Competition Bill, toward new rules for real estate agents: what changes in access to the profession

The Annual Competition Bill, approved by the Council of Ministers on July 23, 2026, affects the real estate agent profession with important new developments regarding access to the profession and the updating of skills.

The text integrates the requirements established for business agents in mediation by introducing a university path as an alternative to the current one and making continuing professional training mandatory.

This is a reform long awaited by the Associations of the National Inter-Association Council of Real Estate Brokerage ANAMA, FIAIP, and FIMAA, which aims to update regulations dating back to 1989 to a context that has changed profoundly from a regulatory, technological, and economic standpoint.

Access to the profession

The first new development concerns the introduction of an additional path to becoming a real estate agent, which will stand alongside those currently provided for.

The new channel will require possession of a specific degree, which will be identified by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy and the Ministry of University and Research, taking into account the knowledge necessary to carry out the activity.

The university degree will have to be accompanied by passing a specific exam. The degree will therefore not constitute automatic qualification, but one of the requirements provided for by the new access method.

According to Renato Maffey, President of ANAMA Nazionale, this path will be able to bring profiles with a structured preparation closer to the profession, while at the same time maintaining a specific verification of skills.

Mandatory continuing training

The second new development is the introduction of the obligation for continuing professional development through the acquisition of training credits.

Failure to comply with the obligation may result in sanctions up to suspension or, in the cases provided for, removal from the register.

For ANAMA, continuing training is necessary to allow real estate agents to engage adequately with a regulatory and operational framework that is constantly evolving. The preparation required to access the profession must therefore be maintained and developed over time.

ANAMA: the reform process must continue

ANAMA welcomes the new developments included in the Bill, recognizing the step forward toward greater professional quality and more effective protection for citizens.

These new developments do not, however, exhaust the work carried out by the Association to update the rules governing real estate brokerage and define the role of the agent more clearly.

Traineeship, written form, and stages of mediation

Among the priorities indicated by President Maffey is first and foremost the effective implementation of the traineeship, whose regulatory process is now close to completion. To make it concretely operational, the implementation methods by Unioncamere and the Chambers of Commerce still need to be defined.

The traineeship is an essential link between theoretical preparation and field experience, allowing aspiring agents to become directly familiar with the responsibilities, procedures, and daily dynamics of the activity.

ANAMA also continues to support the need to use written form in mediation activity. Greater traceability of the relationships between agent and client helps make the agreements and commitments undertaken by the parties clearer.

Finally, the association is calling for a precise definition of the different stages that make up mediation activity, so as to identify more accurately the responsibilities of the agent and the protections recognized for clients.

What happens now

The approval of the Competition Bill by the Council of Ministers represents the start of the legislative process, but the new provisions are not yet operational.

The Bill will have to be examined and approved by Parliament and may be amended during the debate in the Committees and in the Chambers. Implementing decrees will then be necessary to define in detail the new university path and the continuing training system.

During the parliamentary process, ANAMA, together with the other two national Associations FIMAA and FIAIP, will continue discussions with the institutions to contribute to the refinement of the text and carry forward the additional proposals developed by the category.

The objective is to build a regulatory framework capable of recognizing the complexity of real estate activity, raising professional standards, and strengthening citizens’ trust.

More training, more skills, and more legality mean a more transparent, safe, and efficient market for everyone.