How to Check a Foreign Real Estate Agent or Agency Is Licensed and Legit (Country by Country)

Published on: June 20, 2026

You'd verify a developer's track record, have a lawyer check the title, and confirm the wire details before sending money. But the person at the centre of all of it, the agent who found the property, controls the information, and may be the one asking you to transfer a deposit, often gets no scrutiny at all. That's backwards. The agent is the gateway to the whole transaction, and in most serious markets you can confirm in a few minutes whether they're a licensed professional or someone who'll take your "deposit" into a personal account and disappear.

Verifying the agent isn't paranoia; it's the cheapest due diligence you'll do. Where an agent is unlicensed, you lose more than peace of mind: your legal recourse if the deal goes wrong is far weaker, and you've cut yourself out of the regulatory protections, escrow rules, indemnity insurance, complaint schemes, that licensing brings. This guide gives you a method that works anywhere, then the specific public register to check in each major destination.

The universal method: five checks that work in any country

Before the country-specific detail, these five checks apply almost everywhere and catch the great majority of problems.

1. Find the licence or registration on an official public register. Most serious markets license or register estate agents, and most publish a register you can search yourself. Ask the agent for their licence/registration number and verify it on the official source, not on the agency's own website, which can say anything. If a market licenses agents and yours can't produce a verifiable number, walk away.

2. Confirm professional indemnity insurance. Licensed agents in most regulated markets must carry indemnity insurance, which protects you if their error or negligence costs you money. Ask to see it.

3. Check the company is really registered. Confirm the agency is a registered business at a verifiable physical address, in the official company register, with the directors named. "Ghost" agencies operating only through a website and a mobile number are a classic fraud structure.

4. Look for a complaint or redress route. In well-regulated markets, agents must belong to a complaints/redress scheme or be subject to a regulator's disciplinary process. The existence of somewhere to complain is itself a sign of legitimacy, and your safety net.

5. Check how they handle your money. A legitimate agent routes deposits and purchase funds through regulated channels, escrow, or a notary's or lawyer's client account, never into the agent's own personal or general business account. How an agent answers "where does my deposit go?" tells you most of what you need to know.

A reliable agent welcomes every one of these checks. Reluctance, deflection or "trust me, that's not how we do it here" is the answer.

Country by country

Rules and the exact verification tools can change; treat the following as the position at the time of writing and confirm on the official source for your country.

United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

Dubai is one of the easiest places to verify an agent, and one where doing so is squarely the law. Every broker must hold a valid RERA broker card issued by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, a part of the Dubai Land Department (DLD). Each licensed broker has a unique seven-digit Broker Registration Number (BRN).

How to check: Ask for the broker's BRN, then verify it on the Dubai REST app (under Real Estate Services, registered brokers) or via the DLD's channels. You can search by name, BRN or brokerage and see the broker's photo, affiliated brokerage and licence expiry. It is illegal to broker a Dubai property transaction without an active card, there are no freelance brokers (every agent must be sponsored by a licensed brokerage with a valid trade licence), and cards must be renewed annually. If an agent hesitates to share their BRN, treat it as a serious red flag.

Portugal

Every estate agency (mediadora imobiliária) in Portugal must hold an active AMI licence issued by IMPIC (Instituto dos Mercados Públicos, do Imobiliário e da Construção), the public body that regulates the sector. Licensed agencies must also carry mandatory civil-liability insurance.

How to check: The AMI number must be displayed on the agency's website, premises and marketing materials. Verify it directly on the IMPIC website (search the AMI number), which will return the company's registration details and confirm the mandatory insurance is active. No result means the agency isn't legally recognised, avoid it.

France

France strictly regulates the profession under the loi Hoguet. To practise, an agent must hold a carte professionnelle (professional card) issued by the local Chamber of Commerce, which requires defined qualifications or experience plus professional indemnity insurance and a financial guarantee. Practising without it is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment and a substantial fine.

How to check: Ask to see the carte professionnelle and the financial guarantee (garantie financière). A legitimate French agent will hold both, and you can confirm the card's details with the issuing Chamber of Commerce. The financial guarantee is what protects any funds handled on your behalf.

Italy

A licensed Italian estate agent (agente immobiliare) must be registered with the local Chamber of Commerce (Camera di Commercio) and hold a REA registration number (Repertorio Economico Amministrativo), after completing a mandatory professional course, passing written and oral exams, and obtaining indemnity insurance and a clean criminal record. Unregistered agents face fines or even imprisonment and aren't legally entitled to commission.

How to check: Ask for the REA number and verify the business in the official company register (Registro Imprese, registroimprese.it). The agent should also be able to show a certificate of registration. Membership of professional bodies like FIMAA or FIAIP is a positive signal but isn't a legal substitute for Chamber of Commerce registration.

Spain

Spain is the important exception in Europe: at national level the profession has historically been liberalised, meaning a licence isn't strictly required to operate, which is exactly why scrutiny matters more here, not less. That said, several regions have introduced mandatory registration. Catalonia and the Valencian Community require agents to enrol in a regional register (such as Catalonia's AICAT), and Andalusia has been moving toward formalised regulation. Professional credentials like API (Agente de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria) and GIPE also indicate a trained, accountable agent.

How to check: Where your region operates a register, confirm the agent is enrolled in it. Everywhere in Spain, lean harder on the universal checks, registered company at a real address, indemnity insurance, API/GIPE membership, and crucially, that your money goes to the notary's or your lawyer's client account, never the agent's own account. Because the national licensing safety net is thin, your independent lawyer matters even more in Spain.

United Kingdom

The UK has no licensing requirement for estate agents, but it does have mandatory consumer protections. Under the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007, any agent doing residential work must belong to an approved redress scheme: either The Property Ombudsman (TPO) or the Property Redress Scheme (PRS). Agents must also comply with anti-money-laundering regulations and (for client money) belong to a client-money-protection scheme.

How to check: The agency must state which redress scheme it belongs to (usually on its website and in-branch); confirm membership with that scheme. Check the company at Companies House for registration, directors and address, and look for client-money-protection scheme membership. Absence of a stated redress scheme is a clear warning sign in the UK.

United States

Real estate is licensed at the state level, with each state's real estate commission setting requirements and maintaining a register; agents are licensed as salespersons or brokers.

How to check: Verify the licence directly with the state real estate commission where the property is located, or use the ARELLO Licensee Verification Database (a central, cross-jurisdiction tool run with the National Association of REALTORS) to confirm an individual's licence status. Confirm the licence is active and in good standing, and check for any disciplinary history with the state regulator.

Turkey

Since 2018, estate agents in Turkey must hold an authorisation certificate (Yetki Belgesi) under the real-estate trade regulation, and registered businesses are recorded in the official trade information system (ESBİS). Operators are also generally expected to hold a vocational competence certificate.

How to check: Ask for the Yetki Belgesi and confirm the business is properly registered. As with everywhere, ensure money for the purchase flows through the official channels around the Land Registry (Tapu) process rather than the agent's own account, and have independent legal representation given Turkey's military-zone and reciprocity checks.

Other markets at a glance

• Greece: Agents (mesites) must register with the General Commercial Registry (GEMI) and the relevant professional chamber; confirm the registration and, given thin enforcement, rely heavily on independent legal counsel.
• Thailand: There is no compulsory national licensing for real estate agents, a significant gap that makes the universal checks essential. Verify the agency's company registration, insist on a reputable, established firm, and use an independent Thai lawyer for the legal and payment side, never the agent.
• Mexico: Agent regulation varies by state, some states require registration or licensing, others don't, and there's no single national licence. Look for membership of AMPI (the national professional association) and state registration where it exists, and route funds through the notary (notario público), who is central to a safe Mexican purchase.

Red flags that should stop you cold

Some signals are worth more than any single check:

• The agent can't or won't provide a verifiable licence/registration number in a market that licenses agents.
• They want a deposit or any payment into a personal or general account, not escrow or a notary's/lawyer's client account.
• The agency exists only as a website and a mobile number, no registered company, no verifiable physical address, no named directors.
• They push you to hurry and discourage independent legal advice or verification.
• The licence/registration number they give you doesn't match the official register, or returns no result.
• They're reluctant to put anything in writing or to let your own lawyer get involved.

Any one of these is reason to pause; two together is reason to leave.

If you suspect an agent is unlicensed

Stop transferring money and signing things, and verify independently on the official register before going further. If the agent turns out to be operating illegally, report them to the relevant regulator, the Dubai Land Department/RERA, IMPIC in Portugal, the state real estate commission in the US, the redress scheme or trading-standards body in the UK, and so on, and bring in an independent lawyer to review what's already happened. Acting on an unlicensed agent's transaction can leave you with weak legal protection, so the earlier you catch it, the better.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a real estate agent is licensed abroad?
Ask for their official licence or registration number and verify it on the country's official public register, not the agency's own website. In Dubai that's the RERA broker card (BRN) via the Dubai REST app; in Portugal the AMI number on the IMPIC site; in France the carte professionnelle; in Italy the REA number via Registro Imprese; in the US the state real estate commission or ARELLO. Then confirm indemnity insurance, company registration and how your money will be held.

Do all countries license real estate agents?
No. Dubai, Portugal, France and Italy have strong, verifiable licensing. Spain has liberalised national rules with some regional registers. The UK doesn't license agents but requires membership of a redress scheme. Thailand has no compulsory licensing at all. Where licensing is weak or absent, the universal checks, company registration, insurance, escrow handling and independent legal advice, matter even more.

What's the biggest red flag with an overseas agent?
Being asked to send a deposit or payment into the agent's own personal or general account instead of escrow or a notary's/lawyer's regulated client account. Combined with an inability to provide a verifiable licence number, it's a strong sign you should stop.

Does using a licensed agent guarantee a safe purchase?
It removes a major risk and gives you regulatory protections, but it doesn't replace your own due diligence. You still need an independent lawyer who represents only you, proper title checks, and verified payment procedures. A licensed agent is necessary, not sufficient.

A note from JanusHermes

JanusHermes works only with verified agencies, partners whose licensing and registration we've confirmed, because the single biggest variable in a safe cross-border purchase is who you're dealing with. That's the whole point of the platform: take the guesswork out of trust. Explore our country guides and verified listings.

Disclaimer. This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create any professional or advisory relationship. Licensing rules, regulators, and public registers change over time and vary by jurisdiction, and the details here, believed accurate as of June 2026, may move. Always confirm an agent's status on the official source for the relevant country before committing any money. JanusHermes is a property information and listing platform and accepts no liability for any action taken in reliance on this content.