre-sale and sales processes for PH projects
- PH dispute resolution — developers, administrators, and unit owners
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
Acquisitions, sales, leases, and commercial real estate transactions handled with full legal cover — due diligence, title review, contract negotiation, regulatory clearances, and transfer. We advise buyers, sellers, and investors at every stage.
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- Commercial real estate acquisition and sale
- Due diligence — title, encumbrances, regulatory status, and tax position
- Commercial lease agreements and renegotiations
- Institutional transactions — family offices and regional investment groups
- Registry and tax regularization before DGI and Registro Público
DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION
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- Project lifecycle legal structuring — greenfield through completion
- Development and construction contracts
- Permit coordination — MIVIOT, ANATI, Municipios, Registro Público, DGI
- Special economic zones and concession structures
- Distressed asset resolution — desafectación, segregation, registry corrections
Regulatory & Administrative
Panama’s real estate regulatory environment requires active management. We coordinate with MIVIOT, ANATI, the Registro Público, and municipal authorities — so regulatory processes run in parallel with the transaction, not after it.
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- MIVIOT permits and approvals
- ANATI land titling and regularization
- Registro Público filings and corrections
- Municipal permits and use-of-land compliance
- Administrative proceedings and regulatory appeals
Financing & Security Structures
Real estate development and acquisition both require structured financing. We advise on guarantee trusts, institutional lending structures, and the legal mechanics of financing for developers and investors.
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- Guarantee trusts for development projects
- Financing structures with institutional lenders and banking sector
- Security agreements and collateral documentation
- Intercreditor arrangements for complex capital stacks
AML Compliance for Real Estate
Real estate developers, administrators, and brokerages operating in Panama are subject to AML/CFT obligations under Law 23/2015 as regulated entities under the SSNF. We design compliance programs, conduct risk assessments, and advise on regulatory engagement.
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- Compliance programs for real estate entities under Law 23/2015 (SSNF)
- Risk assessments and KYC/CDD frameworks for real estate transactions
- AML manuals, policies, and officer training
- Representation before the Superintendencia de Sujetos No Financieros (SSNF)
Real Estate Investment & Residency Programs
Panama’s Qualified Investor Visa positions the country as one of the most direct paths to permanent residency through real estate investment in the region. A minimum investment of USD 300,000 qualifies for immediate permanent residency, with a path to citizenship after five years of continuous residence. We handle investment structuring, due diligence, regulatory coordination, and immigration as a single integrated process.
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- Qualified Investor Visa — real estate investment pathway
- Investment structuring and vehicle selection
- Due diligence coordinated with residency timeline
- Immigration application and coordination
- Citizenship pathway planning
Investing in Panama real estate. The legal structure that makes it work.
Panama’s Qualified Investor Visa positions the country as one of the most direct paths to permanent residency through real estate investment in the region. A minimum investment of USD 300,000 qualifies for immediate permanent residency, with a path to citizenship after five years of continuous residence. We handle investment structuring, due diligence, regulatory coordination, and immigration as a single integrated process.
- Qualified Investor Visa — real estate investment pathway
- Investment structuring and vehicle selection
- Due diligence coordinated with residency timeline
- Immigration application and coordination
- Citizenship pathway planning
A real estate practice built around one specialist who sees both sides of every deal.
Desireé Castro has spent her career at the intersection of real estate development, Horizontal Property regime law, and investor transactions. She structures developments from the inside, which is exactly the perspective that makes her due diligence and transaction advice for investors sharper. That dual vantage point — developer and investor — is what she brings to every matter.
PH MARKET KNOWLEDGE
The lawyer who structures developments advises their investors
Desireé advises developers on how projects are built legally. That knowledge informs her due diligence and transaction advice for investors in those same markets.
INTEGRATED INVESTMENT + IMMIGRATION
One process, not two separate engagements
Investment structuring and residency application are coordinated from day one — so both move in parallel without gaps or delays.
LAW 284/2022 COMPLIANCE DEPTH
PH regulatory expertise applied at every stage
We advise developers and administrators on Panama’s Horizontal Property regime every day. That regulatory depth protects investors and developers from compliance gaps that surface years after a transaction closes.Let’s talk about your real estate matter.
Schedule a consultation with us — a direct conversation about your project, your investment, or your residency process.
