Checking an estate agent's IPI licence in Belgium

A protected title

IPI states: no estate-agent title without IPI accreditation. A licensed agent holds the title matching the register in which they are listed: agent immobilier-intermédiaire (the broker who sells or lets), agent immobilier-syndic (manager of co-ownerships) or agent immobilier-régisseur (manager of privately owned property).

Several related trades are not protected and are outside IPI supervision: property dealers (who buy and resell in their own name), property developers and property experts. They cannot, however, carry out an estate agent’s activities without a licence.

Who needs the licence

Anyone acting as an independent estate agent, full-time or part-time, needs it, and “cette agréation est strictement personnelle” (IPI). Since 1 September 2013 IPI also licenses companies, but this never replaces the personal licence. Points to know:

• An employee of an agency working under the supervision of a licensed agent does not need to be registered but may not call themselves an “estate agent”.
• An employee who is also a director, manager or partner is treated as an independent and needs a licence.
• The pages I read do not say whether a licensed company has its own IPI number. Ask the agent, in writing, for the IPI number of the person handling your file and, if a company is involved, its company licence, then check both.

What an agent must display

IPI lists the mandatory mentions on an agent’s website, which also apply in principle to social media (a link to the contact page is enough if space is short):

• office name, address, telephone and e-mail;
• company number, preceded by “TVA BE” if the activities are subject to VAT;
• the insurer for professional liability and bonding, and the policy number;
• IPI’s contact details as supervisory authority;
• the professional title followed by the IPI number;
• a reference to the IPI code of conduct, for example a link.

A royal decree of 20 July 2026, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 21 September 2026, approves a new IPI code of conduct and repeals the decree approving the previous code “en date du 1er octobre 2026”. Its article 10 requires the agent to show the IPI licence number in paper and digital documents and on the website. An erratum was published on 6 October 2026 that renumbers articles; check the current text if you quote one.

How to check on the IPI website

The IPI search page (ipi.be/agent-immobilier) is in French, with a Dutch version. It offers:

1. a keyword box (try the IPI number or the agent’s name, and watch what the page returns, since I could not confirm from the page what the box accepts);
2. a location box;
3. a filter by type: broker, co-ownership manager, or both.

Check that the name, municipality and type of title match what the agent told you. This check is yours to make. If the person does not appear, ask for their IPI number in writing before going further, and sign nothing until it is clear.

If something goes wrong

You can file a complaint against a licensed agent with IPI: using its online form (recommended), by e-mail to the Chambre exécutive (ce@ipi.be) or by post to Rue du Luxembourg 16b, 1000 Brussels. IPI does not accept complaints by telephone. It deals only with the disciplinary side; you cannot join the disciplinary procedure as a civil party, and the page describes no compensation process. Possible sanctions: warning, reprimand, suspension or revocation. For compensation you would turn to the courts, often with a lawyer.

Which professional to consult

A licensed estate agent to find, sell or let a property. A notary for the deed and the legal side of the sale: see the notary and the sale agreement. See also the estate agent and, for the first steps, buying a home in Belgium.