What is a buyer's agent in Italy, and how does it work?

A buyer's agent in Italy is a real estate professional who works only for the buyer. They search and screen homes, attend viewings with you, check the paperwork, negotiate the price and coordinate everything up to the notary's deed. This is different from the usual Italian real estate agency, which by law is an impartial mediator between buyer and seller and is usually paid by both. In Rome and Milan, buyer's agents are most useful to buyers living abroad and to those looking at homes from €1 million.

How are homes normally sold in Italy?

Most Italian sales go through a real estate agency acting as a mediatore (mediator). Article 1754 of the Civil Code defines the mediator as someone who puts two or more parties in contact to close a deal, without being tied to either of them by collaboration, employment or representation. Impartiality is built into the role.

Three further rules shape the market:

• Commission from both sides. Under article 1755, the mediator is entitled to a commission from each party once the deal is concluded thanks to its work. Buyers in Italy usually pay the agency, not only sellers.
• Duty to inform. Under article 1759, the mediator must share what it knows about the value and safety of the deal.
• Registration. Law 39/1989 requires mediators to be registered with the Chamber of Commerce in their province. Candidates need specific training, must pass an exam set by the Chamber, and must hold professional liability insurance.

A registered real estate agency is a legitimate, regulated intermediary. But it earns a percentage of the price, so it has no interest in negotiating it down for you. We explain the incentives in detail in why the real estate agency won't negotiate for you.

What does a buyer's agent do in Italy?

Italian case law recognises a one-sided form of mediation, in which only one party engages the professional, who then acts on that party's mandate and is paid by that party (Court of Cassation, Joint Sections, judgment 19161/2017). A buyer's agent works on this basis, for the buyer. In practice the job covers the whole purchase:

1. Brief. Budget, neighbourhoods, must-haves, timing, and how you will fund the purchase.
2. Search. Scanning the portals and agency networks, and asking around for homes that are sold quietly without a public listing.
3. Screening. Removing duplicates, spotting relistings at lower prices, checking how long a home has been on the market, and dropping homes with obvious problems before you travel.
4. Viewings with you. Organising them with the real estate agencies and attending alongside you, so you see the home with a second, local pair of eyes.
5. Checks. Planning and land registry compliance, the energy certificate, condominium debts and approved works, and title questions to raise with the notary.
6. Negotiation. Building the case for the price with comparables and the findings of the checks, then drafting the offer and its conditions with you.
7. Coordination to the keys. Working with the notary, the bank or mortgage broker, technicians and interpreters, through the preliminary contract and the deed. Each step is explained in the Italian buying process, from offer to deed.

Real estate agency vs buyer's agent: what is the difference?

The two roles coexist. When a home is listed with a real estate agency, the agency stays in the deal as mediator, and its terms do not change because you have a buyer's agent. If a real estate agency is involved in the sale, it may still charge you its commission. Budget for it as part of the real costs of buying property in Italy.

Buyer's agent, property finder or relocation agent?

The labels overlap, so ask what the service actually includes.

• Buyer's agent. The term used in the US and Australia for a professional who represents the buyer through the whole purchase, negotiation included.
• Property finder. A common UK term. Some property finders are full buyer's agents; others only build a shortlist and step back once you choose a home. Ask whether they will negotiate, and whether they are registered as real estate agents in Italy.
• Relocation agent. Helps with moving: rentals, schools, permits, registering residence, utilities. Useful, but relocation agents are not usually involved in negotiating a purchase price or reviewing planning documents.

How are buyer's agents paid?

There is no single market standard. These models are common internationally:

• Retainer. A fee paid upfront to start the search, often deducted from a final fee. You pay it whether or not you buy.
• Fixed fee. An agreed sum for the service, independent of the price.
• Percentage of the purchase price. In Australia, for example, a major bank's guide puts percentage fees at around 1.5–3.5% of the price. The fee rises with the price, not with the saving.
• Performance-based. Pay linked to a result, such as finding a home within a set time or the discount achieved.

Each model creates an incentive. A percentage of the price rewards a purchase, at any price. A fee linked to the saving rewards a lower price.

Giusto uses the last model. The search and the proposals are free, and our fee is 20% of what we save you on the asking price. If we do not save you anything, there is no fee. This is separate from any commission the real estate agency may charge you.

Do I need a buyer's agent in Italy?

Not always. A buyer's agent is usually worth it when:

• You are buying from abroad. Viewings, checks and offers are hard to manage from another time zone, and a short trip makes you look in a hurry.
• The budget is €1 million or more. At this level a negotiated discount, or a planning problem caught early, is worth far more than the cost of help.
• The home is competitive. The best homes in central Rome and Milan can receive offers within weeks of listing. Someone local can view quickly and tell you whether the home deserves a flight.
• The home is not on the portals. Some sellers prefer a discreet sale, and these homes circulate between professionals rather than on listing sites.
• You do not speak Italian. Much of the market still runs by phone, in Italian.

It is usually less necessary when you live in the city, speak Italian, know the neighbourhoods and the paperwork, or have already signed an offer, at which point there is little left to negotiate. If you are new to the Roman market, start with buying a home in Rome as a foreigner.

FAQ

Is a buyer's agent legal in Italy?

Yes. Besides ordinary mediation, Italian courts recognise a one-sided arrangement in which a single party engages the professional and pays them (Cassazione, Joint Sections, 19161/2017). Make sure the person you hire is a registered real estate agent with the Chamber of Commerce.

Will I still pay the real estate agency if I use a buyer's agent?

Possibly. If the home is sold through a real estate agency, that agency remains the mediator and may charge you its commission under its own terms. Ask for the agency's terms before you sign an offer.

Does a buyer's agent replace the notary?

No. In Italy the notary is a public official who checks the title, drafts the deed, collects the taxes and registers the sale. A buyer's agent works alongside the notary, preparing documents and making sure issues are raised before the deed, not on the day.

Can a buyer's agent help with a home I found myself?

Yes, and it is best to involve them before you make an offer. Once a written offer is signed and accepted, you are usually bound, and the room to negotiate or add conditions is gone.

Do buyer's agents work in Milan as well as Rome?

Yes. The process and the law are the same across Italy, but each city has its own market and paperwork habits, so local knowledge matters. For Milan, see buying a home in Milan: neighbourhoods.

How Giusto helps

Giusto is a network of licensed real estate agents in Rome and Milan who work only for the buyer, for homes from €1 million. Our AI reads the main property portals every day, removes duplicates and sends you a first selection right after you sign up, then new homes every two days. Your dedicated Buyer's Agent attends every viewing with you (remotely only for qualified clients), runs the planning and land registry checks free of charge, and negotiates the price only for you.

The search and the proposals are always free. If one of the homes catches your eye and you decide to go ahead, our fee is 20% of what we save you on the asking price. If you don't save, you don't pay.

Start your search on giustohomes.com

Sources

• Codice Civile, art. 1754 – Mediatore — Brocardi.it
• Agente d'affari in mediazione (mediatore) — Camera di Commercio di Ferrara e Ravenna
• La mediazione unilaterale (Cass. SS.UU. 19161/2017) — Filodiritto
• What is a buyer's agent? — Westpac
• Property finder — Wikipedia

Figures as of October 2026. Rules change: always confirm with the notary or a tax adviser before signing.