How do I check whether an agency in Serbia is licensed?

The Register of Brokers is public and published online — search the agency's name at registar.must.gov.rs. Access is free and open to everyone.

Does an agent have to pass an exam?

An agency must have at least one person who has passed the ministry's professional exam. The candidate needs residence in Serbia, at least level IV education and no prison convictions.

Real estate agency licensing: Serbia

Licence required

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.

Legal framework

Law on Brokerage in the Sale and Lease of Real Estate

Published in:: Official Gazette of the RS 95/2013, 41/2018 and 91/2019
In force since:: since 2014

Authority and register

The Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade keeps the Register of Brokers and runs the professional exam.

Requirements for brokers

Entry in the Register of Brokers kept by the ministry responsible for trade.
At least one person who has passed the professional exam (organised by the ministry).
Candidate requirements: residence in Serbia, at least secondary (level IV) education and no prison convictions.
Business premises fully separate from residential space, plus the necessary equipment.
A valid professional indemnity insurance contract.
No protective measure banning the broker from trading.

Mandatory insurance

Minimum sum insured: €15,000 per case and €45,000 for all claims in one year.

What a listing must contain

The broker's business name and its number in the Register of Brokers.
Price, location, floor area and layout of the property (Article 18).
Advertising a property the broker has no brokerage contract for is prohibited.

Commission and contract

The fee is charged only after the brokered contract is concluded; advances are not allowed. A broker who is itself a party to the deal has no right to a fee.

Penalties

Brokering without registration (Article 32) is fined at two to five times the customary brokerage fee. Other offences, including breaches of the advertising rules: RSD 100,000–500,000 for legal entities, RSD 50,000–500,000 for sole traders and RSD 10,000–100,000 for the responsible person.

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.

Frequently asked questions

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