Who's allowed to work as a real estate agent in Bali?
A legal agency is a registered company with a business license (NIB) under the brokerage activity code, and its brokers hold a national competency certificate. Trade Regulation 33/2025 sets those rules. It took effect in early October 2025 and repealed the 2017 regulation that governed property brokers before it.
Two other changes matter. Under Government Regulation 28/2025, brokerage moved from low risk to medium-high risk, so a company needs a standard certificate on top of its NIB. And the 2025 edition of the KBLI activity code list split the old brokerage code 68200 into four. Pure brokerage now sits under 68210.
Brokers need a competency certificate from BNSP, the national professional certification agency. Every client gets a written contract. The company shows its license on its website and files an annual report with the Trade Ministry.
- June 2025Regulation 28/2025
Brokerage (KBLI 68200) moves from low risk to medium-high risk. Companies need an NIB and a standard certificate.
- October 2025Trade Regulation 33/2025
The new broker rules take effect and the 2017 regulation is repealed. The commission range stays at 2–5% and 5–8%.
- December 18, 2025KBLI 2025
Code 68200 splits into four, and brokerage becomes 68210. Companies had until June 18, 2026 to update their NIB.
- October 2026Grace period ends
Trade Ministry officials said enforcement starts this month, and the first measure is a written warning.
Source: Trade Regulation 33/2025 (BPK registry, Article 17); Government Regulation 28/2025; BPS Regulation 7/2025; Bisnis.com, November 19, 2025; RRI Denpasar, July 28, 2025; AFU, July 18, 2026
How do I check a Bali real estate agent?
Run eight checks before you pay anything. The whole round takes about an hour and costs nothing. Make sure the company name matches across every document, because even a one-letter difference is a reason to pause.
The first two use the same registers we cover in our guide on how to check a Bali developer. For an agent, the extra items are the activity code and the broker's certificate. AHU is the legal-entity registry, and OSS is the state licensing system.
| Check | Where to look | What you should see |
|---|---|---|
| Company | AHU Online (ahu.go.id) | A PT matching the contract name, with directors and articles that list property intermediation |
| License | OSS (oss.go.id), search by the 13-digit NIB | An active NIB under code 68200 or 68210, plus the standard certificate |
| Tax ID | Contract and commission invoice | The company's NPWP printed on both |
| Broker | The BNSP certificate | A certificate number and the body that issued it |
| Association | AREBI Bali chapter | A membership number. The law doesn't require one |
| Contract | Before any payment | Written, with the commission in percent, the payer and the term |
| Office | Address in AHU and OSS | A real address where someone receives you |
| Payment details | Inside the signed contract | A notary or developer account, not an agent's personal one |
Source: AHU Online; OSS NIB search, Kontrak Hukum, July 9, 2026; Trade Regulation 33/2025; Villa Bali Sale, April 22, 2026
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How much commission does a real estate agent charge in Bali?
Trade Regulation 33/2025 sets a range of 2–5% of the price on sales and 5–8% on rentals. The 2017 rule used the same range, according to Hukumonline's 2021 explainer. In practice, Bali sales usually land at 3–5%.
Who pays comes down to the contract, not the law. The regulation points to the service user, meaning whoever signs the agent's agreement. On most Bali sales that's the seller or developer, and the fee already sits inside the asking price. If an agent wants a fee from you on top, you need an amount in writing.
An agency can pass up to 70% of the commission to a certified employee. The rest stays with the company. For the seller's side of the same math, see what a seller takes home in Bali.
| Rate | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2%, bottom of the sales range | Rp 100 million | Floor of the legal range |
| 3%, low end of Bali practice | Rp 150 million | Low end of the usual corridor |
| 5%, top of the sales range | Rp 250 million | Ceiling under the regulation |
| 70% employee share of a 5% fee | Rp 175 million | Most an agency may pay a certified employee |
Source: Bisnis.com, November 19, 2025; SIP Law Firm; Hukumonline, April 29, 2021; Global Investments, June 13, 2026; our calculation on an illustrative Rp 5 billion price
Where should your money go when you buy through an agent?
Your money goes to a notary or the developer, never to the agent. The agent collects a commission and nothing else. Take account details only from the signed contract, and match the company name against AHU.
A reservation deposit normally sits with the notary, who holds it until the document check closes. Taxes go to the state through the notary or the land deed official (PPAT). For the mechanics, read our guides on the notary and PPAT and on common buying mistakes.
| Payment | Amount | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| Booking fee, 1–5% | Rp 50–250 million | Account named in the MOU, not the agent |
| Reservation deposit, about 10% | Rp 500 million | Notary account named in the MOU |
| Contract payments | Balance per schedule | Developer or seller, matching the contract and AHU |
| Taxes and fees | Buyer's BPHTB up to 5%, seller's tax 2.5% | The state, through the notary or PPAT |
| Agent commission | Rp 100–250 million | The agency, paid by whoever signed its contract |
Source: Trade Regulation 33/2025; Excel Bali, September 5, 2026; Government Regulation 34/2016; Law 1/2022; Villa Bali Sale, April 22, 2026
Does AREBI membership mean an agent is trustworthy?
It's a good sign, but it isn't a license. AREBI is the Indonesian Real Estate Brokers Association, and its members follow a code of ethics. The law requires an NIB and certified brokers, not membership.
The Bali chapter estimates about 200 agencies on the island, with roughly 110 registered in the association. It counts more than 3,000 agents, many of them uncertified. Nationally, the Ministry of Trade inspected 216 brokerage companies between 2021 and 2024. Fifty-six met the rules.
- 74%
- 26%
Source: NusaBali, November 14, 2025; RRI Denpasar, July 28, 2025; Bisnis.com, November 24, 2021
What makes the best real estate agency in Bali?
There's no official ranking, so "best" comes down to five things you can verify: legal standing, whose interests the agency serves, how it checks a property, how openly it handles money, and a track record it can document. Any "best agency" list is opinion or marketing, ours included.
Put the questions below in writing. A good agent answers without a pause, and the answers match what the registers show. Then run the property itself through our due diligence checklist.
Warning signs in behavior
- asks for money in a personal account, or in any account missing from the contract
- won't name the company or NIB
- pushes a "last unit" deadline before you've had time to read the contract
- promises one yield number with no cost breakdown
- suggests registering land in a local person's name, with no legal route behind it
Normal behavior
- gives the company name and NIB in the first reply
- sends the contract first
- shows notary or developer account details up front, matching the contract
- writes down the commission and the payer
- Which company am I contracting with, and what is its NIB?
- Which activity code is on the NIB?
- Who on your team holds a BNSP certificate, and what's the number?
- Who signs for the agency, and who handles my deal day to day?
- What's the commission?
- Whose account receives my payments, and where is that written?
- Who checks the property's documents, you or an independent lawyer?
Source: Villa Bali Sale, April 22, 2026; Bisnis.com, November 19, 2025
How does Rise Real Bali work?
Rise Real Bali has operated as an agency since 2023, and our team has known the island since 2010. The price on each listing is the developer's or seller's price. They pay our commission, so the buyer pays nothing.
Check us against the same eight points. Then browse the properties we offer, or read the full process in our buying guide.
What this means for buyers
- Run eight checks before the first payment: AHU, OSS, tax ID, broker certificate, AREBI, contract, office and payment details.
- The legal commission range is 2–5% on sales. On a Rp 5 billion property, that's Rp 100–250 million, paid by whoever signed the agent's contract.
- Money for the property goes to a notary or developer account named in the contract. An agent's personal account is a stop sign.
- The Trade Ministry starts enforcing the certificate rule in October 2026, so ask for your broker's certificate number before you sign.
FAQ
Do real estate agents in Bali need a license?
Yes. The company needs an NIB under the brokerage activity code, 68200 or 68210 under the 2025 list, plus a standard certificate, since Regulation 28/2025 raised the risk level. Individual brokers need a BNSP competency certificate. The Trade Ministry starts enforcement in October 2026, with written warnings first.
How much commission do Bali real estate agents charge?
The legal range under Trade Regulation 33/2025 is 2–5% of the price on sales and 5–8% on rentals. Bali sales commonly land at 3–5%. Whoever signs the agent's contract pays, usually the seller or developer, so the fee is already inside the listed price.
How can I check a Bali real estate agency online?
Ask for the company's legal name and NIB. Look up the company in the AHU registry run by the Law Ministry, and the license in the OSS system. The name, address and brokerage code should match. Then read the contract: the same company, a stated commission, and payments routed to a notary or developer account.
What is AREBI and do I need an agent who belongs?
AREBI is the Indonesian Real Estate Brokers Association, with a code of ethics and a Bali chapter. Membership isn't a legal requirement, and it doesn't replace an NIB or certified brokers. The chapter says around 110 of the island's 200 agencies are registered members.
Is it safe to pay a deposit to a Bali agent?
No. A deposit goes to the notary account or the developer account written into the signed contract. The agent earns a commission and shouldn't hold your purchase money. Regulation 33/2025 also requires brokers to settle payments through the national payment system. Treat a personal account as a reason to stop.
How we know this
The legal framework comes from the BPK registry entry for Trade Regulation 33/2025 and from summaries in Bisnis.com, RRI Denpasar and SIP Law Firm. We didn't open the full appendix with the agency standards, so details rest on those summaries. Sources differ by a day on the regulation's dates: BPK gives October 3 (signed) and October 5, 2025 (in force), while Hukumonline gives one day earlier. We therefore write "early October 2025." Three outlets confirm the 2–5% and 5–8% range and the 70% share. Agency counts for Bali are AREBI Bali's estimate, and the 216-company inspection is the Trade Ministry's figure as reported by RRI. The commission table is our arithmetic on an illustrative Rp 5 billion price. This guide isn't legal advice: the registers, AHU and OSS, confirm any agency's status.
- Trade Regulation 33/2025 (BPK registry): signed October 3, 2025, in force October 5, 2025; Article 17 repeals Regulation 51/2017 on property brokerage companies
- Government Regulation 28/2025 (risk-based licensing): brokerage code 68200 moved to medium-high risk, per RRI Denpasar, July 28, 2025
- BPS Regulation 7/2025 (KBLI 2025), signed December 17, 2025, in force December 18, 2025, with a six-month transition; code 68210 covers real estate intermediation
- Bisnis.com, "Perubahan Regulasi Perkuat Kualitas Broker Properti," November 19, 2025, and "Implementasi Permendag 33/2025," December 4, 2025: broker requirements, commission range, 70% share
- NusaBali, November 14, 2025: AREBI Bali counts of agencies and agents
- RRI Denpasar, "Regulasi Jadi Cara Adang Broker Properti Bodong," July 28, 2025: Ministry of Trade inspection of 216 companies, 2021–2024
- AFU, July 18, 2026, and Bisnis.com, May 19, 2026: grace period to October 2026, then enforcement
- Hukumonline, "Intip ini besaran komisi makelar properti," April 29, 2021: commission range
By Dmitrii Rogov, Rise Real Bali.
Rise Real Bali is a real estate agency in Bali. We write from the deals we handle and from public data, and we name our sources.
This report is published under the CC BY 4.0 license. You may quote, republish and use the figures and text commercially if you credit "Rise Real Bali", name the license and link to this page. Photos and renderings are not covered by the license: their rights belong to the developers and other rights holders.
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