As of July 7, 2026, a new Real Estate Brokerage Act (NN 69/2026) will apply in Croatia. Since the law was published, more misinformation than facts has circulated about it: that agencies may no longer charge commission from both sides, that the buyer no longer pays anything, that viewing is now „dangerous“ because something is being signed. None of this is true — but the truth is that the rules of the game have changed, for the better for clients working with a serious agency.
In this guide, we explain what the new law truly brings, how you can check an agency, debunk common misconceptions, and show what you specifically gain when you sign a brokerage agreement with an agency like Regent.
1. What is changing and when
The previous Real Estate Brokerage Act had been in force since 2007, with several amendments, the last of which was in 2019. The new law, adopted by the Croatian Parliament on June 19, 2026, is not just another amendment — it is a completely new regulation that repeals the old law and regulates the area anew.
For agencies, this means a deeper business reform: the registration method is changing, new operating conditions are being introduced, what they must state in the contract is expanding, and penalties are being tightened. For you, this means that your rights and protections when collaborating with an agency are placed on clearer and more secure foundations.
The law was published in the Official Gazette no. 69/26 on June 29, 2026, and came into force on July 7, 2026. On the day of its entry into force, the earlier Real Estate Brokerage Act (NN 107/07., 144/12., 14/14. and 32/19.) ceased to be valid. Procedures initiated before the entry into force are completed according to the old rules.
Professional tip: Before signing any document, check if the contract refers to the current regulation. An agency operating in accordance with the law updates its forms, price lists, and processes to comply with the new rules and clearly informs you about it.
2. How you can verify an agency: Register of Brokers and Directory of Agents
The law makes it easier for you to check if an agency is legal. A list of all registered agencies is publicly available in the Register of Brokers maintained by the Croatian Chamber of Economy, and individual agents are listed in the Directory of Agents.
The Chamber registers an agency within 15 days of receiving a decision, and any change in data must be reported within 30 days. The Register is public and accessible online.
For you, this means that in a few minutes you can confirm if an agency has a valid license and if the agent you are communicating with is properly registered. This is the fastest first filter of reliability before you entrust anything.
Professional tip: Before engaging, check the agency in the public Register of Brokers and the agent in the Directory of Agents. Proper registration is the first and simplest indicator that an agency operates in accordance with the law.
3. Brokerage Agreement: what the agency must clearly state to you
The new law precisely stipulates what a brokerage agreement must contain, so you know exactly what you are signing and what you are paying for. A brokerage agreement is concluded with you in writing and for a specified period, and brokering without a concluded agreement is not allowed.
In the contract, the agency must state the parties' information, the subject of brokerage, the type of work, the amount of the fee, information on all additional services and costs with an indication of who pays them, and its registration number. A valid, dated price list is an integral part of the contract and must be signed by both parties — no more „we'll see about the commission“.
If no duration is agreed upon, the contract is considered concluded for 12 months. The provisions of the law cannot be excluded by agreement to your detriment.
Professional tip: Request that all additional services and costs be explicitly stated in the contract. Anything not clearly stated in the contract and price list should not be subsequently charged to you.
4. General Terms of Business
In addition to the contract itself, the agency must also have general terms of business. For each type of brokerage, these must include a price list, a description of the services the agency performs, the amount of the fee and what it covers, an indication of who is responsible for payment, a note on the prohibition of charging a party that has not concluded a contract, and information on additional services and costs.
The agency must display the general terms in a visible and accessible place, and must operate in suitable office premises, separate from other purposes, with a dedicated space for confidential discussions. For you, this means clearer insight into what is included in the fee before you sign anything.
Professional tip: If an agency does not display its general terms of business or refuses to show them, it is a cause for caution. Their availability is a legal obligation, not goodwill.
5. Advertising: an agency may not advertise a property without a brokerage agreement
This is one of the most important protections of the new law. An agency may not publish your advertisement without a previously concluded brokerage agreement with the property owner. In other words, for an advertisement to be legally published, you must first sign a brokerage agreement.
This rule protects both you and the agency. It protects you by clearly confirming that you have given consent for advertising and that you know in advance under what conditions the agency acts on your behalf, and it protects the agency by giving it a clear legal basis for advertising and brokerage. With every advertisement, the agency is obliged to publish its company name and registered office address, as well as the addresses of its branches or a link to them.
In practice, this means the following: if the owner of an apartment has not signed a brokerage agreement with any agency, that property may not appear in advertisements through an agency. If it does appear, it is an action contrary to the law, and the owner has the right to demand the removal of the advertisement.
6. Property Viewing
The law protects you even before you commit to anything. An agency may not condition property viewing on your prior signing of a brokerage agreement. During a viewing, a viewing confirmation is signed, by which the agency proves to the owner that it has shown the property to third parties. This confirmation must not contain provisions obliging you to pay a fee — it is not a brokerage agreement and does not obligate you to pay commission.
Professional tip: A viewing is just a viewing and does not obligate you to cooperate. If you are forced to sign „just to see the apartment“, this is not in accordance with the law.
7. Brokerage Fee: when it arises and how much it is
The amount of the fee is determined by contract, and the law sets clear payment rules in your favor. The agency acquires the right to commission only after the deal has been concluded and may not charge it in advance. It may not charge you commission even if you have not concluded a contract with it.
When an agency mediates for both parties, this is only possible with a separate agreement with each party, and the total fee may not exceed the highest amount from the price list; if only one party pays, at most half. Before concluding the contract, the agency is obliged to inform you in writing of the individual and total amount of the fee.
Example: if the contract clearly states that the brokerage fee is 3% and is charged only after the conclusion of the sales contract, the agency may not request an advance payment of the fee before the contract is signed. It is also important to know that the payment obligation may extend beyond the expiration of the contract. If, after expiration, you conclude a deal that is a direct consequence of the agency's work undertaken before expiration, you are obliged to pay the full fee. Therefore, it is important to track who brought you into contact with whom.
Professional tip: Before signing, check exactly when the agency's right to remuneration arises, what the amount is, and whether there are any additional costs. A clearly defined contract is the best protection for both parties.
8. Myths and misconceptions about the new law — we debunk them one by one
- „The agency may no longer charge both parties“
False. The law explicitly allows charging a commission from both the seller and the buyer — provided that a separate brokerage agreement has been concluded with each party. What the law introduces is a cap: the total commission for the same property may not exceed the highest amount from the agency's price list. At Regent, this means a maximum total of 6% — and each party pays for its own service, for which it has signed its own contract and price list.
- „The buyer no longer has to pay commission“
A half-truth that causes the most confusion in practice. The following is true: an agency may not charge commission to a buyer who has not signed a brokerage agreement with it. If you found the apartment yourself, and the agency represents only the seller — it may not charge you anything. But if you have signed a contract with the agency — it works for you, and you requested its service — commission is paid as before. The new law did not abolish the buyer's commission; it abolished charging without a contract.
- „If I sign a viewing confirmation, I owe something“
False. According to the law, a viewing confirmation is not considered a brokerage agreement and must not contain any provision for payment of a fee. It is a record-keeping document — proof to the owner that the agency has brought interested buyers. You sign it without any financial risk.
- „Now it doesn't matter who I work with, everything is regulated“
The law prescribes a minimum, not quality. The difference between an agency that merely „connects“ and an agency that manages the entire process — from checking ownership to transferring utilities — is still enormous. Regulations guarantee that you won't be defrauded on commission; they don't guarantee that someone will negotiate a better price for you.
9. What you get with a brokerage agreement with an agency — full service, not just a cost
A commission is not a fee for unlocking an apartment door. When you sign a brokerage agreement with an agency like Regent, you get a complete team that manages the purchase or sale from start to finish — all in one place:
Legal certainty. Before any offer, land registers, ownership, encumbrances, mortgages, annotations, and co-ownership relations are checked. The agency prepares and coordinates the preliminary agreement and the sales contract, as well as the entire procedure with the public notary — up to the registration of your ownership.
Price negotiations. A professional agency knows the actual achieved prices by neighborhoods — not advertised ones, but those at which properties are truly sold. In practice, the negotiating difference often covers a significant part of the commission.
Credit counseling. We guide you through the preparation of credit documentation, property appraisal, and communication with the bank — so that financing does not slow down the purchase.
Tax framework. We explain your tax obligations when purchasing (real estate transfer tax, reporting to the competent tax administration, deadlines) and prepare everything necessary for it.
Everything after signing. Handover protocol, meter readings, transferring utilities (electricity, gas, water, reserve fund) to your name, change of residence — steps where buyers without support often lose weeks. We handle them for you.
One team, one responsibility. All of the above is covered by one commission, known in advance, from the signed price list — exactly as the new law requires.
10. Exclusive Brokerage and Sub-brokerage
By contract, you can commit not to engage another agency for the same job — this is exclusive brokerage. If, during the term of this clause, you still conclude a deal through another agency, you are obliged to pay the exclusive agency the agreed fee and possible costs.
That is precisely why the law obliges the agency to explicitly warn you of the legal effects and consequences of the exclusivity clause before signing. Furthermore, the contract may be transferred to another agency only if it has been explicitly agreed with you, in which case you remain in a contractual relationship exclusively with the first agency.
Professional tip: Exclusive brokerage can mean a stronger commitment from the agency, but before signing, check the duration of the contract and the consequences of violating the clause. The agency must clearly warn you about this.
11. Who may conduct your business: agents
Behind every deal stands an agent — a natural person with a passed professional exam, registered in the Directory. The agency must employ at least one full-time agent. The agent must have appropriate education and a passed professional exam conducted by the Croatian Chamber of Economy.
The law also requires that an agent works only for one agency and does not simultaneously perform similar tasks for another. For you, this rule reduces conflicts of interest, as the person managing your business should not simultaneously work for a competing agency on the same type of work.
Professional tip: Ask for the name and status of the agent handling your case. An agent whom you can verify in the Directory is a more transparent and reliable interlocutor.
How Regent Real Estate Agency can help you
Regent operates transparently and in accordance with valid regulations, and the new legal framework confirms the standards that clients rightfully expect from a professional agency. Throughout the entire process — from the first viewing to the handover — Regent explains every step, clearly states costs, and protects your interests, whether you are on the buyer's or seller's side.
In practice, it looks like this: first, a free consultation and definition of criteria, then viewings without any obligation and without signing a contract. When we find the property you desire, we sign a brokerage agreement with a clear price list and written notification of all fees. This is followed by document verification, negotiations, a preliminary agreement with a deposit, credit and appraisal, a sales contract with a public notary, tax declaration, registration of ownership, and handover with utility transfers. You choose the property — everything else is our job.
Arrange a free consultation with a Regent agent — without obligation and without signing, exactly as the new law requires.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When does the new Real Estate Brokerage Act come into force?
The law was adopted by the Croatian Parliament on June 19, 2026, published in the Official Gazette no. 69/26 on June 29, 2026, and came into force on July 7, 2026. Procedures initiated before its entry into force are completed according to the provisions of the previous law.
Does an agency have to have a signed contract before showing me a property?
No. An agency may not condition property viewing on the prior signing of a brokerage agreement. A viewing confirmation serves only as proof that the property has been shown to you and does not obligate you to pay a commission.
Who pays the broker — the buyer or the seller?
Whoever has concluded a brokerage agreement with the broker. If both parties have (each with their own contract), both pay their fee, and the total sum is limited by the agency's price list. Without a signed contract, the agency may not charge you anything.
How much is the agency's commission under the new law?
The law does not prescribe the amount of the commission — it stipulates that the ceiling is the agency's own price list, signed with the contract. At Regent, the commission for purchase ranges from 2 – 4%, for sale from 3 – 5%, and the total commission for the same property never exceeds 6%.
May an agency charge commission in advance?
No. The agency acquires the right to remuneration only after the brokered deal has been concluded, and advance payment is not permitted. Exceptionally, the right to remuneration may arise upon concluding a preliminary agreement if stipulated. The agency may not charge you a commission even if you have not concluded a brokerage agreement with it.
Do I have to pay commission if I conclude a deal after the contract expires?
You may be obligated. If, after the termination of the contract, you conclude a deal that is a direct consequence of the agency's work undertaken before expiration, the agency is entitled to full remuneration.
May an agency advertise my property without a signed brokerage agreement?
No. Advertising a property is not permitted without a previously concluded brokerage agreement with the owner.
How can I check if an agency is legal?
All registered agencies are listed in the publicly accessible Register of Brokers maintained by the Croatian Chamber of Economy, and agents are listed in the Directory of Agents. Through these records, you can check if an agency has a valid license and if the agent operates lawfully.
What does the new Real Estate Brokerage Act change for agencies?
The law digitalizes registration via the e-service START PLUS, introduces a good reputation requirement, the obligation for brokers to employ at least one full-time agent, increases mandatory insurance amounts, prohibits advertising property without a contract with the owner and charging commission in advance, and tightens supervision and misdemeanor penalties. This means that agencies must operate more transparently and with a higher standard of responsibility towards clients.
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