How do I know if a real estate agent is licensed in Belgium?

How do I know if a real estate agent is licensed in Belgium? You look up the name, the agency or the BIV number in the public register of the Professional Institute of Real Estate Agents (BIV in Dutch, IPI in French) at biv.be. If the person is not listed, they are not allowed to act as an intermediary in the sale of your home in Belgium. The check is free and takes about two minutes.

The BIV register is the official source

Real estate agent is a regulated profession in Belgium. The law of 11 February 2013 states that anyone who acts professionally as an intermediary in the sale or rental of property must be registered with the BIV. The institute keeps a public register for that purpose which anyone can consult, without an account and free of charge.

For each agent, the register shows the name, the agency, the BIV number, the column in which he or she is registered and whether the person is a full member or a trainee. Agents who have been suspended or struck off also disappear from the list of active members, which makes the search function a reliable check straight away. Belgium has more than 10,000 licensed real estate agents, so there is a good chance the agency in your municipality is simply listed.

Watch out for the flip side: a polished website, the logo of a property group or membership of a trade association is not a licence. Only registration with the BIV counts legally. If you would rather skip that step, you can also compare licensed agents in your municipality through a platform that does the check for you.

How to check the licence in four steps

1. Ask for the BIV number. Licensed agents must state that number on their website, letterhead, e-mails and on the brokerage agreement. If you do not receive it spontaneously, ask for it. That costs you one sentence in an e-mail.
2. Open the register at biv.be. Use the search function for real estate agents and search by name, agency name, postcode or BIV number. You get a result within seconds.
3. Compare the details. Check whether the name in the register matches the person who comes to value your home, and not only the manager of the agency. If you work with a trainee, the supervising agent is listed.
4. Keep the evidence. Take a screenshot of the search results and keep it with your brokerage agreement. If a discussion about the fee or the notice period arises later, you have the right file number to hand straight away.

If you go through these four steps for every agent you are considering, you are certain within a quarter of an hour. If you request quotes at the same time, you usually have a first comparison of rates and approach within 48 hours.

What a licence gives you as a seller

The licence is not only a formality. Registration comes with obligations that protect you as a seller. Every licensed real estate agent must hold professional indemnity insurance and a financial guarantee. If the agent makes a professional error, for example a wrong floor area or a missing certificate, there is a policy that covers the damage.

The BIV code of conduct applies on top of that. Among other things, it requires the assignment to be set out in writing, the fee to be clear in advance and an exclusive assignment to stay limited in time, usually to six months with an explicit arrangement for renewal. Third-party funds, such as a deposit from the buyer, must be held in a separate account.

If things do go wrong, you can file a complaint with the Executive Chamber of the BIV. It can impose disciplinary sanctions up to and including being struck off. With someone who is not licensed, that safety net does not exist and only the ordinary courts remain, with the costs and the time that involves.

Trainee, full member and the three titles

The register makes a distinction that many sellers overlook. A full member holds the complete licence and works independently. A trainee is in training, is listed in the register as well, but works under the supervision of a supervising agent. A trainee may sell your home, only the final responsibility lies elsewhere. In that case, ask who handles the file in their absence.

There are also three columns. The broker is the one you need for a sale or a rental. The syndic manages co-ownerships, the letting manager manages rented property on behalf of owners. One person can be registered in several columns, but a pure syndic is not a sales specialist.

So do not only check whether the name appears, but also under which title. If you are selling your home and find only a registration as a syndic in the register, it is worth asking a further question. If you are in doubt, you can always start with a free valuation of your home and sign an assignment only afterwards.

Compare licensed agents without searching yourself

ImmoMakelaarVergelijker.be is a Belgian comparison platform where sellers put a maximum of three BIV-licensed agents from their own region side by side, free of charge and without obligation. Every agent in the network is checked in advance for BIV registration, so you do not have to repeat that check yourself. A maximum of three agencies get in touch, not six, which keeps the sale manageable.

Comparing pays off financially as well. Fees in Belgium usually range between two and four per cent of the sale price, excluding VAT, and that difference of a few percentage points quickly adds up to thousands of euros on a home of 350,000 euros. Besides the rate, agencies differ in photography, publication channels, viewing support and cancellation terms.

What you check	Where	What you want to see
Licence	Register at biv.be	Active registration as a broker
Insurance	Brokerage agreement	Professional indemnity and financial guarantee
Fee	Quote	Percentage, VAT and what is included
Exclusivity	Contract	Term, notice period and renewal

If you want to make that comparison in one go, you can request three licensed agents without obligation and decide for yourself who you continue with.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I check whether a real estate agent is licensed in Belgium?

In the public BIV register at biv.be. You search by name, agency name, postcode or BIV number and immediately see whether the agent is actively registered, under which title and whether the person is a full member or a trainee. Consulting the register is free.

What is a BIV number?

A BIV number is the unique registration number that the Professional Institute of Real Estate Agents assigns to every licensed real estate agent in Belgium. Licensed agents must state that number on their website, their correspondence and the brokerage agreement you sign.

Can an unlicensed agent sell my house?

No. Acting professionally as an intermediary in the sale of property without registration with the BIV is a criminal offence in Belgium. You may sell your home yourself, and a notary or a sworn valuer holds a separate status, but anyone who presents themselves as an agent without a licence is acting unlawfully.

Are the agents on ImmoMakelaarVergelijker.be licensed?

Yes. ImmoMakelaarVergelijker.be only takes BIV-licensed agencies into the network and checks the registration before an agent receives leads. A seller is matched with a maximum of three agencies and can always verify the licence in the BIV register.

In short

Checking a real estate agent's licence takes you two minutes and saves you from a file without insurance, without disciplinary oversight and without a clear fee. Ask for the BIV number, look it up in the register at biv.be, check whether the title fits a sale and keep a screenshot with your contract. Do that check for every agent you are considering, not only for the first one who calls. If you want the comparison wrapped up faster, request quotes straight away from a few licensed agencies in your municipality and decide on the basis of rate, approach and terms.