I don’t know about you, but when I have a toothache, I go to the dentist. When my car breaks down, I go to a mechanic. When I need a haircut, I go to a hairdresser. For legal matters, I contact a lawyer. So wouldn’t it be logical that when you want to sell or buy a property in Croatia, you contact a real estate agency?
Just like any other professional – a dentist, mechanic, hairdresser or lawyer – a real estate agency has the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully sell or purchase a property on the Croatian real estate market.
Here, I am not talking about “agencies” that operate from kitchens or cafés, but about licensed and professional agencies in Croatia, which can be verified on the website of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, where a list of all registered real estate brokers operating in Croatia is available.
In the past, buying or selling a property in Croatia was much easier, as people mostly checked only the ownership title. If the ownership was clear, many transactions were completed because the procedure was simpler and less demanding.
However, real estate transactions in Croatia can be quite complex, risky and delicate. If you try to handle everything on your own, even a small mistake can cause serious problems and later significantly complicate your life.
Since buying or selling a property is one of the most important events in a person’s life, it is crucial that this serious process is handled properly and professionally, especially when dealing with Croatian property laws and regulations.
That is why a real estate agency in Croatia must first of all be licensed. This means it must employ at least one qualified agent who has passed the official state exam for real estate brokerage as required by Croatian law. The agency must also have an office where it operates and meets clients, and it must cooperate with a lawyer or legal expert familiar with Croatian property law.
Every licensed agent in Croatia has extensive knowledge related to real estate. They are well informed about spatial plans, cadastral records, land registry, taxes, finances, loans, construction, contractual relations and legal procedures specific to Croatia. Very often, they also need to be good psychologists. An agent must continuously follow changes in laws related to real estate in Croatia. They must be educated, polite, confident, professional, and fully competent in all real estate matters.
My advice to property owners in Croatia is this: ask local people in the area where your property is located whom they would recommend, and start your search for an agency that way. Always check the agency you are contacting, look at reviews and recommendations, see how present they are in advertising, and finally decide based on your own intuition whether you trust them and whether you want to entrust them with the sale of your property in Croatia.
WHAT A REAL ESTATE AGENCY IN CROATIA DOES FOR YOU AT THE BEGINNING
At the start, every professional real estate agency in Croatia will:
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thoroughly review the property documentation in accordance with Croatian regulations and warn you about any possible deficiencies or risks, if there are any; ideally, your property should have “clean papers”
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inform you if any documentation required under Croatian law is missing; in some cases, the agency may even refuse to take the property into its sales portfolio
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if the documentation is in order, sign a Brokerage Agreement regulated by Croatian law, which authorizes the agency to advertise your property and bring potential buyers; the commission terms are also defined in this agreement
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visit the property, take photographs, prepare descriptions, translate texts, edit photos and publish the listing online
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provide a professional opinion on a realistic market price on the Croatian real estate market
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know the local market and activate its network of contacts
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advertise properties on its own website and usually on many domestic and international real estate portals offering properties in Croatia
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bring only serious and qualified buyers to view the property, free of charge for the seller
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conduct negotiations regarding the price
When the agency finds a buyer and an agreement on the price is reached, it engages a lawyer to prepare the Sales Agreement in accordance with Croatian law. The agreement is then signed and notarized by a Croatian notary public, payment is made, keys are handed over, and the property handover takes place, including recording electricity and water meter readings.
If there is a bank mortgage on the property in Croatia, the procedure is slightly different, but the agency handles everything according to established Croatian procedures.
There is a clear order and procedure for each step, always in agreement with both the buyer and the seller.
WHAT THE AGENCY DOES AFTER THE SALE IN CROATIA
The agency then takes care of the second part of the process, which includes:
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registration of ownership in the Croatian land registry
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updates in the Croatian cadastral records
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tax registration with Croatian tax authorities
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transferring utilities (electricity, water, etc.) into the buyer’s name
Throughout the entire process, the agency saves you time, advises you, coordinates all parties and organizes everything in the best interest of both the seller and the buyer within the Croatian legal framework.
This is why the agency charges a commission, from which it covers business expenses, salaries, office rent, legal services, insurance, taxes and other costs.
The commission is paid on the same day the seller receives payment, usually at the signing of the Sales Agreement or Preliminary Agreement in Croatia.
No commission is paid if the agent does not find a buyer.
I strongly recommend that property owners in Croatia do not enter this delicate process on their own, but instead choose professionals who are educated, registered and responsible for this type of work.
A property you are selling in Croatia should no longer have sentimental value. The goal should be to achieve the best possible price under Croatian market conditions – and this is exactly what a licensed real estate agent will handle for you in the most professional way.
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Author: Jasminka Fišer Gavranović – owner of Alfa nekretnine real estate agency in Vodice, a licensed real estate agent and a home staging expert
Alfa nekretnine (Alfa Real Estate)
Obala Juričev Ive Cote 27
Vodice, Croatia
Office: +385 22 441 292
Mobile: +385 91 525 3260
Email: info@alfanekretnine.hr