Do Real Estate Agents Need a Licence in Colombia?

The official sources checked show no general professional licence for real estate sales brokers in Colombia. Separate registration rules cover housing rental brokers and appraisers. A broker renting or managing urban housing for others needs landlord registration (matrícula de arrendador) in municipalities above 15,000 people. Appraisers must join the open register of appraisers (Registro Abierto de Avaluadores, RAA).

This guide does not recommend any broker.

What it is

What the Commercial Code says a broker is

• A broker (corredor) connects two or more people for a deal. The broker has no relationship of collaboration, dependency, mandate or representation with either party (Código de Comercio, art. 1340).
• The broker earns the agreed fee or, without an agreement, the usual fee. Unless they agree otherwise, the parties pay equal shares. The broker earns the fee when the deal they helped arrange closes (art. 1341).
• The broker must tell the parties every known circumstance that may influence the deal (art. 1344).

The code describes a broker as not bound to either party. A buyer should not assume representation without a written agreement.

Who it applies to

Which registrations do apply?

• Renting housing for others. The registration rule covers municipalities of more than 15,000 people. It applies when main activities include renting urban housing, whether owned by the broker or others. It also covers acting as an intermediary between landlords and tenants as a main activity. These activities require registration with the competent authority (Ley 820 de 2003, art. 28). The mayor's office keeps the register, and the process is free (Decreto 51 de 2004).
• Appraisers. Anyone who works as an appraiser (avaluador) must register in the open register of appraisers (Ley 1673 de 2013, arts. 5, 6 and 23). You can search it on raa.org.co.
• A bill, not law. A House of Representatives bill (Proyecto de Ley 242 de 2025) would regulate real estate brokers. When we checked, the House page listed it at the plenary stage. Ask your lawyer whether anything has changed.

Steps

What you can check yourself

1. Check: The landlord-registration number in a rental broker's ads.
2. Check: Registration in the open register of appraisers for any appraiser.
3. Check: The business's registration with a chamber of commerce, searchable in the business register (RUES).

Questions to agree in writing

1. Ask: Whom do you represent? Will the other side pay you too?
2. Ask: Who pays your commission, how much, does it include VAT, and when is it earned?
3. Ask: Do you have a written mandate from the owner? Is it exclusive?
4. Ask: Where would any deposit go? Ask your lawyer which account it should be paid to.

Costs and taxes

Who pays the commission?

For sales, the seller often pays a percentage of the price. The Bogotá chamber of commerce lists a local commercial custom. The seller pays 3% of the price for urban property and 5% outside the urban area (CCB commercial customs; the chamber notes its published text is not a certification). Other cities may differ, and fees are negotiable. The written agreement should state who pays, how much and when the broker earns the fee.

Services in Colombia are generally subject to Colombian VAT (IVA) unless an exclusion applies (Estatuto Tributario, art. 420). Housing rent itself is excluded, but that covers the rent, not the broker's fee (Estatuto Tributario, arts. 468 and 476). Ask whether the quoted fee includes VAT.

Common mistakes

What a broker does not replace

A broker may help you find properties, arrange viewings and negotiate. A broker is not your lawyer and does not study the title for you. A broker's price opinion is not an appraisal. Your lawyer should review any draft promise contract the broker shares before you sign or pay a deposit. See the promise contract guide and the title certificate guide.

Sources

• Código de Comercio, art. 1340
• Ley 820 de 2003, art. 28
• Decreto 51 de 2004
• Ley 1673 de 2013, arts. 5, 6 and 23
• raa.org.co
• House page
• CCB commercial customs
• Estatuto Tributario, art. 420
• Estatuto Tributario, arts. 468 and 476
• RUES

Educational information, not legal or tax advice. For your own purchase, ask a Colombian real estate lawyer (abogado inmobiliario) and a certified public accountant (contador público). Ask a tax professional and a lawyer in your home country about the effects there. Finding trusted services shows how to check that a Colombian lawyer is registered.

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Frequently asked questions

Do real estate agents need a licence in Colombia?

The official sources checked show no general professional licence for sales brokers. Renting or managing urban housing for others requires landlord registration in municipalities above 15,000 people. See Ley 820 de 2003, art. 28. Appraisers must join the open register of appraisers.

Who pays the real estate commission in Colombia?

Under Código de Comercio, the parties pay equal shares unless they agree otherwise (art. 1341). In practice, the seller often pays. Bogotá’s chamber lists 3% of the price for urban property as a local custom. Record who pays, how much and when the broker earns it.

Does the broker represent me?

Not by default. The Código de Comercio describes a broker as not bound to either party by mandate or representation (art. 1340). If you want the broker to represent you, agree this in writing. Have your own lawyer review the contract and title.

Not sure which topics to raise? Take the quiz. The Colombia Owner Kit (US$79, instant download) turns this guide into a checklist, a calendar entry and a question list: see what’s included. Or start with the free sample: Chapter 4, the due-diligence checklist.