Italian real estate agents generally act as dual agents, representing both the seller and the buyer. Also, their fee is normally due as soon as the offer is accepted, even if the sale is not eventually performed.

1. BUYING A PROPERTY IN ITALY:
THE OVERALL PRICE, KEY TIPS
Italian real estate agents generally act as dual agents, representing both the seller and the
buyer. Also, their fee is normally due as soon as the offer is accepted, even if the sale is not
eventually performed. However, it is possible to negotiate terms and conditions of the agency
agreement in advance stating, for example, that the intermediary fee is due only if the transaction
is completed. To obtain a safe deal that is best for each client’s particular situation it is advisable
to hire an independent expert working exclusively in the client’s best interest, such as an
experienced English speaking Italian lawyer.
In the Italian real estate market, each property has a “list price” and a “sale price”. The
list price is the one stated by the seller when he/she put the property on the market. Although
sometimes the owner is actually expecting to get the “list price”, in other cases he/she is
indicating an inflated price in order to be able to start a negotiation process and obtain from the
deal the best possible price.
We recommend that you ask whether the property has a habitability certificate. If not, this
gives you considerable leverage to negotiate a substantial price reduction as the certificate is
required by law and needs to be provided by the vendor. We also recommend that you ask
whether the seller recently performed any renovation works. If so, recent laws allow income tax
benefits, but only if this is mentioned in the agreement of sale.
It is also advisable to check whether the seller has a mortgage on the property. If so, it is
possible to take over the mortgage under the existing terms and save substantial money on a new
mortgage/loan process.
After the parties have reached an agreement on the purchase price and executed the
Preliminary Contract of Sale, a Public Notary needs to be appointed. In regular cases, the Notary
would transfer the title by means of a standard purchase structure that fits the needs of average
buyers. In the case of foreign buyers purchasing a property in Italy, it is important to underline

2. that there are variations to this standard structure that could benefit a foreign buyer. For this
reason, foreign nationals should communicate their particular situation and estate plans to the
notary so the ownership structure that best fits your needs can be adopted. To work out the
details it is important to do this prior to the final completion meeting. Furthermore, to avoid the
need of hiring a translator, it is advisable to use the services of a bi-lingual Notary. This might
increase the notary fees.
Source: http://italianrealestatelawyers.com/buying-a-property-in-italy-the-overall-
price-key-tips/