Key takeaways
- Long-term rentals have yielded 5 to 9 percent gross a year and short-term 8 to 15 percent gross, before administration, tax, vacancy, management and maintenance.
- In Antioquia an apartment starts at about US$91K, typically asking about US$191K; in Guatapé and El Peñol about US$86K and about US$154K.
- The concession reverts on July 31, 2026, the financing trust is expected in 2027 and handover to Invías in 2028, so major works would not begin before late 2027.
- About 2 percent: notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent and beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer.
- 30 to 45 days once the deal is agreed.
Commercial property in Medellín is bought under the same registry and notary rules as housing, but the money is different: expect closing in 30 to 45 days, buyer closing costs of about 2 percent of the price plus your lawyer's fee, and annual property tax of 0.3 to 1.2 percent of cadastral value. Zoning, not the listing, decides what you can operate.
Checklist · Before you sign a promesa
The 12 documents I check on every deal
Tick them off as you collect them. Saved on this device.
Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
The building's or gated community's administración
From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
In the deed and on the cadastral record
Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
Declared before the notary in the deed itself
Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
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Where each document comes from
- Certificado de tradición y libertad: Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
- Prior deed: The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
- Property-tax good standing: The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
- HOA good standing, if applicable: The building's or gated community's administración
- Seller's ID / RUT: From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
- Power of attorney, if the seller is represented: Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
- Cadastral appraisal: Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
- Survey and boundaries: In the deed and on the cadastral record
- Utilities up to date: Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
- Family-home protection certificate: Declared before the notary in the deed itself
- Promesa de compraventa draft: Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
- Building permit, if applicable: Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
Google · Preferred source
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What actually changes when the property is commercial, not residential?
- The use. A commercial unit works only if the municipality's territorial plan (POT) and the building's own rules allow your activity. A ground floor unit in Laureles can be titled commercial and still be barred from running a bar or a clinic.
- The income. You are usually buying a tenant with the walls, so the lease is a title document in practice.
- The operating costs. Administration fees, utility tariffs and cadastral valuations differ from residential. Confirm the cadastral value and rate in writing.
How do I verify a commercial unit before I pay anything?
In this order:
- Certificate of tradition and freedom, requested with the matrícula inmobiliaria: registered owner, mortgages, liens, encumbrances. If the seller cannot give the registry number, that is your answer.
- Land use certificate, in the name of the activity you intend to run.
- Horizontal property regulation and assembly minutes: special levies, repairs, disputes.
- Administration fee statement and paz y salvo. Unpaid fees follow the unit.
- The lease: term, rent, escalation, deposit, renewal rights, right of first refusal. Long-continuous commercial tenants can have renewal protections that survive a sale.
- Tax status: property tax paid, and the cadastral valuation.
Only then sign a promesa de compraventa.
What do I actually earn, and what do I pay when I sell?
Long-term rentals have yielded 5 to 9 percent gross a year and short-term 8 to 15 percent gross, before administration, tax, vacancy, management and maintenance. A commercial unit with a stable tenant sits in the first range and is bought for predictability. Appreciation has historically run 7 to 8 percent a year, what happened, not a promise. Capital gains are 15 percent when held two years or more; sooner is treated less favourably.
Is a commercial unit in Medellín better value than a residential one in Oriente?
In Antioquia an apartment starts at about US$91K, typically asking about US$191K; in Guatapé and El Peñol about US$86K and about US$154K. A country house in Antioquia starts at about US$393K and typically asks about US$905K; near Guatapé and El Peñol about US$181K and about US$325K. Lots run from about US$114K in Antioquia (typical about US$257K) and about US$124K near Guatapé (typical about US$419K). A Medellín commercial unit competes for your capital against a tourism-facing asset an hour away; if its lease does not clear the long-term range after costs, the case rests on location and tenant quality.
Does the Devimed highway reversion change anything for commercial buyers?
Not on the timeline most people assume. The concession reverts on July 31, 2026, the financing trust is expected in 2027 and handover to Invías in 2028, so major works would not begin before late 2027. For the full process, see the full guide.
What does the purchase actually cost me at the notary?
About 2 percent: notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent and beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer. There is no foreign buyer surcharge. Thirty to 45 days from agreed deal to closing is normal, longer with a sitting tenant because the lease assignment must be documented.
How we knowFigures as of October 13, 2026. Prices: active listings we verified ourselves; USD rate: TRM 3,194.44 COP per US$1, valid October 10, 2026 (Banco de la República, via datos.gov.co).
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need before buying a commercial unit in Medellín?
The certificate of tradition and freedom, the municipal land use certificate for your activity, the horizontal property regulation and minutes, the paz y salvo, the lease, and proof property tax is current.
How long does it take to close on commercial property in Colombia?
30 to 45 days once the deal is agreed.
What are the closing costs for a buyer in Medellín?
About 2 percent plus your lawyer's fee, then annual property tax of 0.3 to 1.2 percent of cadastral value.
What yield do commercial and rental properties produce in this market?
Long-term rentals 5 to 9 percent gross a year, short-term 8 to 15 percent gross.
How much tax do I pay when I sell?
Capital gains of 15 percent when held two years or more.
