Real estate agency licensing in the Balkans
Almost every country where Stanovina publishes listings now requires a licence to broker property — in some the agency is licensed, in others the individual agent. Below is a country-by-country overview: which law applies, who keeps the register, what an agency must satisfy, and how to check whoever you are about to sign with.
Side-by-side comparison
| Country | Licensing | In force | Minimum insurance | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montenegro | Licence required | 13.08.2025 | 20.000 € / 60.000 € | Open the register |
| Serbia | Licence required | 2014 | 15.000 € / 45.000 € | Open the register |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Per entity | 2022 (FBiH) / 2020 (RS) | 50.000 KM / 150.000 KM | Open the register |
| Croatia | Licence required | 07.07.2026 | 100.000 € / 300.000 € | Open the register |
| Slovenia | Licence required | 2003 | 150.000 € / 350.000 € | Open the register |
| North Macedonia | No licensing | — | — | — |
| Albania | Licence required | 2022 | — | Open the register |
Montenegro
Montenegro regulated real-estate brokerage with a dedicated law for the first time in 2025. Brokerage may now only be carried out by a company or sole trader seated in Montenegro that is entered in the Register of Brokers and employs at least one agent who has passed the professional exam. Until then the market was completely unregulated.
Serbia
Serbia has the region's longest-running system: broker licensing was introduced by the 2013 law. The Register of Brokers is public and searchable online, so any client can check in seconds whether an agency is allowed to broker.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BiH has no state-level brokerage law — the matter is regulated at entity level, in nearly identical terms. The Federation of BiH has applied its law since 6 January 2022, Republika Srpska since 2020. Brčko District has no dedicated brokerage law, so general company law and anti-money-laundering rules apply there.
Croatia
In July 2026 Croatia got an entirely new brokerage act replacing the 2007 one. The two-step system stays — a ministry decision, then entry in the HGK register — but insurance limits and fines are markedly higher, and an agent may be employed by only one broker.
Slovenia
Slovenia licenses individuals, not just agencies: only a broker holding a personal licence entered in the register may broker. Slovenian law is also the only one in the region that caps commission outright — at 4% of the contract value.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia is the only country we cover with no broker licensing at all: no professional exam, no licence, no register of agencies. In its 2023 report MONEYVAL noted explicitly that entry requirements are completely absent for the real estate sector. Vetting an agency comes down to checking the company in the Central Register and to the quality of the written contract.
Albania
In 2022 Albania set brokerage up as a regulated profession: the certificate is issued by the Ministry of Justice, not a chamber, and is tied to the individual. The law was also driven by FATF and MONEYVAL commitments, so its focus is on the source of funds and broker integrity.
How to check an agency
Before you sign a brokerage contract:
- Find the agency in the official register and match the name and company number against the contract.
- Ask for its register number — in most countries it must appear in the listing itself.
- Ask to see the professional indemnity policy and check that it is current.
- Insist on a written contract stating the fee and exactly when it falls due.
- Do not pay any advance on the commission before the deal closes — in most countries in the region that is expressly prohibited.