Declaration on the Real Estate Registry in Andalusia

The President of the Board of Directors of GIPE (European Professional Real Estate Managers), the second oldest association in Spain representing real estate professionals, wishes to publicly express his deep concern about the legislative and regulatory initiatives that, under the guise of making the market more flexible, actually represent a serious setback in terms of consumer protection and legal certainty in real estate transactions.

Currently, the real estate profession is not regulated, in accordance with the provisions of Law 10/2003, of May 20, on urgent liberalization measures in the real estate sector. Therefore, at GIPE, along with other professional groups, we have been firmly and consistently advocating for the need for the new Housing Law of the Regional Government of Andalusia to establish a regulatory framework that includes a mandatory Registry of real estate operators.This mandatory nature was expressly included in the preliminary draft of the Law, but unfortunately, it has been removed from the text of the draft currently under consideration.

This elimination not only represents a missed opportunity, but also places consumers in a position of greater vulnerability to the interference of intermediaries who lack the necessary experience and professional dedication to operate in the real estate market. Experience in those autonomous communities that have already implemented mandatory registries demonstrates that these measures reinforce the professionalization of the sector, improve transparency in transactions, and offer greater guarantees of information and legal certainty to consumers by granting a seal of quality, certifying that they comply with their obligations.

The concern is even more serious considering the current national and regional regulatory framework, which imposes strict obligations on real estate professionals regarding the prevention of money laundering, data protection, tax transparency, and other sector-specific regulations. While professionals registered in the Real Estate Registries comply with their obligations at the risk of sanctions, it will be virtually impossible to guarantee that unregistered and unsupervised real estate agencies comply with these controls. This creates a clear competitive asymmetry in the sector and leaves the end consumer exposed to a greater level of insecurity and lack of protection.

Housing is a constitutional right and a basic need. Therefore, it is unacceptable that in an area as sensitive as the purchase and sale of real estate, actions favoring opportunistic intermediaries are permitted to the detriment of families and citizens who place their trust—and often their life savings—in the professionalism of real estate agents.

At GIPE, we reiterate our firm support for a mandatory and effective registry of intermediary operators in the real estate market that guarantees standards of quality, ethics, and transparency, while demanding that public authorities prioritize consumer protection above all other considerations.

Consequently, we formally request that, during the parliamentary process of the Andalusian Housing Bill, the mandatory registration of real estate operators be reinstated as a basic guarantee of security and confidence in the market, and that its requirements be adapted to non-discrimination rules, so as not to hinder the development of the activity or free competition.

The GIPE Board of Directors will continue working and engaging in dialogue with the relevant institutions, political parties, and administrations to ensure that the regulation of the real estate sector in Andalusia and throughout Spain responds to the general interest and consumer protection.

In Malaga, October 3, 2025.

The GIPE Board of Directors
European Professional Real Estate Agents
www.gipe.es

Alfred Van Krimpen
President of GIPE.

GIPE: Together will be stronger.