In recent years, the real estate auction market in Brazil has undergone a significant transformation, driven by economic factors and technological advancements. According to a survey by Abraim in partnership with Leilão Imóveis, the number of auctions in 2024 reached 275 thousand, a 24% growth compared to 2023.
Digitization has made auctions more accessible, transparent, and secure, attracting a growing number of investors and buyers seeking opportunities in the sector. This scenario has contributed to its popularity as an alternative for property acquisition, both for housing and investment purposes.
Amidst this transformation and opportunities, initiatives emerge to guide and facilitate the entry of new investors into the real estate auction market. Zipin, a real estate investment hub, is an example of an ecosystem that offers comprehensive support to interested parties, from financial education to identifying investment opportunities.
“The digitization of real estate auctions has opened doors for many investors who previously had no access to this market. At Zipin, our goal is to provide the tools and knowledge necessary so our clients can make secure, data-driven decisions,” states Gustavo Amaral, CEO and founder of Zipin.
Market on the rise
The increase in mortgage defaults, exacerbated by the economic effects of the pandemic, has resulted in a significant growth in the number of properties available for auction. In 2024, Caixa, which accounts for about 70% of real estate financing in the country, placed 47 thousand properties in auctions, a more than five-fold increase compared to 2022, when 9 thousand properties were auctioned..
All this movement has brought significant benefits, such as greater transparency and access to detailed information about properties, including in some cases photos, descriptions, inspection reports, and price histories. Additionally, data analysis tools and algorithms are being used to predict sale prices and identify investment opportunities, making the process more efficient and reliable.
Although technological advancements have increased the security of real estate auction transactions, with more robust payment systems, enhanced authentication, and data encryption, caution is still needed to avoid scams, which unfortunately can still occur in the sector.
One of the key precautions is to always seek opportunities only through official auctioneers, duly registered with the Commercial Board of the state where the auction takes place. It is also essential to make payments exclusively to accounts linked to the auctioneer’s name and to be wary of websites that do not have a ‘.com.br‘ domain or show signs of informality. For those who wish to eliminate these concerns, a safe alternative is to use the Leilão Imóvel portal, Brazil’s largest auction aggregator, which brings together only verified and reliable sources.
Experts estimate that the sector will continue to expand, driven by digitization and the growing interest of investors seeking opportunities with higher profitability and security. “What marks the current moment of the real estate auction market is not just the growth in the volume of opportunities but the transformation in how investors operate,” explains Gustavo.
The entrepreneur points out that thanks to the digitization of the sector, especially after the pandemic, it has become possible to conduct the entire acquisition process remotely—from legal analysis to bidding, deed signing, property registration, and even renovation and resale of the property, without the investor needing to visit it in person. “This new behavior, already adopted by a large portion of ABRAIM’s bidders, reflects a maturation of the market, with more strategic investors who see the modality as a concrete path to long-term wealth building,” he states.
With the combination of technology, information, and specialized support, Zipin acts as another tool for democratizing access to real estate investments, contributing to the formation of a new generation of more prepared and aware investors.
“The trend is for platforms to become increasingly sophisticated, incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and virtual reality to enhance user experience and increase the security and efficiency of processes,” says the CEO.
Beyond technology, the advancement of digital auctions represents a cultural shift in how Brazilians invest and relate to the real estate market. “What we are seeing is the beginning of a new mindset: more strategic, more informed, and less dependent on traditional buying channels. Real estate auctions are not just a trend in search of profitability but a new business model that is here to stay, with the potential to scale consistently and predictably,” concludes Gustavo Amaral.
