Real Estate FAQ

GLRA Realty is the brokerage of Catherine SB Sampayo, a licensed real estate broker. The office is on the 17th floor of 252 Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City, and the practice has been running since 2018. It helps people buy, sell and lease condos, houses, lots and offices. More on the About page.

Mostly Metro Manila: Makati, BGC and Taguig, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Pasay and the south, plus listings elsewhere in Luzon. Browse by area, for example Makati or BGC, or compare areas in the neighborhood guides.

Call or text 0917 177 4572, email glrarealty@gmail.com, or message us on Messenger, WhatsApp or Viber. Viewings are by appointment. Office hours are Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm.

We use them to answer you and, only if you asked for it, to send listings and alerts. We never sell your information and no advertiser or data broker gets it. The privacy page explains what is recorded and has one switch that turns tracking off.

Send the details and photos through the List Your Property form (at least one photo; five or more work best). Catherine reviews it and contacts you. The form is not an Authority to Sell or Lease: nothing can be concluded until you sign a separate written authority.

The valuation tool gives a rough range from the area, type and condition. It is not an appraisal. For an exact figure, send the form on that page and Catherine will assess it for free.

No. On a sale the broker's commission is paid by the seller, typically 3% to 5% of the selling price, so there is no charge to you as a buyer. Sellers can see what they net after commission and taxes in the Closing Fees Calculator.

Foreigners cannot own land, but they can own condominium units as long as foreign ownership in the building stays within 40%. They can also lease private land, generally for up to 25 years, renewable once. A Filipino spouse can hold title to land.

The owner's duplicate of the title (TCT, or CCT for a condo) verified at the Registry of Deeds, the latest tax declaration, real property tax receipts showing nothing owed, the owners' IDs, proof of civil status for spousal consent, and a Special Power of Attorney if someone signs for the owner. The full list is in the Documentation Guide.

Plan on about three months from reservation to a new title when the documents are complete: due diligence and title checks, the notarized deed, the BIR taxes and the eCAR, then the transfer tax and registration. Missing documents or unpaid taxes on the old title are the usual cause of delay.

Yes. GLRA handles the BIR filing, the transfer tax and the registration of the new title, including transfers of inherited property. Ask Catherine for an itemized quote.

For an individual selling a capital asset: 6% capital gains tax, 1.5% documentary stamp tax, a local transfer tax of 0.5% to 0.75% depending on the city, the Registry of Deeds registration fee and the notarial fee. The taxes are charged on the selling price or the fair market value (the higher of the BIR zonal value and the assessor's value), whichever is higher. Try the Closing Fees Calculator and the zonal value lookup.

Commonly the seller pays the capital gains tax and the broker's commission, and the buyer pays the documentary stamp tax, transfer tax, registration and notarial fees. The parties can agree a different split, so write it into the deed.

Capital gains tax is due within 30 days of notarization. Documentary stamp tax is due by the 5th day after the end of the month of notarization. The local transfer tax is due within 60 days of the deed. Paying late adds a 25% surcharge, 12% a year interest and a compromise penalty. The BIR Deadline Calculator gives your exact dates.

An individual selling their own home pays capital gains tax, not VAT. A seller in the real estate business charges 12% VAT, except on a house and lot or other residential dwelling at ₱3,600,000 or below. Check a specific sale with the VAT Exemption Checker.

Possibly. If you sell your principal residence and use the proceeds to buy or build a new one within 18 months, the 6% tax can fall away. The relief is available once every ten years, and the sworn declaration must be filed within 30 days of the sale. See the Principal Residence calculator.

Amilyar is the yearly real property tax, charged on the assessed value in your tax declaration rather than the market price. Inside Metro Manila the basic tax is up to 2% of assessed value (up to 1% in a province), plus 1% for the Special Education Fund. Work it out with the Amilyar Calculator.

Estate tax is 6% of the net estate. Residents' estates get a ₱5 million standard deduction and a family-home deduction of up to ₱10 million, and the surviving spouse's half of conjugal property is not taxed. The return is due within one year of death. Estimate it with the Estate Tax Calculator.

Up to ₱10 million, but the actual amount is the lowest of four limits: the programme cap, the loan-to-value ratio, your capacity to pay and your age at the end of the loan. The rate depends on the fixing period you choose. The Pag-IBIG Loanable calculator names the limit that binds, and the Home Loan Calculator compares Pag-IBIG with a bank loan.

Yes. Open any listing and choose Alert to be told when its price drops, save listings to a wishlist, or save a search on the properties page to be emailed new matches. Every email has a link to stop them.