Buying Property in Chile: Real Estate Services for Foreign Buyers
Helping foreign buyers find homes, farms, homesteads, and rural property from Temuco south to Punta Arenas—with a particular focus on Los Lagos and Aysén.
Buying Property in Chile Is Different
One of the questions we are asked most often is, “Can foreigners own property in Chile?” The answer is yes. Foreigners can generally purchase homes, apartments, farms, and undeveloped land in Chile, and you do not normally have to be a resident to buy real estate.
Finding the right property, however, can be one of the most challenging parts of buying here. Unlike the United States and Canada, Chile does not have a nationwide Multiple Listing Service (MLS) where every property for sale appears in one searchable database. Properties are advertised through individual real estate agencies, online listing sites, Facebook groups, word of mouth, and sometimes simply through local contacts.
After years of living and working in Chile, one thing we have learned is that relationships matter. Some of the best properties are never widely advertised. They are sold through neighbors, referrals, and people who know someone who is thinking about selling. Local knowledge and good contacts can uncover opportunities an online search may never find.
How We Help Buyers
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Finding Property
We help search beyond the obvious online listings, using local knowledge, contacts, agencies, owners, and other sources to locate properties that may fit your needs.
Evaluating the Property
We help you look beyond the photographs and consider practical rural-property issues such as access, utilities, water, improvements, location, surrounding uses, and asking price.
Navigating the Purchase
We help buyers understand the local process, communicate with sellers and agents, negotiate, and coordinate with the appropriate legal and other professionals as the purchase moves forward.
Why Work With Chile Expat Family?
Real estate is not something Jim began doing after moving to Chile. He has worked in the field since the early 1990s. In South Carolina, he became a licensed real estate broker and later a Certified General Appraiser. He owned and served as Broker-in-Charge of Compass Consulting, LLC, provided commercial appraisal services to lenders, attorneys, and accountants, and appraised retail, industrial, contaminated, and government properties throughout South Carolina. He was also involved in real estate development projects in Spartanburg.
That background matters when looking at rural property. A beautiful view is only one part of the decision. Access, utilities, water, improvements, surrounding land uses, property classification, marketability, and value all deserve careful attention.
We also bring more than 13 years of firsthand experience living in Chile. We have purchased property here, homesteaded, farmed, lived off-grid, and learned how rural life actually works. Our focus is helping buyers understand what they are looking at and find property that fits the life they want to build.
Where We Work
We help buyers from Temuco south to Punta Arenas, with a particular focus on the Los Lagos and Aysén regions. Our specialty is rural and agricultural property, including farms, homesteads, lifestyle properties, acreage, and homes outside the major cities.
Southern Chile covers an enormous area, and each community has its own market, climate, access, infrastructure, and character. Choosing the right area is often just as important as choosing the right property.
What Our Real Estate Clients Say
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We have just signed a promesa de compraventa on our purchase of a stunning 7H property, which will be our new home.
None of this would have happened without the help, support & friendship of Jim & Lori Dorchak, all the people on their team and the people in this group.
Jim & Lori have set out a path that any of us to follow. They provide the information and recommendations along this path which we have followed, step by step, consistently moving us forward. I’m absolutely positive that we would not be here in Chile, with 2 years temporary residency and now, a beautiful property on which we will live, had we not found them and joined this group. They have made the process of moving countries much, much easier and lowered our stress and risk substantially. We cannot thank them enough for all the help, support and resources they have shared which has made this possible for us.
Jim & Lori, our heartfelt thanks for doing what you do and making our dream a reality, and in such a short period of time. It amazes me that it was only 14 months ago when we first spoke to you in Sept 2025 and that we now have residency in Chile and are about to move onto our own land.
Nick & Deb
Looking for Property in Southern Chile?
Tell us what you are looking for, where you are considering, your approximate budget, and the kind of life you hope to build. That gives us a much better starting point for helping you determine what may be available.
Contact Chile Expat Family
Send us a message about the type of property you are looking for and the area of southern Chile that interests you.