Why American Buyers Should Choose Piero Lorenzo
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An Advisory Approach to Buying Property in Italy
Buying property in Italy is rarely just a real estate transaction. It is a cross-border decision involving a different legal system, tax structure, market logic, and cultural approach—and it rarely fits into a standard checklist. I work as an international real estate advisor, not simply as a broker. My role is to help American buyers understand where, when, and why to buy in Italy—before discussing what to buy. This philosophy defines my advisory approach for Americans buying property in Italy. With 25 years of real estate experience across Italy and the United States, I guide clients through complex cross-border decisions with clarity, structure, and perspective. |
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A Different Way of Working
I operate through an advisory-driven model designed for international buyers, whether they purchase in person or remotely. There is one advisor, one point of contact, and one structured process--from analysis to execution.
I work across Italy without geographic limitations. Rather than restricting clients to the inventory of a single agency or local market, I help them evaluate different areas based on their objectives, budget, intended use, and long-term plans.
Through virtual meetings, structured analysis, and direct communication, I make the process more efficient and transparent while coordinating the appropriate local professionals when needed. This approach is not about doing more. It is about removing friction. I don’t compete with traditional brokerage. I operate within a different advisory framework.
I operate through an advisory-driven model designed for international buyers, whether they purchase in person or remotely. There is one advisor, one point of contact, and one structured process--from analysis to execution.
I work across Italy without geographic limitations. Rather than restricting clients to the inventory of a single agency or local market, I help them evaluate different areas based on their objectives, budget, intended use, and long-term plans.
Through virtual meetings, structured analysis, and direct communication, I make the process more efficient and transparent while coordinating the appropriate local professionals when needed. This approach is not about doing more. It is about removing friction. I don’t compete with traditional brokerage. I operate within a different advisory framework.
Direct Advisory. No Delegation.
I work directly with every client I accept. I don't delegate strategy, property evaluation, negotiation, or transaction oversight to junior agents or internal staff. Local agents and qualified professionals—including notaries, surveyors, legal consultants, and tax advisors—may contribute within their respective areas of expertise. However, I remain the client’s primary advisor and single point of contact throughout the process. Every strategic recommendation, evaluation, and critical transaction step is coordinated directly by me, supported by 25 years of real estate experience across Italy and the United States. My model is built around direct involvement and long-term accountability—not transaction volume.
One advisor. One mandate. One responsible voice.
Time, Value, and Mutual Commitment
I consider the time I devote to each client an investment. Before accepting an engagement, I evaluate whether the client’s objectives are realistic, whether the budget, timing, and requested property are reasonably aligned, and whether my involvement can create meaningful value. If I believe a request is not realistically achievable, I prefer to say so at the beginning rather than encourage a search unlikely to produce the desired result.
I don't expect every prospective buyer to be ready to purchase immediately. Exploring different markets, understanding prices, and refining personal objectives are legitimate parts of the process. However, when preliminary exploration develops into ongoing property research, repeated listing evaluations, extensive questions, communications with multiple agents, or tour preparation, it becomes professional work. Because I personally handle every engagement and don't delegate strategy or judgment, the time I allocate to one assignment is time I can't devote to another client. Active work is therefore structured through an appropriate written engagement and fee. This is not intended to pressure anyone into purchasing before they are ready; it creates mutual commitment and allows me to provide each accepted client with the attention, continuity, and accountability the assignment requires.
I work directly with every client I accept. I don't delegate strategy, property evaluation, negotiation, or transaction oversight to junior agents or internal staff. Local agents and qualified professionals—including notaries, surveyors, legal consultants, and tax advisors—may contribute within their respective areas of expertise. However, I remain the client’s primary advisor and single point of contact throughout the process. Every strategic recommendation, evaluation, and critical transaction step is coordinated directly by me, supported by 25 years of real estate experience across Italy and the United States. My model is built around direct involvement and long-term accountability—not transaction volume.
One advisor. One mandate. One responsible voice.
Time, Value, and Mutual Commitment
I consider the time I devote to each client an investment. Before accepting an engagement, I evaluate whether the client’s objectives are realistic, whether the budget, timing, and requested property are reasonably aligned, and whether my involvement can create meaningful value. If I believe a request is not realistically achievable, I prefer to say so at the beginning rather than encourage a search unlikely to produce the desired result.
I don't expect every prospective buyer to be ready to purchase immediately. Exploring different markets, understanding prices, and refining personal objectives are legitimate parts of the process. However, when preliminary exploration develops into ongoing property research, repeated listing evaluations, extensive questions, communications with multiple agents, or tour preparation, it becomes professional work. Because I personally handle every engagement and don't delegate strategy or judgment, the time I allocate to one assignment is time I can't devote to another client. Active work is therefore structured through an appropriate written engagement and fee. This is not intended to pressure anyone into purchasing before they are ready; it creates mutual commitment and allows me to provide each accepted client with the attention, continuity, and accountability the assignment requires.
Access to the Entire Italian Market — Without Conflicts
One of the biggest challenges in Italy is the structural limitation on cooperation among real estate agents. Properties may be marketed by multiple brokers, often without exclusive agreements, creating fragmented information and potentially misaligned incentives. When I represent a buyer, I work exclusively for that buyer. I don't represent the seller, receive compensation from the seller, or collect fees from the listing agent involved in the transaction. I coordinate directly with local listing agents throughout Italy while remaining independent from their compensation and relationship with the seller. This allows me to evaluate properties from different agencies and markets without steering the client toward listings based on commission-sharing arrangements.
I occasionally represent sellers through a limited number of direct listings. In those cases, I act exclusively for the seller and don't provide buyer representation on the same property. This separation of roles is fundamental to my model: the client always knows whom I represent, who pays my professional fee, and where my responsibility lies.
One advisor. One client. One clear mandate.
Learn how my buyer-only house-hunting process in Italy provides access to properties from different agencies and markets.
One of the biggest challenges in Italy is the structural limitation on cooperation among real estate agents. Properties may be marketed by multiple brokers, often without exclusive agreements, creating fragmented information and potentially misaligned incentives. When I represent a buyer, I work exclusively for that buyer. I don't represent the seller, receive compensation from the seller, or collect fees from the listing agent involved in the transaction. I coordinate directly with local listing agents throughout Italy while remaining independent from their compensation and relationship with the seller. This allows me to evaluate properties from different agencies and markets without steering the client toward listings based on commission-sharing arrangements.
I occasionally represent sellers through a limited number of direct listings. In those cases, I act exclusively for the seller and don't provide buyer representation on the same property. This separation of roles is fundamental to my model: the client always knows whom I represent, who pays my professional fee, and where my responsibility lies.
One advisor. One client. One clear mandate.
Learn how my buyer-only house-hunting process in Italy provides access to properties from different agencies and markets.
My Advisory Framework
1. Cross-Border Perspective
Having lived and worked extensively in both Italy and the United States, I understand how differently the two real estate systems operate—legally, culturally, and operationally. My work bridges these differences, reducing friction, misunderstandings, and avoidable risk.
2. Market Understanding Before Property Selection
Italy’s real estate market is fragmented and highly local. Before beginning a property search, I help clients evaluate:
3. Data, Experience, and Judgment
I combine market data and economic indicators with the professional judgment developed through 25 years of real estate transactions, negotiations, and cross-border execution. This approach is also reflected in PL-ERI™—the Piero Lorenzo Economic Resilience Index, a framework I developed to evaluate the resilience of Italian real estate regions by combining economic data, market dynamics, operational factors, and applied professional judgment.
4. Structured Execution
Once the strategy is defined, I personally oversee the process through:
5. Human-Centered Guidance
Behind every purchase is a personal objective involving family, lifestyle, timing, financial priorities, or long-term plans. I work with clients as people first, ensuring that the economic logic of the purchase remains aligned with the life they want to build. For some Italian-American buyers, the purchase is also a way to reconnect with their family roots in Italy.
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Who I Typically Work With
Education, Licensing & Professional Development
Finding a property is only one part of the process.
My role is to help clients understand the market, evaluate the decision, and move from strategy through closing with one advisor coordinating the entire process. If you are looking for clarity, structure, and direct guidance from someone who understands both sides of the Atlantic, I would be glad to work with you.
My services are structured into two engagement paths, depending on where you are in the process.
Piero Lorenzo
(In the cover photo, Piero and his wife Elizabeth. They met in Florence and got married in Tropea, Italy, in 2014)
1. Cross-Border Perspective
Having lived and worked extensively in both Italy and the United States, I understand how differently the two real estate systems operate—legally, culturally, and operationally. My work bridges these differences, reducing friction, misunderstandings, and avoidable risk.
2. Market Understanding Before Property Selection
Italy’s real estate market is fragmented and highly local. Before beginning a property search, I help clients evaluate:
- regional and local economic conditions;
- pricing and market dynamics;
- liquidity and resale considerations;
- intended use and ownership costs;
- relevant legal, tax, and regulatory considerations to discuss with the appropriate professionals.
3. Data, Experience, and Judgment
I combine market data and economic indicators with the professional judgment developed through 25 years of real estate transactions, negotiations, and cross-border execution. This approach is also reflected in PL-ERI™—the Piero Lorenzo Economic Resilience Index, a framework I developed to evaluate the resilience of Italian real estate regions by combining economic data, market dynamics, operational factors, and applied professional judgment.
4. Structured Execution
Once the strategy is defined, I personally oversee the process through:
- property sourcing and evaluation;
- coordination with listing agents;
- offer strategy and negotiation;
- due-diligence coordination;
- document collection and review with the appropriate professionals;
- coordination with notaries, surveyors, legal consultants, and tax advisors;
- transaction oversight from offer through closing.
5. Human-Centered Guidance
Behind every purchase is a personal objective involving family, lifestyle, timing, financial priorities, or long-term plans. I work with clients as people first, ensuring that the economic logic of the purchase remains aligned with the life they want to build. For some Italian-American buyers, the purchase is also a way to reconnect with their family roots in Italy.
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Who I Typically Work With
- Americans purchasing a second home, investment property, or future residence in Italy;
- buyers relocating to or retiring in Italy;
- clients comparing different Italian regions and local markets;
- buyers seeking independent representation in a fragmented real estate system;
- clients who value transparency, careful reasoning, and long-term perspective over pressure or hype.
Education, Licensing & Professional Development
- Dual Italian–American citizen;
- California Real Estate Broker — DRE #01975799;
- Italian real estate license, held since 2002;
- 25 years of real estate experience across Italy and the United States;
- A.A. in Business Administration — College of San Mateo, Magna Cum Laude;
- B.A. in Economics — San José State University, expected December 2026;
- M.S. in Financial Management, concentration in International Finance - Boston University, starting January 2027.
Finding a property is only one part of the process.
My role is to help clients understand the market, evaluate the decision, and move from strategy through closing with one advisor coordinating the entire process. If you are looking for clarity, structure, and direct guidance from someone who understands both sides of the Atlantic, I would be glad to work with you.
My services are structured into two engagement paths, depending on where you are in the process.
Piero Lorenzo
(In the cover photo, Piero and his wife Elizabeth. They met in Florence and got married in Tropea, Italy, in 2014)
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How an American Couple Found the Right Home on Lake Como - Case Study
After touring 7 properties on Lake Como, Dan and Debbie returned to the US with a clear idea of what they wanted. When the right home appeared, they purchased it remotely with a video walkthrough, an inspection contingency, and a power of Attorney. Years later, they still enjoy the home. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why work with an international real estate advisor when buying in Italy?
A: Buying property in Italy involves legal, tax, and cultural dynamics that differ significantly from those in the U.S.
My role is to guide American buyers through these complexities with clarity, reducing risk and uncertainty at each stage of the process.
Q: Do you represent the buyer exclusively?
A: Yes. When I act as a buyer’s advisor, I represent only the buyer. I do not represent the seller, receive compensation from the seller, or collect fees from the listing agent involved in the transaction. If I hold a direct listing, I represent the seller and do not provide buyer representation on that same property.
Q: What distinguishes your approach from traditional brokerage?
A: My work combines cross-border experience, economic analysis, and transaction execution. Rather than focusing on individual listings, I help clients understand markets and make informed decisions aligned with their objectives.
Tuscany (Crete Senesi)
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Matera (Basilicata)
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