Real estate careers in Georgia

The rules a broker must know

Public bodies

There is no real estate regulator in Georgia, the country in the Caucasus: no state body licenses agents, sets an exam or keeps a register of agents, and agent commission is not regulated (TbilisiExperts, July 2026). Agents are not obliged entities under the anti-money laundering law, so no authority supervises them; to cover property risk, the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR) was itself made an obliged entity (MONEYVAL, December 2024). The Public Registry and the Houses of Justice register ownership, future-owner rights and businesses. The State Employment Promotion Agency issues work permits to foreigners, the Revenue Service handles tax status, and the National Bank of Georgia sets mortgage rules. GNARE, the Georgian National Association of Real Estate, founded in April 2014, is a voluntary association with no legal power over the profession.

Licence

No licence is needed. Georgia has no state licence, exam or register for real estate agents (TbilisiExperts, July 2026), and no 2024 to 2026 law or draft law on agents was found. Agents are not covered by the anti-money laundering law either, which MONEYVAL called a moderate shortcoming in December 2024. Credibility comes from GNARE, which says it is the only Georgian partner of the US National Association of REALTORS and the only body allowed to use the REALTOR trademark in Georgia. It runs a voluntary agent certification course accredited by CEPI, at 750 GEL for members and 900 GEL for others, and publishes a list of certified agents (GNARE, October 2026). An agency is an ordinary registered business: an individual entrepreneur (IE) or a limited liability company (LLC), registered at a House of Justice or the Public Registry, which assigns a tax ID automatically.

Who can work

Georgians can work as agents without any licence. Foreigners can work too, but since 1 March 2026 most foreigners without permanent residence need a work permit, called the right to engage in labour activity, for paid work, freelancing or running a business, self-employment and IE activity included. The June 2025 amendments to the labour migration and aliens laws took effect through Government Decree No. 70 of 20 February 2026: a visa or a temporary residence card alone no longer gives the right to work, and the old labour migrant registration was abolished (Fragomen, November 2025; Legal.ge, February 2026). The permit comes from the State Employment Promotion Agency through the labour migration portal, in 30 calendar days or 10 working days with the expedited service; self-employed applicants and IEs apply themselves, with a business plan or proof of activity and a video interview. Legal.ge gives fees of 200 GEL standard and 400 GEL expedited, while another law firm says the fee is capped at 500 GEL, so check the current amount. An employer must first post the vacancy on Worknet for 10 working days, with exemptions such as International Company status and roles paid over 15,000 GEL a month. People registered as active labour migrants by 1 March 2026 have until 1 January 2027, and self-employed foreigners already working faced enforcement from 1 May 2026. Working without a permit costs 2,000 GEL per violation for both the worker and the employer, doubled and then tripled for repeat offences (Fragomen; Legal.ge). Permanent residents are exempt; some law firms also exempt investment residence permit holders, but sources disagree, so confirm before relying on it. Visitors from many countries can stay up to a year without a visa, and since 1 January 2026 they need travel medical insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover, but a visa-free stay never allows work.

Commission and agencies

Commission is not set by law. On resale, most agents charge about 3%, negotiable and usually paid by the seller (ExpatHub, 2025); other sources give 2% to 3% (GeorgiaExpats, February 2026) or 2% to 5%, sometimes split between both sides (TbilisiExperts, July 2026). On new builds the buyer usually pays nothing and the developer pays the agency, which is why Batumi agencies advertise a 0% buyer fee. On rentals the tenant usually pays 50% of one month's rent, within a 30% to 50% range (Madloba, October 2026). No public source gives agent salaries or commission splits in Georgia: expect a share of the commission on resale, developer marketing fees on off-plan sales and fees on rental management, and get your share in writing. Tax status matters. An IE can apply to the Revenue Service for small business status, taxed at 1% of turnover up to 500,000 GEL and 3% between 500,000 and 1,000,000 GEL, but law firms report that real estate brokerage is excluded from this status (Legalese, July 2026; Gegidze), so check with an accountant before you register. Leads come from the portals myhome.ge (run by TNET), ss.ge, korter.ge for new builds and place.ge, from Facebook groups and Telegram channels, and in Batumi from WhatsApp and Telegram conversations with foreign buyers in Russian and English.

Foreign buyers

Foreigners can buy apartments and other non-agricultural property freely, on the same terms as Georgians (GRATA International, September 2025). Agricultural land is restricted to Georgian citizens and entities, with exceptions such as inheritance. A notary is not needed for every sale: the contract can be signed at the Public Registry or a House of Justice, and remote buyers use a notarised, apostilled power of attorney (ExpatHub; GeorgiaExpats). Since 1 March 2026, property with a market value of at least 150,000 USD, up from 100,000 USD, can support a temporary residence permit. Several properties can be combined, the value comes from a certified appraisal, and existing holders keep renewing under the old rules while they keep the property (Erickson Immigration Group, February 2026). An investment residence permit starts at 300,000 USD, is issued for 5 years and can lead to permanent residence (Legal.ge, October 2026). In practice prices are quoted in USD and many deals settle in USD, but since 2017 businesses must advertise prices in GEL, with fines of 1,000 GEL and then 5,000 GEL after a warning (ISET Policy Institute, February 2017). Sources disagree on the rules for settling a property deal in foreign currency, so check them with the bank or a lawyer.

Tax and fees

There is no transfer tax or stamp duty on a purchase (Georgiafy, August 2026; GeorgiaExpats, February 2026). The Public Registry charges 150 GEL to register a change of ownership in 4 working days, 270 GEL in 1 working day and 350 GEL the same day (NAPR, October 2026); older guides still quote 50 to 200 GEL. Annual property tax for individuals depends on household income: none under 40,000 GEL a year, then a rate set by the municipality, quoted at about 0.05% to 0.2% between 40,000 and 100,000 GEL and up to 1% above. Sources differ on these bands, so check with the Revenue Service. A home resold within 2 years of purchase is taxed at 5% of the gain, and not at all after more than 2 years; commercial property sold within 2 years is taxed at 20% (Gegidze, June 2024). Residential rent is taxed at 5% of the gross rent for an individual who registers for it, otherwise 20% (Georgiafy).

Off-plan

Off-plan is mainstream. In Tbilisi, primary sales reached 20,961 apartments in 2025, up 5.2%, almost half of all sales (Galt & Taggart, January 2026). The buyer signs a pre-purchase agreement and can be registered at the Public Registry as a future owner; full ownership follows completion and the document that the building is fit for use (Legal.ge, January 2026). Developer instalment plans usually run 2 to 3 years, mostly in foreign currency, and are often refinanced by a bank mortgage at handover. They are exempt from the National Bank's payment-to-income caps, may not appear at the credit bureau, and down payments now start as low as 0%; one economist told SOVA there is no regulation there (SOVA, October 2026). Off-plan buyers can get discounts of about 20% to 30%, a 10% deposit is usually non-refundable, and some developers hold deposits in escrow while many do not (GeorgiaExpats, 2026). No law requires escrow or a developer register, so due diligence is part of the agent's job: check the building permit, the developer's completed projects and a fresh Public Registry extract. Construction enforcement has been weak: the 2021 building collapse in Batumi, which killed 9 people, was linked to illegal alterations (OC Media, November 2021). On mortgages, the National Bank will raise the income threshold for its stricter 25% payment-to-income cap from 1,500 to 2,000 GEL on 1 February 2027 and to 2,500 GEL on 1 September 2027 (SOVA, October 2026).

Rentals

Rental yields are high: about 8.6% in Tbilisi at the end of 2025, with average rent of $9.8 per sqm a month (Galt & Taggart), while the gross yield in Batumi fell from 8.8% to 7.4% in 2025 (Investor.ge, April 2026). Long-term rentals are found through the portals, Facebook groups and Telegram channels, and the tenant usually pays the agent 50% of one month's rent (Madloba, October 2026). Residential rent is taxed at 5% of the gross for an individual who registers for it. Some agencies earn their income mainly from rental management.

Platforms

Public Registry (NAPR): ownership and future-owner registration, registration feesHouses of Justice: signing contracts, registering an IE or a companyState Employment Promotion Agency: work permits through the labour migration portalWorknet: vacancy posting before hiring a foreignerRevenue Service: small business status, property and rental taxNational Bank of Georgia: mortgage LTV and payment-to-income rulesGNARE: voluntary agent certification accredited by CEPIPortals: myhome.ge, ss.ge, korter.ge, place.ge