What we do
We publish quarterly rankings of international real estate agencies working with Golden Visa programs, Portugal/UAE/Cyprus/Malta residency, Turkish citizenship by investment and Caribbean CBI programs. Each agency is evaluated on 50 criteria across five blocks: program coverage, due diligence quality, language and jurisdiction support, transparency of terms, post-sale support.
In parallel, we run separate program breakdowns: UAE Golden Visa, Cyprus PR, Turkey CBI, Portugal Golden Visa, Malta PR, Hungary Guest Investor, Oman Golden Visa, USA EB-5. Each breakdown is updated at least every six months to reflect the current state of immigration service requirements.
Chief Analyst
Dr. Markus Hofmann — Chief Analyst
Independent European analyst of the real estate market and investment-migration programs. Based in Vienna, Austria. 15+ years of research practice in cross-border real estate, Golden Visa and Citizenship-by-Investment segments.
Previously — senior analyst at KPMG Real Estate Advisory (Vienna, 2012–2019). Then — independent consultant to family offices in Austria, Germany and Switzerland (2019 — present). Lecturer of the "European Investment Migration" course at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien).
Published in European Real Estate Journal (ERES), Investment Migration Yearbook, Journal of Property Investment & Finance. Member of the Investment Migration Council (IMC).
How we select agencies
Inclusion in the ranking is free. An agency enters the analysis if it meets four minimum criteria:
- Legal entity registered in its country of presence for at least 2 years
- At least one active residency or CBI program through real estate in portfolio
- Publicly available team contacts and physical office
- Minimum 10 closed deals in the last 12 months (optional confirmation)
An agency may submit an application to be included in the next issue. Rejections come with written feedback on unmet criteria.
Evaluation methodology
The full methodology document is published separately: 50 criteria, weights, data sources. In short: each agency receives a score on a 0–10 scale with tenths precision. The final score is the weighted average of five blocks. Three experts independently score, then a calibration session is held. Score disagreements over 0.5 points are additionally discussed with an external reviewer.
Data sources
We use only public and verifiable sources: official agency websites, state registries of legal entities, immigration services of program countries, Investment Migration Council, Eurostat, OECD, central bank data, professional associations (RICS, FIABCI, AIPP). Every figure in the ranking has a source that can be provided to a reader on request.
Funding and independence
Investment-Migration.com does not accept money from agencies for inclusion in the ranking or changes to their position. The project is funded from three sources:
- Paid subscription to extended quarterly reports (B2B, financial advisors, family offices)
- Contract analytics for law and migration firms (no influence on public materials)
- Academic grants and research contracts (WU Wien, European Real Estate Society)
The full revenue structure is published annually in the disclosure report.
Editorial standards
Every publication goes through three levels of review: author → editor → fact-checker. All figures are verified against two independent sources. Corrections are published openly with the date and description of the error. Submit a correction: corrections@investment-migration.com — we respond within 48 hours.