Negotiation

Why the real estate agency won't negotiate for you (and who will)

Updated October 2026 · 6 min read

In Italy, the real estate agency is a mediator. By law it stays impartial between buyer and seller, and it usually collects a commission from both. The real estate agency earns a percentage of the price, so it has no interest in negotiating it down for you. If you want someone to fight for a lower price, you need a professional who works only for you: a Buyer's Agent.

How real estate mediation works in Italy

Italian property sales run on the mediation rules of the Civil Code, articles 1754 to 1765. Article 1754 defines the mediator as someone who puts two or more parties in contact to close a deal. The mediator must not be tied to either party by collaboration, employment or representation.

Legal commentary treats impartiality as inherent to the role. The mediator cannot act in the particular interest of one side. That is the opposite of an advocate.

The other key rules are short:

Commission from both sides. Under article 1755, the mediator is entitled to a commission from each party if the deal is concluded thanks to its intervention.
Duty to inform. Under article 1759, the mediator must tell the parties 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. Only registered mediators are entitled to a commission.

So a licensed real estate agency is a legitimate, regulated intermediary. It is simply not your negotiator.

Why a percentage of the price works against your discount

The agency's commission is a percentage of the final price. Every euro you save also reduces what the agency earns, on both sides of the deal. Its interest is that a sale happens, at a price both parties accept.

Add the legal duty of impartiality and the picture is clear. The agency will pass on your offer, but it will not build the case for a lower price. Nobody at the table is paid to make your number smaller.

	Real estate agency	Buyer's Agent
Legal role	Impartial mediator	Represents the buyer only
Paid by	Usually both buyer and seller	The buyer only
Effect of a lower price on its pay	Reduces its commission	Linked to the saving (at Giusto)

How an offer works: the proposta d'acquisto irrevocabile

In Rome and Milan you rarely negotiate verbally. You sign a written offer, the proposta d'acquisto irrevocabile, usually with a deposit, and the agency delivers it to the seller.

"Irrevocable" is literal. Under article 1329 of the Civil Code, if you commit to keep an offer open for a set time, withdrawing it has no effect. You are bound until the deadline you wrote.

If the seller accepts and you are informed, the offer typically becomes a binding preliminary agreement. Both sides then commit to signing the deed before a notary by the agreed date. This means every condition must be in the offer before you sign it: checks, mortgage approval, what is included, timing.

What really gives a buyer leverage in Rome and Milan

Leverage comes from facts, not from charm. These are the ones that move sellers:

Time on market. A home listed for many months has already tested its price, and failed.
Relistings at lower prices. The same apartment often reappears on portals with a new agency or a reduced price. Each cut is evidence.
Comparable sales and OMI data. The Agenzia delle Entrate publishes OMI quotations for free: price ranges per square metre by zone and property type, updated every semester. They are indicative, not an appraisal, but they anchor the discussion.
Planning and land-registry checks. A mismatch between the plans on file and the actual layout costs time and money to fix. It is a concrete reason to adjust the price, or to walk away.
Condominium works. Approved or planned work on façades, roofs or lifts can be expensive. Ask for recent condominium meeting minutes before you offer.
The seller's situation. An inheritance, a relocation or a home already bought elsewhere makes timing more important than the last euro.
A clean offer with proof of funds. Few conditions, a clear timeline and a bank letter can be worth more to a seller than a higher offer full of uncertainty.

Mistakes buyers from abroad often make

Falling in love on the first trip. Emotion on a short visit shows. Sellers read it, and prices stop moving.
Offering with a deadline. Making an offer because your flight leaves on Sunday tells everyone you are in a hurry. A long irrevocability period can also lock you in while the seller shops your offer.
Skipping checks. Signing the offer before planning, land-registry and condominium checks leaves you bound to problems you have not seen.
Revealing your budget. If you say you can go to a certain figure, that figure becomes the target. Everything you tell a mediator can shape the negotiation.
Negotiating alone from abroad. Email offers sent from another time zone, without local data, are easy to decline.

How a Buyer's Agent changes the dynamic

A Buyer's Agent sits on one side of the table only: yours. The agency remains the mediator, and its rules do not change. What changes is that someone now prepares your case.

Your dedicated Buyer's Agent gathers time on market, relisting history, OMI ranges and recent comparables. They review the checks before you commit and draft offer conditions that protect you. They also keep your budget to themselves.

Viewings happen together with you, in person, or remotely only for qualified clients. Your Buyer's Agent is never a substitute for your own eyes. They are a second pair, trained on the local market.

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. Every day, our AI reads what's new on the main property portals and removes duplicates. It sends only homes matching your criteria, with the listing link.

You get a first selection right after you sign up, then what's new every two days. When you flag a home, your dedicated Buyer's Agent contacts you personally. Planning and land-registry checks are always included, and we only propose homes that are compliant or can be made so.

The search and the proposals are always free. If a home catches your eye and you go ahead, our fee is 20% of what we save you on the asking price. No saving, no fee; no upfront fee, no exclusivity.

Start your search on giustohomes.com