Buying real estate in panama

Hello jessie.

Welcome to Expat.com

Perhaps this thread might help > Buying property in Panama

Thanks.

Karen

I've bought property at 4 locations.  All new buildings which were just "finished".   Surprisingly I  discovered
That inspection are done AFTER I closed on the property.  In 2 of the buildings problems uncovered by my inspector  were presented to the builder for repair.  12 months later the list continued to be ignored.  SO... DO WHAT YOU CAN TO  FIND OUT IF YOUR BUILDER STANDS BEHIND HIS WORK.    or be prepared to have things finished by a 3rd party.

Also....ask to have your inspection done before you close!  Some builders will accept that.  Probably the same builders that DO stand behind their construction.

I assume you're talking improved and not vacant land. Are you talking pre-construction, new or pre-owned? 

Absolute Rule- Never buy property in Panama (or anywhere else) until you after you have lived there for six months. International Living lies.

General recommendations:
- Never buy "right-of-possession" property; only so-called "titled" property.
- Buy title insurance
- Never buy a condo-hotel
- The so-called "hot" areas no longer exist; nothing is selling quickly so don't believe the hype.
- Avoid Cpanama Real Estate and other purely online services.
- Avoid expat-only firms; local pay less than expats for everything.
- Don't believe anything anyone tells you they will do; it's likely they will not do what they say.
- In condo towers, your due diligence should extend to all common areas. Look for maintenance neglect, condition of elevators and pools, etc. It will not get better.
- Do not place great weight on your own lawyer or real estate agent. They really just want to close and move on and do not care too much about your best interests, assuming they do anything at all for you.

Regarding new construction:
- Never buy pre-construction; many never get built and refunds are not provided.
- Understand that construction quality is suspect, far below U.S. standards and varies widely. Laws and remedies you may rely on in buying in the U.S. do not exist in Panama and judicial recourse is almost non-existent against developers. You need to check and re-check unit, conduct your own investigation online about the project and the ownership experience of others.

Excellent post SawMan! This should be part of a moving to Panama rule book. It would save a lot of people money, frustration, and heartache.

kristc99 wrote:

Excellent post SawMan! This should be part of a moving to Panama rule book. It would save a lot of people money, frustration, and heartache.

Thanks.  Let's say I've made some costly mistakes!

Out of curiosity, where did you buy with mistakes?  And...where did you buy afterwards (if at all)?

And...I also agree about the good bullets

thanks

So about buying real estate in Panama should I understand it's a great conspiracy to trap foreigners
Like they say in french

they are the GOGO who are looking for a quiet place to leave This is discussing. Is nt there any justice in Panama ?

Shall I believe that Even the lawyers are dishonests

In MY OPINION  SawMan is generally correct.  His post leans a bit too much to the negative side but
that may just be to emphasis a point. When he says " never" this or that change to read "usually" or "check it out 3 ways twice" and know you're taking a risk.

There are good realtors and lawyers......just be aware there are some "not so good".  Not so different than the USA.  You have more recourse in USA if you get screwed but it's still much smarted to do lots of due
diligence to avoid it in the first place.

Word of mouth is the best way to find professionals to work with.  So as SawMan said rent for several months
While you look for the right team.

Dreaves wrote:

In MY OPINION  SawMan is generally correct.  His post leans a bit too much to the negative side but
that may just be to emphasis a point. When he says " never" this or that change to read "usually" or "check it out 3 ways twice" and know you're taking a risk.

I'd still stick with "never" in these instances:  NEVER buy right-of-possession property and NEVER buy before living (renting) for six months.  I would also say NEVER buy pre-construction unless you are willing to walk away from your 40% deposit.  The likelihood of the project turning out as represented is very low.  If it works out, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Buy existing properties (after extreme due diligence).

I may have been more negative than most, but losing money to rip-off pre-construction developers and dishonest real estate agents (long story short: misrepresented facts, failed to advise of conflicts of interest, failed to disclose that the contracting party was not actually the developer, etc.) does that to my attitude.  Americans run to Panama and think that they'll sue the developer and this will lead to a refund or correction of the incomplete or defective work.  It doesn't work that way in Panama so leave the "sue the heck out of them" attitude in the States because it does not work in Panama.

Someone asked what project I was ripped-off on:  Bala Beach Resort on the Caribbean.  Project halted, not delivered as promised, etc.

SawMan wrote:

Someone asked what project I was ripped-off on:  Bala Beach Resort on the Caribbean.  Project halted, not delivered as promised, etc.

A bit of more evidence that others feel the same way about this project as I do is that buildings 1 and 2 were 95%+ sold years ago pre-construction, building 3 about 80% pre-sold and building 4 maybe 50% pre-sold as of, say, 2009 to 2010.  Right now, only buildings 1 and 2 were built (no further work going on) and about 10% +/- of the completed 1 and 2 building units have closed.  Buyers have elected to essentially forfeit their money than pay any more to the developer.  The last count was, as I recall, that around 17 units out of maybe 120 closed despite being ready for closing for over a year now.  Hmmmm.  Me thinks no one likes what is being delivered.

in panama I could not find a realtor
who would know anything about "title insurance"
there is no real estate law

although most of them have a lic. number now
they no nothing about real estate
nobody can provide correct information about location
annual property taxes sales history
appraised value or registered value
elevation dimensions
parcel numbers or the "finca madre" number

if the panama realtors is not too dam lazy
and know how to use the internet a bit
he will just send you some pictures
of expensive properties which are already on the web
add commission on top the asking price
and expect a dumb gringo to buy it

what is the best way to buy a piece of land outside of PC

which areas are you interested in?

also title insurance is not needed.  It is either titled in the Public Registry free and clear...or it's not.  The Public Registry is...public.

@BRR
I'm interested in "las cumbres"
please provide your contacts

No contacts there, sorry.

I develop and have contacts in the province of veraguas.  My group has made a subdivision in Santa Fe and Santa Catalina.  We're involved in property in remote areas of beach and mountain.  Currently I'm working at lagobay.com with boutique commodity agricultural projects like coconuts, tilapia (fish), spirulina (algae), fruit and coffee.   

That's my story...and sticking to it.

Best of luck in las cumbres.  I'd give a word of wisdom but am very ignorant of the Colon corridor/ metro area.

SawMan wrote:

[edited from post]
I'd still stick with "never" in these instances:  NEVER buy right-of-possession property and NEVER buy before living (renting) for six months.  I would also say NEVER buy pre-construction unless you are willing to walk away from your 40% deposit.  The likelihood of the project turning out as represented is very low.  If it works out, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Buy existing properties (after extreme due diligence).

THIS!
This goes for any country (I'm more familiar with Costa Rica).

I would say 3 months is probably "enough" to live there to find out how it is, but sure, 6 months is better.

#1 RULE:
FIND (somehow! ?) an Attorney you can trust 100% to represent your interests.

Get SOLID provable references from at least 3 sources who will verify that your attorney knows his stuff thoroughly for the type of property you are buying.

Triple check that you will have access to water and electricity on your property and if you are subdividing check that you'll be able to build on each of the subdivided lots and get water and electricity to each of them. (Sometimes there are restrictions that may prevent building so even though you are legally allowed to subdivide the lots you may not legally be allowed to build on them, or to get water, etc. Sounds crazy but that kind of stuff can happen. In any case it's best to always triple check. You may even want to pay more than one attorney (if this is allowable?) to check the property for you so you are getting 2 opinions in stead of one!

Find people who you know have bought property successfully and built on it (if you're building) and ask who they used for an attorney, who they used for a construction supervisor etc.

Panama is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and, according to the U.S. Department of State, has a wholly insufficient judicial system to afford aggrieved parties recourse.  The latest scam has been forged land instruments (READ:  you aren't buying what you paid for or it has a mortgage lien on it already).  Be very wary of proceeding on your own or relying only on real estate agents / developers / promoters.  The story below cautions you about even relying on attorneys you may have hired:

A Band Of Criminals Is Forging Documents To Steal Property From Foreigners in Panama

Monday, December 09 2013 @ 08:07 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner

Judicial authorities in Chiriqui are investigating a new forgery scandal involving the illegal transfer of land - valued at two million dollars - through the forging of official documents, in a scam targeting foreign landowners. According to preliminary investigations, it is a criminal network formed by lawyers and those are supposed to be responsible for safekeeping the properties that have been stolen, which has been operating for several years .
Criminal investigators have not ruled out the possibly complicity of government employees of the Public Registry in the province.
Some of the illegal operations include; the overpricing of the land acquired by foreigners, more than one title being issued on the same parcel of land, obtaining loans from local financial institutions by using the false titles and other forged documents, the theft of the land and livestock from the rightful owners, and falsifying documents to transfer land in order to strip it away from the rightful owners.
Joaquín Yves Brant, a retired American, bought a farm in 2008 from the Panamanian Abel Obando Serrano, located in San Lorenzo, Chiriqui.
The land was not titled, so he hired the lawyer Cley Estenio González Caballero to conduct this legal proceeding (obtain title for the land).
In this way, González Caballero obtained plans (survey) for the 38 hectares of land, and he later titled the land in the name of Obando Serrano, who sold the property to Brant.
A year later Brant learned that the parcel of land he had acquired had been mortgaged in favor of the Universal Bank, SA.
When he started investigating, he found that the same number on the plan that had been approved, was used to obtain another title for Rodolfo Carlos Figueroa, but with a different registration number but located within the boundaries of the same land he had acquired from Obando.
Meanwhile, Figueroa sold the "cloned" farm to Adalberto Polanco Rodriguez, who then later transferred it to the company González y Polanco, S.A., owned by González Caballero, the same lawyer who had advised Brant.
Finally, the "cloned" farm was mortgaged to the Universal Bank in exchange for a loan to Polanco Rodriguez for $240,000 according to the complaint.
This same modus operandi was followed with another farm located in Chiriqui, the property of the company Dos Ríos de Santa Rosa, S.A., also represented by Brant.
In this case the same plan number was used to "make" a new estate in the Public Register in the name of Rodolfo Figueroa, on the same grounds.
Then the fake farm was passed to Polanco Rodriguez, who then transferred it to the company González y Polanco, S.A., which was then used to obtain a mortgage loan for $125,000.
This property is currently being repossessed (by the bank).
Len Petry is another foreigner who was also a victim of this scam.
According to the investigations he also hired the lawyer González Caballero to create a company called Brynanna, S.A. which he used to acquire three farms in Boquete in 2011.
The subscribers of the company Brynanna SA turned out to be González Caballero himself, Daniel Polanco, and Rodolfo Figueroa.
The three subscribers then obtained mortgages of the lands without Petry's approval, according to the complaint.
Another case was that of British retiree Christopher Field, who demanded a exhibitoria diligence in April this year in the offices of the lawyer Gonzalez Caballero by the Fifth Circuit Court of David, in order to try to recover the shares of a shares of a number of companies the accused lawyer had created.
When the judicial diligence was performed, it was confirmed that Gonzalez Caballero and Daniel Polanco had modified the Boards of the companies in June 2012, removing themselves from them.
According to the investigations, Field transferred $835,573 to Gonzalez Caballero between 2010 and 2012 in order to acquire the shares.
Later it was confirmed that one of the farms he purchased in June of 2011 was transferred, through these companies, on 5 December 2012, to Itza Dania Muñoz, who in turn mortgaged the property seven days later to a credit corporation for a loan worth "thousands of dollars." The foreigner lost the properties.
Another foreign company, Bella Vista Uno, SA, also formed by González Caballero, filed a complaint this year over the loss of 200 head of livestock acquired as collateral for a loan of $70,000 - a herd that was under the supervision of Daniel Polanco Rodriguez.
The case files for these complaints are sitting in the offices of the Fourth Criminal Prosecutor of Chiriquí, but so far no formal charges have yet been filed.
Oliver Quiel Miranda, the lawyer representing Cley Gonzalez, said the allegations against his client are unfounded and that no such crimes exist.
An attempt was made to locate Cley González but he did not answer calls made to his office in David, Chiriquí. (Prensa)
Editor's Comment: Panama really (really) has to get a handle on these land scams. Foreigners are frequently targeted, because they come to Panama with bags of money to buy land and invest - and then the crooked lawyers steal it all. The worst part is when they then use the money they stole to PAY THE BRIBES necessary to keep themselves from being prosecuted. And why have no charges been filed in this case? Because this guilty stinking lawyer has about a million dollars to throw around within the prosecutor's office, judges chambers, and anyone else he needs to buy. These cocksuckers should be hung, shot, set on fire, then hung again. And for the record - there is no judicial security in Panama. None. If you're a foreigner prepared for the very strong possibility of getting fucked over. The more money you have, the greater the odds.

Top 10 Ways the US is the Most Corrupt Country in the World

    http://www.juancole.com/2013/12/corrupt … world.html

    Those ratings that castigate Afghanistan and some other poor countries as hopelessly “corrupt” always imply that the United States is not corrupt.
    VOA reports :
    While it is true that you don't typically have to bribe your postman to deliver the mail in the US, in many key ways America's political and financial practices make it in absolute terms far more corrupt than the usual global South suspects. After all, the US economy is worth over $16 trillion a year, so in our corruption a lot more money changes hands.
    1. Instead of having short, publicly-funded political campaigns with limited and/or free advertising (as a number of Western European countries do), the US has long political campaigns in which candidates are dunned big bucks for advertising. They are therefore forced to spend much of their time fundraising, which is to say, seeking bribes. All American politicians are basically on the take, though many are honorable people. They are forced into it by the system. House Majority leader John Boehner has actually just handed out cash on the floor of the House from the tobacco industry to other representatives.
    When French President Nicolas Sarkozy was defeated in 2012, soon thereafter French police actually went into his private residence searching for an alleged $50,000 in illicit campaign contributions from the L'Oreale heiress. I thought to myself, seriously? $50,000 in a presidential campaign? Our presidential campaigns cost a billion dollars each! $50,000 is a rounding error, not a basis for police action. Why, George W. Bush took millions from arms manufacturers and then ginned up a war for them, and the police haven't been anywhere near his house.
    American politicians don't represent “the people.” With a few honorable exceptions, they represent the the 1%. American democracy is being corrupted out of existence.
    2. That politicians can be bribed to reduce regulation of industries like banking (what is called “regulatory capture”) means that they will be so bribed. Billions were spent and 3,000 lobbyists employed by bankers to remove cumbersome rules in the zeroes. Thus, political corruption enabled financial corruption (in some cases legalizing it!) Without regulations and government auditing, the finance sector went wild and engaged in corrupt practices that caused the 2008 crash. Too bad the poor Afghans can't just legislate their corruption out of existence by regularizing it, the way Wall street did.
    3. That the chief villains of the 2008 meltdown (from which 90% of Americans have not recovered) have not been prosecuted is itself a form of corruption.
    4. The US military budget is bloated and enormous, bigger than the military budgets of the next twelve major states. What isn't usually realized is that perhaps half of it is spent on outsourced services, not on the military. It is corporate welfare on a cosmic scale. I've seen with my own eyes how officers in the military get out and then form companies to sell things to their former colleagues still on the inside.
    5. The US has a vast gulag of 2.2 million prisoners in jail and penitentiary. There is an increasing tendency for prisons to be privatized, and this tendency is corrupting the system. It is wrong for people to profit from putting and keeping human beings behind bars. This troubling trend is made all the more troubling by the move to give extra-long sentences for minor crimes, to deny parole and to imprison people for life for e,g, three small thefts.
    6. The rich are well placed to bribe our politicians to reduce taxes on the rich. This and other government policies has produced a situation where 400 American billionaires are worth $2 trillion, as much as the bottom 150 million Americans. That kind of wealth inequality hasn't been seen in the US since the age of the robber barons in the nineteenth century. Both eras are marked by extreme corruption.
    7. The National Security Agency's domestic spying is a form of corruption in itself, and lends itself to corruption. With some 4 million government employees and private contractors engaged in this surveillance, it is highly unlikely that various forms of insider trading and other corrupt practices are not being committed. If you knew who Warren Buffett and George Soros were calling every day, that alone could make you a killing. The American political class wouldn't be defending this indefensible invasion of citizens' privacy so vigorously if someone somewhere weren't making money on it.
    8. As for insider trading, it turns out Congress undid much of the law it hastily passed forbidding members, rather belatedly, to engage in insider trading (buying and selling stock based on their privileged knowledge of future government policy). That this practice only became an issue recently is another sign of how corrupt the system is.
    9. Asset forfeiture in the ‘drug war' is corrupting police departments and the judiciary.
    10. Money and corruption have seeped so far into our media system that people can with a straight face assert that scientists aren't sure human carbon emissions are causing global warming. Fox Cable News is among the more corrupt institutions in American society, purveying outright lies for the benefit of the billionaire class. The US is so corrupt that it is resisting the obvious urgency to slash carbon production. Even our relatively progressive president talks about exploiting all sources of energy, as though hydrocarbons were just as valuable as green energy and as though hydrocarbons weren't poisoning the earth.
    Even Qatar, its economy based on natural gas, freely admits the challenge of human-induced climate change. American politicians like Jim Inhofe are openly ridiculed when they travel to Europe for their know-nothingism on climate.
    So don't tell the Philippines or the other victims of American corruption how corrupt they are for taking a few petty bribes. Americans are not seen as corrupt because we only deal in the big denominations. Steal $2 trillion and you aren't corrupt, you're respectable.

I totally agree. the U.S. political system is now probably one of the most corrupt in the world. There is even reason to believe votes are not counted and/or counted incorrectly in some (or all?) major elections. But all the points given above are indeed true.

The FDA is another example. They are supposed to approve pharmaceuticals based on safety but they have a horrible record which I think has something to do with the fact they are heavily influenced by those they are supposed to regulate. The recent Obamacare system which is supposed to help so many people is mostly going to help Big Pharma, hospitals, and ins. co's continue to rake in huge profits as opposed to making the system fair and affordable like, say, Costa Rica's.

I could go on but I just wanted to say that no one in the U.S. has any right to name-call other countries "corrupt".

As to Panama, I appreciate the post stating how Panama is corrupt at least in some instances re buying land, because the fact is,. you can get cheated anywhere in the world when buying land, both from the natives of that country as well as from Americans selling land in that country.

The fact is, EVERY country has corruption and when you are dealing with a country where you do not really know the law and are not accustomed to how things work, you need to be extra careful.

For example, I have a friend who developed some property in  Costa Rica. The development was approved at every step of the way. Then when he finished he was told he could not get water to the property. When he was FINISHED with everything else and all had been legally approved, mind you!

He was able to find a way to get around it, but this is an example of how you cannot make assumptions in another country based on how things work in YOUR country! I'm pretty sure that in the USA he would have been told at the get-go that water would not be available if that were the case, before he got all the other stuff done and approved.

The President Who Told The TRUTH!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxNw8OhmVZE

I have bought 11 properties total in Panama.  I would have to agree with all the warnings given previously.  Right now it is almost always better to rent than buy.

would you please share your experiences

Very long and complicated stories for the most part.  I will say that if I bought again I would first get a good real estate lawyer that was very familiar with the area I was buying in.  I would also spend a lot of time researching the history of the property.  Too often someone is in a real hurry to sell you something cheap...... and there is a reason it is so cheap.

how could I get more infos from you

Thought I'd comment on this thread, since I am the person mentioned.

I would agree that it's best to learn the language and spend a year in country before buying a thing - but if I'd done that, then I wouldn't have had the best real estate outcomes that I had. It's possible to have very good luck doing the wrong things, and bad luck after you've learned the ropes.

The number one lesson for me: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, believe the evidence if someone acts ' not right.' You can always walk away.

After I discovered the initial theft of our cattle, I got organized and actually caught the bad guys red-handed with one of my cows. got a photo of it with their brand right next to my brand - and gosh, they were nearly identical. My strategy was to find other victims - obviously they had done this to other people - and I found at least four, plus 5 banks defrauded with mortgages on cloned land or land where they had faked powers of attorney to get mortgages.

I discovered that like me, the other victims had been invited to stay at the Polancos' home prior to discovery of the crimes. You can imagine how that would have gone, and what their intentions were.

Here are the things I did right: only bought titled land. Always bought cheap. Always dealt directly with the owner. Always wrote my own contract, since the usual contracts in Panama - from lawyers - stink. They are full of vague, ambiguous language and open the door to a legal mess. I deal with two real estate lawyers who did not make mistakes: Morgan & Morgan's real estate dept, and Sucre Briceno. This is not an area where you 'get what you pay for.' That's a naïve view. And no real estate contract in Panama will really protect you against malfeasance.

I recommend having multiple sets of eyes on your land. Have a sign that says, "No se hipoteca" - not for mortgage.

Never let a local isolate you from information. If someone tells you, Hey, let me negotiate this for you, you'll just hurt yourself bercause they'll raise the price once they see your gringo face," you should either walk away or insist on handling it all directly face to face with the buyer or seller. The more you are IN control, the more you are present, the less susceptible to that bullshit you are.

the judicial system in Panama is hard to understand and tough to get moving. Once it does, things can happen. Our criminals are now fugitives, hiding until they see if they get convicted, I suppose. There is a line of criminal cases waiting to be filed in case the current ones fail.

While our crijminals scared a lot of people, they also hurt a lot of people andy many people stepped forward to help us. People took risks. They hurt and stole from their neighbors and intimidated people. still, local folks called our hotline and told us what they were doing and warned us, helped us, and ultimately got the press involved, which really helped.

Understand, these criminals had a presentable front man who came well recommended, and seemed very helpful and worked hard to be of assistance. But it was all a setup.

If you live in a foreign country, never put all your trust in one party - divide it, have checks and balances. Panama did well by me, except for this one crazy adventure which has been expensive. You just have to trust the system less in the third world, and trust your instincts more, and think of trust as a valuable gift which expires. It has a time-stamp on it. Wears out.

Knowing the weakness of the system in Panama, I think it's better to own property in your own name. Not via a corporation. Stick to titled land. Stick to land that is easily accessible by road. never let anyone block your information flow - in any way. If they're uncomfortable with you talking to ANYONE - they are criminals. That's a guarantee.

My other tip: if someone encroaches on your land, don't bother with the sheriff. Get a bulldozer and take out their fence. Show them you are not intimidated. IF they steal from you, go after them. Don't tell them you are prosecuting; just file and gather evidence. If you end up with squatters, as I did in Costa Rica, dont' go to the cops. Remove them with a backhoe or guys who are bigger than they are. If they claim the right to stay in your house in Costa Rica, just agree, but assert your right to bury your own house - with them in it. That works pretty well.

I caution you only that if you end up dealing with criminals, they get very indignant when you stop them from continuing their livelihood - after all, it's their right, as they view it. They simply can't comprehend that you have a right to interfere. Calculate where your exit is, if you need one.

it's maybe better to get out of the panama real estate market
these strong earthquakes in panama are increasing
and the panama plate is submerging
any thoughts about this

nonsense.

This: " If they claim the right to stay in your house in Costa Rica, just agree, but assert your right to bury your own house - with them in it. That works pretty well. "

well, I had the backhoe pushing the dirt up over the windows at that point. It has to be clear there will only be one possible outcome, no matter what they do. They left, I put up barbed wire fences, posted a guard, and showed the the hole the backhoe dug for their own little cemetery if they came back. even squatters understand there is a real owner and they are parasitic thieves. in costa rica they are like children. In panama, the crooks tend to be a tougher breed, but still total cowards.

search the web and you will find what is going on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocos_Plate
instead of being rude

who sells "title insurance" in panama

SawMan wrote:

I assume you're talking improved and not vacant land. Are you talking pre-construction, new or pre-owned? 

Absolute Rule- Never buy property in Panama (or anywhere else) until you after you have lived there for six months. International Living lies.

General recommendations:
- Never buy "right-of-possession" property; only so-called "titled" property.
- Buy title insurance
- Never buy a condo-hotel
- The so-called "hot" areas no longer exist; nothing is selling quickly so don't believe the hype.
- Avoid Cpanama Real Estate and other purely online services.
- Avoid expat-only firms; local pay less than expats for everything.
- Don't believe anything anyone tells you they will do; it's likely they will not do what they say.
- In condo towers, your due diligence should extend to all common areas. Look for maintenance neglect, condition of elevators and pools, etc. It will not get better.
- Do not place great weight on your own lawyer or real estate agent. They really just want to close and move on and do not care too much about your best interests, assuming they do anything at all for you.

Regarding new construction:
- Never buy pre-construction; many never get built and refunds are not provided.
- Understand that construction quality is suspect, far below U.S. standards and varies widely. Laws and remedies you may rely on in buying in the U.S. do not exist in Panama and judicial recourse is almost non-existent against developers. You need to check and re-check unit, conduct your own investigation online about the project and the ownership experience of others.

Title insurers doing business in Panama include familiar U.S. firms:  Chicago Title, Fidelity National Title and Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Co.  I'm sure local real estate folks can connect you with an agency they recommend.

I asked all the realtors who appear online
most of them don't even know what title insurance is
US title insurance companies don't touch this region of the world

SawMan wrote:

Title insurers doing business in Panama include familiar U.S. firms:  Chicago Title, Fidelity National Title and Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Co.  I'm sure local real estate folks can connect you with an agency they recommend.