How to become a real estate agent in Georgia (the country)

This guide is about Georgia the country, in the Caucasus, with Tbilisi and Batumi as its two property markets. Georgia is one of the most open places in the world to start as an agent: there is no licence, no exam and no regulator. But one thing changed in 2026. Since 1 March 2026, a foreigner needs a work permit to work, even as a freelancer or the owner of a one-person business. Here is how it fits together in October 2026.

The short version

1. Georgia has no state licence for agents and no supervisor. Agents are not obliged entities under the anti-money laundering law (MONEYVAL, December 2024).
2. Georgian citizens and permanent residents can start straight away, with an agency or with their own business.
3. Foreigners need a work permit, the “Right to Engage in Labour Activity”, for paid work and for self-employment, since 1 March 2026 (Fragomen; Legal.ge).
4. The fine for working without one is 2,000 GEL for the worker and for the employer, doubled and then tripled for repeats.
5. You can work as an employee, an individual entrepreneur (IE) or through an LLC. Two law firms report that brokerage is excluded from the 1% Small Business Status.
6. GNARE offers voluntary certification, at 750 GEL for members and 900 GEL for others.
7. Agents usually earn 2% to 3% on resales, paid by the seller, and on new builds the developer pays the agency.

No licence, no regulator

No source we read describes a licensing or registration regime for agents. MONEYVAL’s December 2024 report says agents are not designated as obliged entities and there is no supervisor. TbilisiExperts (July 2026) notes that agent commission is not regulated. We found no draft law to change that.

The anti-money laundering law was amended in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and still left agents out. Instead, the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR), which records every property right, was made an obliged entity. In practice, the registry asks the questions at the end of the deal, so careful agencies check clients from the start anyway.

If you are Georgian

There is nothing to register as an individual agent. You can join:

• A Tbilisi agency, such as Tbilisi Property, Vestin Property, Realtor.ge, Home24 or BD Realty, or a franchise office such as RE/MAX Realty Park.
• A Batumi agency, such as Batumi Residence, Batumi Real Estate or BD Realty’s Batumi office.
• A developer’s sales team, since much of the market is off plan.
• Or start your own business as an IE or an LLC.

If you are a foreigner: the 2026 work permit

Amendments passed in June 2025 took effect through Government Decree No. 70 of 20 February 2026. Fragomen (November 2025) and Legal.ge (February 2026) summarise the new rule:

• Most foreigners without permanent residence need a work permit for paid work, freelancing or running a business, including self-employment and IE activity.
• A visa, a visa-free stay or a temporary residence card alone no longer gives the right to work.
• The old labour migrant registration system was abolished.

Point	Detail
Issued by	The State Employment Promotion Agency, through the labour migration portal
Processing	30 calendar days, or 10 working days expedited
Fee	200 GEL standard and 400 GEL expedited (Legal.ge). Nomos Georgia says fees are capped at 500 GEL
Employees	The employer applies, after a 10-working-day vacancy posting on Worknet, unless exempt
Self-employed and IEs	Apply themselves, with a business plan or proof of activity and a video interview
Fine	2,000 GEL each for worker and employer, doubled then tripled for repeats
Transition	Self-employed people already working: enforcement from 1 May 2026. Registered labour migrants: until 1 January 2027

Who is exempt. Permanent residents. Legal.ge and AttorneyAtLaw.ge also list investment residence holders, but Nomos Georgia does not, so get written advice before you rely on it. Once you hold the work permit, you apply for a work residence permit within 10 days if you are already in Georgia (AttorneyAtLaw.ge).

Residence is not a right to work. Property-based residence, now from 150,000 USD, does not let a foreigner work. Do not sell it that way to clients, and do not rely on it yourself.

Employee, IE or LLC

• Employee. The simplest start. The agency pays you under its contract and, if you are foreign, applies for your permit.
• Individual entrepreneur. Registered at the House of Justice or NAPR, with a tax ID assigned automatically (Legalese, July 2026). Common for freelance agents working with agencies on commission.
• LLC. The usual vehicle for an agency with staff or partners.

The 1% trap. Georgia’s Small Business Status taxes IEs at 1% of turnover up to 500,000 GEL, and 3% on the part up to 1,000,000 GEL, above which the status is lost (Legalese). But Legalese lists residential real estate brokerage among the excluded activities, and Gegidze says brokering property disqualifies you from the regime. Plan on the standard tax regime and get an accountant to confirm.

GNARE

The Georgian National Association of Real Estate, founded in April 2014, 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 certification course, accredited by CEPI, and publishes a list of certified agents. With no state licence, it is one of the few credentials an employer or client can check.

How agents are paid

• Resales: about 3%, usually paid by the seller (ExpatHub), or 2% to 3% (GeorgiaExpats, 2026).
• New builds: usually 0% for the buyer, with the developer paying the agency (TbilisiExperts).
• Rentals: usually 50% of one month’s rent, paid by the tenant (Madloba, October 2026).

We found no published data on agent splits or salaries in Georgia. Ask each employer for its figures in writing. See Real estate agent commission in Georgia.

Where the work is

• Tbilisi sold 42,388 apartments in 2025, up 4.3%, at a primary white frame average of 1,373 USD per m² in December 2025 (Galt & Taggart). Most buyers are Georgian.
• Batumi sold 17,478 apartments in 2025, up 15%, and foreigners bought 52%, with Israelis at 13% of all sales (Investor.ge, April 2026).

The main portals are myhome.ge, ss.ge, korter.ge and place.ge (Stratos, March 2026). In Batumi, agencies sell to foreigners in Russian and English through WhatsApp and Telegram. Georgian, English and Russian are the core languages. Hebrew is a plus in Batumi.

How to choose an agency

• Ask for its legal name and form, and whether it is a GNARE member.
• If you are foreign, ask whether it will apply for your work permit, and do not start before it is granted.
• Get your status in writing: employee or freelancer, and who handles tax.
• Get your pay in writing: your share on listings, leads, developer deals and rentals, and when it is paid.
• Ask how it checks registry extracts, developers and clients.

Red flags

• “Start now, the permit can wait.”
• “Register as an IE, you only pay 1%,” with no accountant’s check.
• Adverts priced only in USD, when the law requires GEL.
• Off-plan deposits sold as “safe” with no escrow in the contract.
• Fees paid in cash or into a personal account.

Georgia has no agent licence, but foreigners need a work permit since 1 March 2026. This guide was checked on the date shown above. It is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. CloserPass is not affiliated with GNARE, NAPR, the State Employment Promotion Agency or any government body in Georgia.

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