---
title: "Exams, Accreditation, and Public Registry: New Rules for Real Estate Agents Being Prepared in Ukraine"
description: "Ukraine is preparing a bill to introduce qualification exams, accreditation, and a 24/7 public registry of specialists for real estate agents. This was announced by document co-author Olena Shuliak."
date: 2026-10-30T18:06:28.303Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/new-rules-for-real-estate-agents-in-ukraine
tags: [real-estate, ukraine, rieltor-regulation, verkhovna-rada, bill-16145]
author: "Darya Fomina"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Exams, Accreditation, and Public Registry: New Rules for Real Estate Agents Being Prepared in Ukraine

![Businesswoman working on a laptop in an office viewing a real estate website.](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/30/novye-pravila-dlya-rieltorov-v-ukraine/novye-pravila-dlya-rieltorov-v-ukraine-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Bill No. 16145 introduces a two-tier system: a real estate specialist (exam, certificate, professional development every two years) and an accredited real estate agent.
- A public, free, and 24/7 Unified Registry is being created, where a certificate, company, and penalties of a realtor can be checked using the number from the advertisement.
- The provision of real estate services in temporarily occupied territories is prohibited, including work via websites, social networks, and messengers.
- The main dispute is about the regulatory model: a single union with mandatory membership (No. 16145) versus several self-regulatory organizations (alternative No. 16145-1 of October 27).

The Verkhovna Rada is developing a bill that is set to radically change the procedure for operating in the real estate intermediary services market. Document No. 16145, co-authored by the head of the parliamentary committee Olena Shuliak, introduces qualification exams, an accreditation system, and a public registry of specialists. According to her, the initiative aims to enable a home buyer or tenant to verify exactly who is representing the interests of a party in a transaction and to ensure the intermediary's legitimacy. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine.

### Two-Tier System for Access to the Profession

The bill establishes regulation at two levels. The first is a "real estate specialist," meaning an individual: to work, they must undergo professional training, pass a qualification exam, and obtain a certificate. In addition, specialists will be required to improve their qualifications at least once every two years, otherwise the validity of the certificate is automatically suspended. The second level is a "real estate agent": this can be a sole proprietor or a company that employs at least one real estate specialist; the head of such an agent must also hold the appropriate status. Only accredited agents entered into the Unified Registry will be permitted to provide intermediary services.

### Public Registry and Specialist Verification via Ad Number

A key element of the new system is intended to be the Unified Registry — open, free of charge, and available around the clock. Using the number provided in a real estate advertisement, a user will be able to check whether the specialist's certificate or agent accreditation is active, which company the realtor works for, and whether any disciplinary penalties were applied to them. Thus, verifying an intermediary comes down to a few actions in the public domain, without the need to contact separate authorities.

### Access Restrictions and Prohibition of Work in Occupied Territories

The bill also sets restrictions for access to the profession and explicitly prohibits the provision of real estate services in temporarily occupied territories. This restriction also applies to work via websites, social networks, and messengers, which closes one of the channels for unofficial intermediation in the combat zone and in territories controlled by the adversary.

### Main Dispute: Who Will Maintain the Registry and Enforce Discipline

According to Shuliak, one of the main discussions surrounding the document concerns who will maintain the registry and bear responsibility for the discipline of specialists. Bill No. 16145 proposes creating a single Ukrainian Union of Real Estate Specialists with mandatory membership. Alternative document No. 16145-1, registered on October 27, provides for several self-regulatory organizations. The MP believes that a model with multiple structures could blur responsibility: competition for members would prompt organizations to compete not on the quality of control, but on leniency toward violators. At the same time, the authors are ready to strengthen safeguard mechanisms before the second reading and have invited the authors of the alternative document and professional associations to work together in the committee.

### Dutch Precedent and Monopoly Risks

As an example, Shuliak cited the Netherlands: in 2001, the protection of the broker title was abolished there, and market regulation was transferred to voluntary associations. Later, the largest of them acknowledged that they did not strictly enforce their own rules for fear of losing members. On October 1, 2026, the Dutch Minister of Housing announced preparations for mandatory registration of real estate agents. At the same time, the committee chair acknowledges that a monopoly by a single organization on access to the profession could create risks of inflated fees, closedness, and corruption, which is why the bill provides for a number of restrictions and control mechanisms.

### Tax Context for Landlords

The initiative to regulate realtors complements a broader package of measures in the housing market. Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada supported lowering the personal income tax for owners renting out real estate: the rate is proposed to be reduced from 18% to 5%, which will cut the total tax burden, including the military levy, from 23% to 10%. Recall that property owners who lease housing as individuals are required to independently declare income and pay an 18% personal income tax and a 5% military levy; evasion carries fines ranging from 25% to 50% of the unpaid amount, and systematic concealment of income can reach 85,000 hryvnias.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Экзамены и открытый реестр: как в Украине хотят изменить правила для риелторов](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/entertainment/ispiti-ta-vidkritiy-reestr-k-ukrayini-hochut-1793382943.html) - Primary source: direct statements by bill co-author Olena Shuliak regarding the content of No. 16145, alternative No. 16145-1, the Dutch precedent, and the tax context.

## FAQ

### What does a person need to do to work as a real estate specialist?

According to Bill No. 16145, one must undergo professional training, pass a qualification exam, and obtain a certificate, and then improve qualifications at least once every two years, otherwise the certificate is automatically suspended.

### What is the Unified Registry of Realtors and who gets into it?

This is an open, free, and 24/7 available registry of accredited real estate agents. Using the number from the ad, a user can check a valid certificate or accreditation, the realtor's company, and whether any penalties were applied to them.

### What is the difference between Bill No. 16145 and alternative No. 16145-1?

No. 16145 proposes creating a single Ukrainian Union of Real Estate Specialists with mandatory membership, while alternative No. 16145-1, registered on October 27, provides for several self-regulatory organizations.

### Will it be possible to provide real estate services in temporarily occupied territories?

No, the bill prohibits providing such services in temporarily occupied territories, including via websites, social networks, and messengers.