Atlanta Couple's Unfiltered 2-Week Panama Real Estate Journey: From YouTube Videos to Finding Their Dream Retirement Home

Adrian and Kim's Panama journey started the way thousands of potential expats begin theirs - scrolling through YouTube videos late at night, dreaming about warmer weather and a better quality of life. But unlike most viewers who just bookmark videos for 'someday,' Kim woke up one morning in Panama and told Adrian: 'Let's go find Austin.' They weren't scheduled for a consultation. They hadn't filled out contact forms or booked appointments. They just showed up at the Waldorf Astoria office in Panama City, where they met Isaac (DoPanama's designer and, as Austin jokes, 'security guard'). Within 15 minutes, Austin Hess arrived, and what was supposed to be a casual exploratory trip turned into a comprehensive 2-week property tour across Panama. This organic, spontaneous beginning highlights a crucial reality about Panama relocation: the country has a way of accelerating your timeline when you actually experience it in person. The weather, the people, the affordable lifestyle - it all clicks faster than you expect.

Adrian puts it perfectly: 'We've probably seen more of Panama than people that live here.' Over two weeks, working with DoPanama agent Davided and other team members, they toured properties across nearly every province except Chiriquí. They explored beach towns, mountain communities, city apartments, and vacant land for potential builds. They saw the Pacific coast options, visited multiple developments, and compared everything from finished luxury homes to raw land with ocean views. The couple admits this extensive search made their decision harder - but in the best possible way. As Adrian notes, they found 'about three properties that check all the boxes,' creating what he calls 'a great problem to have.' This comprehensive approach reveals something critical about Panama's real estate market: there truly is incredible diversity. Whether you want beachfront in Coronado, mountain views in Boquete, urban sophistication in Panama City, or Caribbean vibes in Bocas del Toro, you need a team with nationwide connections to show you everything. DoPanama's network of 147 affiliates across Panama made this extensive tour possible - something a single-agent operation simply cannot replicate.

Before finding DoPanama, Adrian and Kim visited other real estate offices in Panama City - specifically mentioning the JW Marriott area where multiple companies operate. Their experience there 'wasn't for us,' as they diplomatically put it. The difference when working with DoPanama agent Davided? 'He listens,' Adrian emphasizes multiple times. 'He gets us.' Davided understands the 'ABC of sales - Always Be Closing' - but balances that drive with genuine sensitivity to making sure every requirement is met. This isn't about pressuring clients into any property; it's about the persistent energy to keep showing options until you find THE one. The couple also worked with Matt from the DoPanama team and brought in John Moses, a building consultant affiliate, when they started seriously considering purchasing land and building from scratch. Having gone through a grueling 9-year renovation in Atlanta ('and we're still together!' Kim jokes), they wanted expert advice before taking on a foundation-to-roof project in a foreign country. This layered approach - having specialists for different aspects of the relocation and purchase process - is what transforms a real estate transaction into a genuine relocation experience.

A few days into their trip, Adrian had what he describes as an almost spiritual realization: 'I literally felt like I belong in Panama.' Before that moment, he admits it was 'back and forth' - the typical mental tug-of-war every expat experiences when considering such a major life change. But something shifted. 'This feels like home, like we're supposed to be here,' he told Kim. What creates this feeling? For Adrian and Kim, it's the combination of factors: the calmness Panama offers, the genuinely friendly people, the excellent food, and - crucially - the safety. 'People say, oh, it's not safe. No, I feel safe,' Kim states emphatically. 'Safe as I've ever felt in my entire life.' The couple watched Atlanta news from Panama and were shocked: 'Whoa, that's like 15 minutes from our house. Did that really happen?' This common expat experience - stepping outside your normalized environment and suddenly seeing it clearly - often becomes the tipping point. Austin describes it as finally being able to 'let your hair down,' after years of living with an underlying stress you didn't even realize you were carrying. Both Adrian and Kim are already retired, entering what Adrian calls 'the fourth quarter.' 'It's time to move at a different pace and just enjoy everything and everyone around us,' he reflects. That mindset shift from accumulation to appreciation is what Panama's lifestyle naturally encourages.

Adrian and Kim aren't just tire-kickers or perpetual dreamers - they're taking concrete action. They have a meeting scheduled with their Atlanta realtor immediately upon returning to discuss selling their home. 'The commitment is there to come,' Adrian confirms. They're in decision-making mode about which of their top three Panama properties to move forward with, and once they complete 'step one' (selling the Atlanta house), they'll be back in Panama 'dragging the team' because they'll be 'ready.' This phased approach is smart and increasingly common among U.S. expats: make the exploratory trip, narrow down your options, return home to liquidate assets and prepare, then come back for the final purchase and move. It reduces risk while maintaining momentum. The couple is also planning to bring friends and family on their next trip - what Adrian calls getting others 'educated on what we found.' This organic word-of-mouth referral is how Panama's expat community has grown exponentially over the past decade. One couple moves, loves it, and suddenly their entire friend group is asking questions. Austin notes that people see transformations like Adrian and Kim's and think, 'Wow, I want one of those smiles.' It's not hype or marketing - it's the genuine glow people get when they've found a place where they can actually enjoy life instead of just surviving it.

What separates DoPanama from the typical expat real estate experience? It's the team-based, full-service approach that treats relocation as more than just a property transaction. Adrian and Kim worked with multiple team members: Isaac at the initial office meeting, Austin for orientation and relationship building, Davided for intensive property tours, Matt for additional support, and John Moses for building consultation. Each person brought specialized expertise. Austin emphasizes: 'I don't know everything, but I know everyone that knows everything.' This network approach extends beyond DoPanama's core team to their 147 affiliates throughout Panama. Whether a property is a DoPanama listing or from an affiliate, the goal is showing clients everything until they find what they love. This is radically different from agents who only show their own listings or who operate in just one region of Panama. The result? Adrian and Kim saw properties across nearly the entire country in two weeks - an impossible feat working with a traditional single-agent model. For serious relocation clients who need to maximize limited time in-country, this comprehensive approach is invaluable. You're not just buying property; you're getting visa assistance, finding doctors, researching schools if you have kids, pet relocation support, and all the other crucial details that transform 'I bought a house' into 'I successfully relocated my life.'