Real estate careers in Phuket

The market in Phuket

Foreign condo transfers in Phuket rose 18.3% in 2025 to 1,190 units, and another 52.2% in the first quarter of 2026, while 14,008 homes remained unsold (Krungsri Research).

Phuket is Thailand's main resort market for foreign buyers, with condos and pool villas sold to Russian, Chinese, French, British and American clients. Foreign condo transfers reached 1,190 units in 2025, up 18.3%, worth 6.1 billion baht, 82.3% of all foreign condo transfers in the South, and rose another 52.2% to 420 units in the first quarter of 2026 (Krungsri Research, August 2026). The new-build market is much weaker: launches fell 52.6% to 7,205 units and sales fell 61.1% to 5,374 units in 2025, leaving 14,008 unsold homes worth 193.7 billion baht. Phuket is one of the provinces under special checks for nominee ownership in 2026 (Leto, June 2026).

Foreign buyers

The main foreign buyers are Russian, Chinese, French, British and American (Krungsri Research, August 2026). They buy condos freehold within the 49% quota, or villas on registered leases, since foreigners cannot own land. Expect extra checks on company structures in 2026.

Main neighbourhoods

PatongBang TaoCherngtalaySurinRawaiChalongPhuket TownThalangKoh Kaew

Agent licence

No licence is needed. Thailand has no state broker licence and no mandatory exam, so anyone legally allowed to work can be a property agent (Themis Partner, 2025; Thaiger, May 2026). Credibility comes from elsewhere: membership of TREBA, the international CIPS designation from the US National Association of Realtors for agents serving foreign buyers, and the agent certifications run by portals such as DDproperty. An agency is an ordinary Thai limited company registered with the Department of Business Development, with the usual anti-money laundering duties. No draft law to create a broker licence was found in the 2025 and 2026 legal guides consulted, so the profession should be described as unlicensed rather than as about to be regulated. The full guide