Prot. No. 946
Date 21 / 09 / 2026
FROM: "National Albanian Real Estate Association" (NAREA®), established by decision of the Tirana Judicial District Court No. 5227, dated 22/01/2016, headquartered at Rruga "Elbasanit", Building 10/1, 1st Floor, Apartment 3, Administrative Unit 2, Tirana, referred to as NAREA®.
TO: Audiovisual and print media
SUBJECT: NAREA® presents the first national baseline survey of the real estate brokerage profession
Baseline Survey 2026: About 9 in 10 agencies represented in the survey are licensed, but only about 4 in 10 agents actually operating in the market are assessed as fully formalized. NAREA® presents 15 reform recommendations and 10 monitoring indicators through 2030.
Tirana, 21 September 2026 — The National Albanian Real Estate Association (NAREA®) today presented the findings of the Baseline Survey of Real Estate Brokers 2026, the first systematic national survey analyzing the structure, challenges, and reform priorities of this profession. Present at the presentation were representatives of key partner institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, the State Cadastre Agency, the Financial Intelligence Agency, the General Directorate of Taxation, the Investment Council, the notary sector, the banking and construction sectors, civil society, and the media.
The survey was conducted during the period 16 July–7 August 2026 and produced 140 fully completed questionnaires, out of 495 entries into the instrument. The analysis covers seven dimensions: the profile of the profession, informality, self-regulation, the legal framework and its perceived effects, integrity and exposure to corruption, AML/CFT compliance, and reform priorities.
Diagnosis: The profession is more formalized on paper than in practice, and requires intervention through substantive reforms to formalize the market on the ground.
The central finding of the survey is clear: the profession is more formalized on paper than in the field. About 9 in 10 agencies represented in the sample declare that they are licensed under Law No. 9/2022, while the majority of respondents hold a personal license. However, these professionals rate the actual level of market formalization at only 2.4 points out of 5.
According to their assessment of the market in which they operate: • only about 4 in 10 agents are fully formalized and licensed; • about 3 in 10 are only partially formalized; • about 3 in 10 operate in a fully informal manner; • almost all professionals encounter unlicensed operators, and nearly half encounter them at least once a month.
This data shows that the problem is not simply a lack of licenses, but the absence of a market in which licensing, professional standards, and respect for the law actually create a competitive advantage.
Informality: a major distortion of competition
3 in 4 respondents identify unfair competition as the main cause of informality. This finding shifts the debate beyond the individual responsibility of agents.
When informal operators avoid the costs of licensing, taxes, documentation, training, and compliance, the compliant business faces an economic disadvantage. In this way, informality does not harm only public administration: it creates a market in which professionalism and correctness are penalized, while non-compliance with the rules is rewarded.
One of the conclusions of the survey is that formalization cannot be measured solely by the number of licenses issued. It must be measured by the market's ability to exclude, identify, and discipline unlicensed operators.
The law is known. Enforcement is lacking.
About 3 in 4 professionals are aware of Law No. 9/2022. However, only about 3 in 10 consider it to be genuinely enforceable in practice.
Nearly 6 in 10 respondents note some kind of improvement in recent years, but only about 2 in 10 see clear and tangible changes. In open-ended responses, the lack of enforcement, oversight, and sanctions ranks as the primary concern.
The law adopted by the Ministry of Justice is assessed as having had a positive impact on the integrity of the profession. However, its impact on actual market formalization remains more limited. This shows that the legal reform has created an important foundation, but has not yet produced a complete enforcement mechanism.
"This report is not against reform; it is a call to carry the reform through to completion. The law that was adopted has set the standard, but the market does not yet fully operate according to that standard. The gap between the law and reality is precisely the space where institutions, the profession, and its partners must focus their efforts." Dritan CAKA — Chairman of the Board, NAREA®
The sector demands transparency before punishment
The sector does not oppose controls or sanctions. On the contrary, about 6 in 10 professionals call for stronger controls against informal operators. But their response is clear: enforcement must begin with transparency, standardization, and the clear identification of legitimate operators.
The most supported measures are: • A public online registry of licensed brokers and agencies. • Mandatory and periodic training. • Clearer criteria for licensing and practicing the profession. • More effective controls against unlicensed operators. • A mandatory code of ethics for all professionals.
Support for self-regulation is particularly high. Almost all respondents support a mandatory code of ethics, while about 7 in 10 express willingness to establish a National Chamber of the Real Estate Brokerage Profession.
This shows that the sector is seeking not simply more rules, but a professional architecture that makes quality, ethics, and licensing verifiable for citizens, financial institutions, and other market participants.
"We are not asking for privilege. We are asking for a market in which the licensed, trained, and responsible professional is not undercut by informality. The publication of this data is an act of transparency: the sector is acknowledging its problems and presenting measurable solutions to address them. This is the difference between an association that defends a sector and an association that leads it. NAREA® chose the latter, and will measure itself publicly against ten indicators through 2030." Reinaldo PIPIRIA — Executive Director, NAREA®
From diagnosis to reform
The Policy Brief accompanying the Baseline Survey 2026 presents 15 concrete recommendations, organized into 5 priority areas: • Compliance and professional integrity • Professional self-regulation and ethical standards. • Continuing education, training, and qualification. • Transparency, public registries, and data use. • Institutional advocacy and improvement of the legal framework.
each set at the institutional level of action.
NAREA® has also established 10 baseline indicators for monitoring through 2030. The goal is for market formalization, the practical enforceability of the law, and the conversion of alerts into AML/CFT reports to no longer remain matters of declaration, but to be measured publicly and regularly.
KEY FACTS — BASELINE SURVEY 2026
KEY INDICATOR | KEY DATA Survey participation | 140 fully completed questionnaires Licensed agencies in the sample | About 9 in 10 Agents fully formalized in the market | Only about 4 in 10 Formalization index | 2.4 out of 5 Unfair competition as the main cause | About 3 in 4 professionals Support for a Professional Chamber | Almost 100% Reform package | 15 recommendations, 10 indicators – 2030
About NAREA®
The National Albanian Real Estate Association (NAREA®) is the representative organization of the real estate brokerage profession in Albania. NAREA® works toward market formalization, professional and ethical standards, compliance with AML/CFT obligations, and consumer protection, in accordance with the Albanian legal framework and European professional practices. NAREA® is part of the European professional network through CEPI aisbl — the European Association of Real Estate Professions in Brussels, is a Bilateral Partner of NAR — the National Association of REALTORS® in Washington D.C., and contributes to the sector's alignment with the European Union acquis.
The Baseline Survey 2026 and the Policy Brief were prepared by Dr. Zef Preçi as part of the project "From Assessment to Advocacy: Strengthening the Real Estate Brokerage Profession and the Regulatory Framework in Albania," implemented by NAREA® and funded by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Washington D.C.
EDITOR'S NOTE
The Policy Brief and survey data are available to editorial offices upon request. For interviews, please contact the NAREA® office.
MEDIA CONTACT Reinaldo Pipiria — Executive Director, NAREA® [email protected] • +355 69 40 40 150/240 • narea.al
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, 21 September 2026, 13:00
