What estate agents and administrative gestores (gestores administrativos) need

Key rules

• Estate agents: No national title or college membership is needed, but regions such as Catalonia keep their own register.
• Anti-money-laundering: Estate agents must register with SEPBLAC before they start work.
• Gestor administrativo: You need a degree, a passed exam and admission to a regional college to practise.
• Foreign degrees: Recognition is decided case by case, and non-EU holders also need work and residence authorisation.

Regional registers and gestor exam or degree requirements change, so confirm current rules with the regional government and the Colegio de Gestores Administrativos before acting.

Estate agents: open nationally, with some regional rules

You do not need a national title or college membership to work as an estate agent in Spain. The old compulsory professional membership was removed years ago. A few regions, such as Catalonia, keep their own register, so the region where you plan to work decides whether you must register.

What still applies to every estate agent

Even without a licence, general rules apply to you:

• Consumer protection rules cover your listings and contracts.
• Estate agents must register with SEPBLAC and report suspicious activity under the anti-money-laundering rules.
• Data protection rules cover your client files.
• You must register for tax and self-employment before your first client.

Which regions add rules

Catalonia has a mandatory register of estate agents. It comes with a qualification or experience requirement and professional liability insurance. Some other regions, such as the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Navarre, have at times had or proposed registers or consumer rules for the sector. Madrid and Andalusia ask for no specific qualification. Rules in this area change, so check with the regional government or your town hall before you start. The decision below helps you work out which case you are in.

Gestor administrativo: a qualified profession

A gestor administrativo handles paperwork with public offices for clients. This is a regulated profession. To practise you need three things:

• A university degree.
• A pass in the qualifying exam.
• Admission to a regional Colegio Oficial de Gestores Administrativos.

Admission also has formal conditions, including nationality and no criminal record. Membership of the regional college is what lets you practise.

If your degree is foreign

A foreign degree can count, but a competent authority decides each case. EU citizens apply for professional recognition and may still need to pass the exam or complete a compensation measure. Non-EU holders first need their degree recognised by the Ministry of Universities. They also need work and residence authorisation and must meet the nationality condition. Ask your nearest Colegio de Gestores Administrativos how your case would be handled, including the exam. The checklist below lists the steps.

Choosing between options

Do you need to register or hold a qualification to work as an estate agent where you plan to operate?

• Register in Catalonia: You will work in Catalonia: you need to join the regional register of agents, meet the qualification or experience requirement and hold professional liability insurance.

Checklist

• Check whether the region where you will work keeps its own register of estate agents.

• Register with SEPBLAC, Spain's money-laundering watchdog, before you start work as an estate agent.

• Follow consumer protection and data protection rules in your listings, contracts and client files.

• If you hold a foreign degree and want to be a gestor, ask the Ministry of Universities whether your degree can be recognised.

Frequently asked questions

Do estate agents have to report to any anti-money-laundering body?

Yes, estate agents must register and report to SEPBLAC, Spain's money-laundering watchdog, because the law treats them as obliged entities. This applies even though no title is needed. They also need tax and self-employment registration, and must follow consumer and data protection rules.

Which regions have extra rules for estate agents?

Catalonia has the clearest extra rules: a mandatory register of agents, a qualification or experience requirement and professional liability insurance.

Can I become a gestor administrativo with a foreign degree?

Yes, but only through Spanish recognition rules, and an authority decides each case. EU citizens apply for professional recognition and then still meet college admission and the gestor exam or compensation measures.

What does a gestor administrativo need before practising?

You need a university degree, a pass in the qualifying exam and membership of the regional Colegio Oficial de Gestores Administrativos. The college also requires nationality and no criminal record.