What is an estate agent?
An estate agent is a property professional working in one of the following three professions:
- estate agent/broker (or intermediary);
- estate agent - property management company;
- estate agent/manager.
Who can work as an estate agent? /Who can practise this profession
The conditions for entering and practising the profession differ depending on whether:
- you are established in Belgium in order to practise the profession
- you are working in the profession on a temporary and occasional basis (temporary practice) in Belgium as a business set up in a Member State - a Member State is considered as any State that is part of the European Union, plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland;
- you have a qualification relevant to the profession of estate agent from a country outside the European Union, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.
To better understand the difference between establishment and temporary practice, see the Be-Assist FAQ.
Using an estate agent registered with L’Institut professionnel des agents immobiliers (IPI - Professional Institute of Estate Agents)
Anyone wishing to work as a self-employed estate agent must be registered in the table or providers or on the list of trainees of the Institut professionnel des agents immobiliers (IPI). All the estate agents authorised to work as such are therefore in this table or on this list.
Registration with the IPI is important for both the estate agent and the client.
How to find an estate agent?
Consult or search on the IPI search module. This will give you the names and contact details of all the estate agents listed with l’Institut professionnel des Agents immobiliers (IPI).