Buyer's agent in Italy: the agent is owed a fee by both sides.

Is a buyer's agent a registered role in Italy?

The mediatore is. Agents notify the chamber of commerce, which checks the requirements and enters them in the companies register (Registro delle Imprese) or its register of economic activities (REA). The old agents' roll was abolished in 2010. Only agents entered in the chamber's register are entitled to a commission at all. Our sources describe no separate buyer's-agent category.

Ask for the registration details and check them before paying a deposit. The fee rules: Italy real estate agent fees.

Who pays the estate agent in Italy, and how much?

Both buyer and seller. Article 1755 of the Civil Code entitles the agent to a commission from each party once the deal is concluded through their work. The amount is agreed; without an agreement, chamber of commerce boards fix it by local custom. Pistoia's published custom (2011) is 2% plus tax from each side, and it notes many local agencies charge 3% each.

Customs differ by province, so get your figure in writing, with or without the 22% VAT. Every other cost: Italy property buying costs.

What does a buyer's agent do in Italy?

Arranges viewings, negotiates, and takes you to the preliminary contract (compromesso), which must be registered within 30 days, then to the final deed (rogito) before a notary. Because the agent who shows you a property is usually owed a fee by you too, ask what that fee is before the first viewing, not after the offer.

The final deed records the agent. It contains a sworn statement of how the price was paid and whether an estate agent was used. You also need a codice fiscale, the Italian tax code, from a consulate or in Italy. The full process: buying property in Italy as a foreigner.

What does the notary do in an Italian purchase, and do I need a lawyer?

A notary (notaio) must draw up the final deed. The notary carries out the cadastral and register checks, collects and pays the purchase taxes, and registers the deed. For non-EU buyers without a qualifying Italian residence permit, the notary also verifies reciprocity. A buyer may hire their own lawyer as well; it is optional.

The taxes the notary collects on a resale from a private seller: 9% registration tax, minimum EUR 1,000, plus EUR 50 mortgage tax and EUR 50 cadastral tax. A new build from the builder pays 10% VAT plus three fixed taxes of EUR 200. The land record to read first: the visura catastale explained.

Where does independent research fit when buying in Italy?

Before the first viewing, because in Italy a viewing can lead to a fee you owe. Brinkman Data analyses every listing for sale in your Italian city and budget, checks rents against real lets, adds purchase taxes and yearly costs, and sends you the five worth buying with a spreadsheet of every listing. No commission, paid only by the buyer. $499, delivered in 5 days.

Italian holding costs are set locally. IMU on a second home has a base rate of 0.86%, and each comune may cut it to 0% or raise it to 1.06%, or up to 1.14% in some. A sale within 5 years of purchase can be taxed on the gain, with a 26% substitute tax option at the notary.

The order that works: research first, then an agent to view and negotiate, then the notary and your own lawyer. The full comparison: how to find a property to buy abroad. What an independent analyst does: independent property analyst. A real report, page by page: the sample report.

What should I ask an Italian agent before a viewing?

Ask what fee you will owe if you buy through them, as a percentage, whether 22% VAT is on top, and when it falls due. Ask for the agent's Registro delle Imprese or REA details. Because customs differ by province, get the local figure in writing instead of relying on a number quoted for another region.

The twenty-one-country comparison: real estate agent fees by country.

Header photo: Amaunet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.