A proposed amendment to Poland’s Real Estate Management Act, which has been added to the government’s legislative work programme, would prohibit real estate agents from charging fees to both parties in the same transaction. The changes are intended to improve service transparency and strengthen the security of real estate transactions.
If the regulations come into force, agents will no longer be able to combine commissions paid by both the buyer and the seller. Instead, they will need to change their business model and demonstrate their effectiveness while working exclusively for one client.
The real estate market, which has operated under relatively loose rules since deregulation in 2014, now faces potentially significant changes in the way agents cooperate with clients. The new framework could affect service standards and the transparency of property sales and purchase processes.
According to a SonarHome.pl survey conducted in May 2026, 40% of people who sold an apartment during the previous year said that the agent had also charged a commission to the buyer.
Whoever Pays Sets the Expectations: A New Model for Working with Agents
The proposal is intended to curb practices that currently remain beyond effective oversight, including publishing listings without written agreements with property owners and a lack of transparency in fee arrangements.
The potential entry into force of the new regulations would also address conflicts of interest arising between agents and the parties involved in buying or selling a property.
“If an agent is expected to act in the client’s best interest, they will need to clearly define which party they represent. Serving both the seller and the buyer at the same time often makes it impossible to remain fully loyal to both sides, because their objectives—particularly in price negotiations—are inherently conflicting,” says Anton Bubiel, housing market expert at SonarHome.pl, a platform for property valuation and finding an agent.
Measurable Value Will Be the Key to Success
The proposed changes would require agents to move away from existing working models towards services based on measurable added value. In the new environment, access to a listing alone will no longer be a competitive advantage. Instead, the decisive factor will be comprehensive transaction support, which clients consider more important than traditional marketing activities.
“Our research shows that clients do not primarily expect lower commissions. They expect higher quality. The most important services include ensuring transaction security, providing an accurate valuation and effectively managing the entire process,” Bubiel says.
“When the financial burden of the commission is concentrated on one side, clients will certainly scrutinise more closely whether the agent genuinely increases the value of the transaction.”
According to the SonarHome.pl expert, this will naturally increase the importance of exclusive agency agreements. A seller who pays the full commission will expect full responsibility for the result from one committed partner, rather than fragmented efforts by multiple agents.
In this new reality, the strength of an agent will therefore depend on their ability to justify the value of their services. Demonstrating relevant experience, presenting genuine reviews from previous clients and using modern valuation and market-analysis tools will become essential standards for maintaining both high-quality service and appropriate remuneration.
If the proposed regulations enter into force, the way real estate agents operate will change significantly. A shift towards a model in which an agent represents the interests of only one party will mean that agents will no longer simply act as “listing providers”. Instead, they will become professionals responsible for protecting the client’s financial interests and transaction security.
As a result, the market is likely to reduce the role of agents who do not deliver meaningful value to their clients.
