Anastasiia Kolomiiets is a real estate expert in Portugal, a residential property investment consultant, and a specialist in supporting international transactions. Combining a legal background with years of experience in the real estate market, she helps clients from around the world safely navigate one of life’s most important steps: purchasing property and relocating to a new country. Working with all leading developers in Portugal and an extensive network of partners across the country, Anastasiia has access to a comprehensive range of properties, from exclusive new developments to investment projects that are often not available on the open market. Her professional journey is deeply connected to her own story. After moving to Portugal because of the war in Ukraine, Anastasiia went through the process of adapting, building a career, and creating a new life herself. That is why she has a particularly deep understanding of the needs, concerns, and challenges of expatriates, which go far beyond simply choosing a property.
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Anastasiia, what was your own journey to Portugal like? What challenges did you face when you had to start your life practically from scratch?
My move to Portugal was neither a dream nor a decision I had planned in advance. I left Ukraine just five hours before the war began, without even knowing that everything would change within a matter of hours. I had one suitcase filled with summer clothes because I was going on vacation, a vacation I never actually reached. Portugal was a completely spontaneous choice. I bought a one-way ticket and stayed. For the first time in my life, I found myself in a country where I had no familiar circle of people, did not speak the language, and had absolutely no idea what would happen next. Perhaps the most difficult part was not finding housing or work, but learning to believe in myself again and believing that I was capable of building a life from scratch. Today, I understand that this experience made me stronger and taught me to better understand people who come to me with their own relocation stories.
How much did your own experience of forced relocation change you as a real estate expert?
My own relocation changed me first as a person and only then as an expert. After moving, I stopped seeing transactions simply as square meters, documents, and numbers. Behind every inquiry today, I see a specific story: a family worried about their children, an investor entrusting me with their savings, or someone trying to begin a new chapter of their life. Perhaps that is why I understand so well that for an expatriate, real estate is rarely just about buying an apartment. It is often about safety, stability, the future, and finally feeling at home. It is important to me to be there not only as a real estate consultant or legal professional but also as someone who has personally gone through this journey. I know how much it means to have someone in a new country who can calmly explain things, offer guidance, and help you avoid mistakes. If, after working with me, people remember me as someone who helped them take an important step in their lives, that is the greatest professional recognition I could receive.
You work primarily with expatriates. What questions, concerns, and fears do you hear most often before you even begin discussing a specific property?
Expatriates come to me with much more than the question, “Which apartment should I buy?” Very often, they first ask where it is best to live with children, which areas are safe, how the education system works, what the adaptation process is like, and what everyday life in Portugal is actually like. For someone who has just moved to a new country, these questions can be even more important than the specifications of a particular property. I understand this very well because I once had to search for answers to those same questions myself. When you arrive in a new country, you want someone beside you who will not speak exclusively in the language of numbers and contracts. You want to know that you will be heard, honestly warned about potential difficulties, and not left alone in the middle of an unfamiliar system. Perhaps that is why trust tends to develop quite quickly between my clients and me. I try to give them more than information about real estate; I want them to feel that at this new stage of their lives, they have someone they can turn to.
The real estate market is constantly changing. How important are continuous education, market analysis, and professional development in your work?
I sincerely believe that an expert stops being an expert the moment they stop learning. The real estate market is highly dynamic, so it is impossible to acquire knowledge once and rely on it for years. I constantly attend presentations of new developments, follow changes in legislation and taxation, and communicate with developers and colleagues. It is important to me not only to understand what is happening today but also to recognize trends that may influence the market tomorrow. I also pay a great deal of attention to international experience because today my clients may be considering several different countries for living or investment. Working with The Agency Miami team has also given me the opportunity to look at real estate from a broader perspective, beyond the Portuguese market alone. That is why professional development is not an additional part of my career; it is an essential foundation of it.
Anastasiia, what helps you recharge while working with decisions that are so emotionally significant for your clients?
My work inspires me greatly because I see its results not only in numbers but also in the eyes of people receiving the keys to their new home. It is always a very special moment for me because I understand how many emotions and decisions stand behind it. At the same time, I am learning not to live in work mode constantly and to allow myself to slow down. Sport, travel, time with loved ones, and simple moments when I can be completely away from work all help me recharge. I think that after my own relocation experience, I have come to value people and the time spent with them even more. For me, balance does not mean having no work; it means not allowing work to take over the rest of your life.
And finally, how do you see your professional development over the next few years?
I want to create something much bigger than simply a successful career in real estate. Today, I am already building my own team, and I want to bring together people who share the same values: professionalism, honesty, and a genuine desire to help clients. In the long term, I envision this becoming an international brand that combines real estate, legal expertise, and relocation support. It is important to me that people associate my name not simply with beautiful properties but with professionalism, security, and trust. And if, many years from now, someone says, “Thanks to Anastasiia, we found our home in Portugal,” I will consider that one of my greatest professional achievements. Because ultimately, my work has always been about much more than real estate. I help people find a place they can truly call home.
