How to Choose a Real Estate Agent in Thailand: Checking the Agent Before Buying

How to choose a real estate agent in Thailand before transferring money? Compare candidates, establish the legal name of the company and the responsible employee, obtain written commission terms, arrange an independent check of the property, and agree on the payment procedure. Assess the intermediary by their documents, the content of their answers, and their willingness to explain the purchase terms.

Start with your goal: where and what kind of housing you are looking for, what you are buying it for, and what help you expect. Then request comparable offers, examples of completed deals, and a draft contract. A beautiful website, convenient communication, and recommendations from acquaintances are useful for searching, but by themselves they do not confirm that a purchase is safe.

Current as of the time of publication. Rules and conditions may change; the applicability of requirements depends on the property, the buyer’s status and the contract. Below are tables, questions and steps that will help you assess the agent before signing documents and taking on financial obligations.

Why you need an agent and when you can buy directly

An agent can select properties, arrange viewings, negotiate and support the agreed stages of the purchase. Ask for the services to be described in writing: who collects the documents, explains the seller’s offers, and helps after the apartment is chosen. The word “support” without a list of actions leaves too many questions open.

Contacting the seller or the developer’s sales department directly is another way to organize a purchase. In this case, the search, negotiations, document translation and legal review must be divided between you and the specialists you involve. Compare options by the scope of help and the total cost, not only by the promise to do without an intermediary.

An agent is useful if their work matches your goal and reduces organizational difficulties. But help with documents does not mean an independent check of the seller, their rights to the property, or the terms of the contract.

We recommend arranging a legal review both for a direct purchase and when buying through an agency. This is a recommendation to reduce risk, not a statement that there is a general obligation to hire a lawyer. The overall picture of the stages is in the guide buying real estate in Thailand.

How to compare agents by region and property type

Start with the region, type of housing and purpose of the purchase: living, vacation or rental. Experience with similar properties is more useful than a general claim like “we work across all of Thailand.” Ask them to explain why the proposed apartment or villa suits you specifically and what its drawbacks are.

Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui, Hua Hin and Krabi are examples of areas to search for a specialist. The name of a region alone says nothing about an agent’s qualifications. Check their experience with the chosen location and property.

To compare candidates, fill in the same table for each one. In the last column, record the answers received and the confirmations.

Compare prices for comparable properties and written offers with similar specifications. Ask for an explanation of the form of ownership: freehold and leasehold should not be mixed in a selection without explanations. Before discussing, study the types of real estate in Thailand.

How to check the company and the responsible employee

Start with the company’s legal name, not just the agency’s brand. A real estate agency’s recommendation (Kalinka Thailand) suggests verifying the registration date, registered capital and directors through the Department of Business Development (DBD). Check company information on the official website of the Department of Business Development.

Compare the name with the cooperation agreement and find out who signs the documents. Establish the responsible employee, their work contacts and their role in the deal. If one person conducts the negotiations but a different company offers the contract, ask them to explain this connection.

Ask for client recommendations and, with their consent, discuss the content of the support. Ask not only about the result but also how the agent explained expenses and handled issues. Consider the length of work as a verifiable sign of experience, without an arbitrary minimum period of service.

If the intermediary acts as an individual, establish the counterparty and the grounds for making claims. The absence of a company does not in itself release a person from liability. Checking the intermediary and checking the property are separate tasks.

Licenses and certificates: what they confirm

If an agent shows a “license,” ask who issued it, in whose name, and what it confirms. An employee’s ID card, a company’s membership in an association, and a permit for a specific activity cannot be treated as interchangeable documents.

The Real Estate Sales and Marketing Association (RESAM) sets its own requirement: approval of a broker’s practice may be granted only to persons certified by the association. This statement relates to the association’s own requirements. It cannot be used to conclude whether a mandatory state license exists or not for the entire market.

Foreign employees’ duties require special attention. The published list from Thailand’s Ministry of Labor contains a restriction on brokerage and agency activity by foreigners, with an exception for international trade. The page refers to an outdated list, so a specific person needs an assessment of the current rules and of the work actually performed.

A work permit should not be interpreted as permission for all agency duties. Ask for an explanation of how roles are divided within the company, and refer disputed questions to a relevant specialist. Additional context is provided in the guide real estate laws in Thailand.

Who pays the commission and how to compare the full price

The real estate agent’s commission in Thailand should be clear from the specific offer. Request a written explanation: who pays it, how the remuneration is calculated, when the payment obligation arises, and which services the buyer pays for separately.

Under the contract, the remuneration may be paid by the seller or the developer. But this condition does not mean the final price will be the same across all sales channels. Compare offers for the same property as a whole, including the specification, discounts and additional services.

Do not leave blank lines: ask for what is included, what is missing, and what is not yet determined. Separately discuss the costs of a lawyer, translation, registration and property maintenance, if they relate to your purchase.

By the way, it is useful to translate the phrase “free for the buyer” into a specific list of services and payments. To prepare your questions, use the guide property taxes in Thailand, and fix the distribution of expenses in the contract.

Questions to ask a real estate agent before starting work

Hold a meeting or call before taking on any obligations to the agency. The purpose of the interview is to obtain information on which candidates can be compared, and then to request the promised documents.

• What is the company’s legal name, and who is responsible for my transaction? Expect the company details, the employee’s name, and a description of their responsibilities.
• Which completed deals with foreign buyers and similar properties can you show? Ask for examples with an explanation of the agent’s role and the available confirmation of completion.
• How is your commission calculated, and who pays it? You need a written calculation showing the payer and the conditions for the payment obligation.
• Can I bring in an independent lawyer of my choice? Get a clear procedure for handing over documents and working with your specialist.
• Can I review the cooperation agreement and the draft purchase contract in advance? The expected result is draft documents to study before signing.
• Which expenses and services are included in the offer, and which are paid separately? Request a list of payments and the scope of each service.
• Who receives the deposit and subsequent payments, and on what basis? You need the recipient’s details, bank information, and the documented basis for the payment.
• What are the terms for withdrawing from the deal, refunds, and ending the cooperation? Ask to be shown the relevant contract provisions, including any possible deductions.
• Who will handle registration, acceptance and key handover? Get a list of actions, responsible persons, and the procedure for later requests.

Compare answers by their content, not by the speaker’s confidence. The phrase “we’ll sort everything out” does not replace a calculation or a contract. If the promised documents are not provided, leave the question open and do not proceed to payment.

Agent and independent lawyer: boundaries of responsibility

The agent handles commercial and organizational tasks: selection, viewings, negotiations and agreed support. An independent lawyer assesses the rights, documents and terms of the transaction from the buyer’s position. We recommend determining in advance who performs each check and to whom they report the result.

In material on legal due diligence of real estate on the video platform (YouTube), it is recommended to complete the check before paying a booking fee, signing a contract, or taking on financial obligations. This is a recommendation to reduce risk, not a statement that every buyer is legally required to hire a lawyer.

Ask the independent specialist to assess:

• the seller and the basis for disposing of the property;
• the signatory’s authority;
• the documents and their conformity to the chosen property;
• encumbrances and debts;
• the contract terms and the chosen form of ownership;
• restrictions applicable to the buyer.

According to the explanation from the legal portal ThaiLawOnline, the limit on foreign ownership is no more than 49% of the total area of all apartments in the project. This refers to area, not the number of apartments. We recommend assessing separately whether the restriction applies to the chosen property.

The government explanation on condominium registration mentions a letter from its juristic person confirming the foreign ownership share. Another explanation from a government portal points to the need for the Minister of Interior’s permission under the exceptional land acquisition procedure described. Do not consider this exception applicable to your purchase without a separate legal assessment.

When choosing a specialist, discuss the scope of work, independence from the agency, and the content of the result. To prepare, see the material on a lawyer when buying real estate in Thailand.

What to agree on before the deposit and money transfer

Before payment, we recommend gathering documents and agreeing on terms, rather than limiting yourself to a message with an account number. Check whether the subject of the purchase, the recipient of the money and the payment basis match the contract.

Prepare a written list:

• the property and the form of rights being acquired;
• the purchase contract and the property documents;
• the recipient’s authority to receive the money;
• bank details and the payment purpose;
• the payment schedule and confirmation of each payment;
• terms for refunds, deductions and withdrawal from the deal.

Bangkok Bank describes receiving funds from a foreign bank through the SWIFT international bank transfer system. For a condominium purchase, the bank gives the purpose “To purchase a condominium.” This route does not mean that a transfer from any bank is available to every buyer.

The name of the FET form does not replace agreeing on the appropriate bank confirmations. In this case in the explanation on the Thai government portal an alternative bank certificate, which must be obtained from the bank itself, is provided. The same explanation describes a separate procedure for using Thai baht without requesting the Foreign Exchange Transaction Form for permanent residents.

Before the transfer, agree with the receiving bank on your buyer status, the possible route, and the set of documents for this specific transaction. Additional questions are collected in the guide transferring money to buy real estate.

If the details have changed, confirm them independently of the message with the new account. The type of account by itself does not settle the question: the recipient must be matched against the contract and against their authority to accept payment.

Red flags: when to suspend payment

Haste, an unclear contract, and avoidance of financial questions are reasons to stop the payment and continue checking. They do not automatically prove fraud, but they leave essential purchase terms unconfirmed.

The real estate publication Dom News describes buyers from Russia losing deposits through fake accounts, clones of real agents, deepfakes and forged contracts. The practical conclusion: a familiar name and a convincing video do not replace independent confirmation of the intermediary’s contact details and bank details.

If a contractual income guarantee is offered, ask to see who is responsible for payments, which expenses are deducted, and what exceptions apply. Do not replace contract analysis with promotional wording.

Simply put, the pause is needed to answer a specific question. Continue after receiving the document or independent confirmation, not after a repeated promise that “everything is safe.”

Step-by-step algorithm for choosing and supporting a transaction

To choose a real estate agent in Thailand, move from the buyer’s goal to confirmed transaction terms. Do not combine choosing an agent, checking the property and preparing payment into one decision based on a successful viewing.

• Define your goal, region and budget. Write down your housing requirements and the expected scope of help.
• Make a list of candidates. Use recommendations, reviews and search, keeping the sources of contacts.
• Check the information. Compare the company, the employee, the experience and the stated services.
• Hold a meeting. Ask the questions from the list and request confirmation of the answers.
• Compare the selections. Assess the reasons for selection, drawbacks, form of ownership and total price.
• Choose a property. Make sure the offer matches your goal.
• Arrange an independent check. We recommend completing it before paying a booking fee, signing a contract, or taking on financial obligations.
• Agree on the terms in writing. Fix the commission, responsibilities, limits of cooperation, and the termination procedure.
• Prepare the payment. Verify the recipient against the contract and agree on confirmations with the receiving bank, taking your status into account.
• Arrange registration and acceptance. Determine the participation of specialists and the procedure for completing the purchase.

Do not accept exclusive obligations to the agent until you have studied the terms and the quality of the offers. If a document is written in a language you do not understand, arrange a translation and an assessment of its content before signing.

At the end, draw up a written list of support: who is responsible for documents, registration, acceptance, key handover, and later requests. The general sequence is covered in step-by-step process for buying real estate.