Lawyers, Notaries, and Agents: Who is Part of the Home Buying Process in Greece?

3. The Notary

Property transfers in Greece involve multiple stages and interactions with different professionals and public authorities. These include legal review, technical documentation, tax declarations, and registration procedures. The notary traditionally prepares and formalizes the contract, while the collection of documents and coordination of administrative steps is often carried out by the parties and their advisors. The notary in Greece acts as a public official specializing in real estate transfers, responsible for drawing up the purchase deed and ensuring that the procedure complies with Greek law. To obtain notary services for property transactions in Greece, a public notary is appointed to formalize the sale contract into a notarial deed. During the property transfer, the notary drafts and authenticates the notarial deed, verifies the objective value of the property for tax calculations, and can provide official copies of the deed for legal purposes. Compared to other European countries, the notary’s role in Greece has been more limited so far. However, a new framework was recently introduced, according to which the role of the notary is significantly upgraded.

The “One-Stop Shop” Framework

Article 15 of Law 5293/2026 establishes the notary as the central point for the execution of property transfers. Within this framework, the notary is responsible for preparing the contract in agreement with the parties and coordinating the steps required for its completion. The notary is also enabled to retrieve necessary documentation directly from public authorities through interoperable systems. The documentation includes, among others, tax clearance certificates, insurance clearance certificates, the electronic identity of the property, and cadastral extracts.

Tax and Administrative Responsibilities

The law assigns the notary an active role in the handling of tax obligations related to the transaction. The notary submits the relevant tax declarations through the myPROPERTY platform, based on the information provided by the parties. The notary collects and remits the applicable taxes to the tax authorities, including transfer tax and, where applicable, inheritance, donation, or parental gift tax. The notary is also responsible for collecting and paying the fees required for the registration of the contract with the Land Registry or Cadastre.

Handling of Financial Transactions

In Greece, notaries do not hold escrow accounts and are not permitted to receive the purchase price. Instead, the buyer typically pays the seller directly. The buyer must pay the seller the agreed purchase price, usually via bank transfer or guaranteed check through a Greek bank. This process differs from many other countries where notaries may handle or hold funds. After the purchase deed is signed, the buyer is usually given a few days to complete the payment before the transaction is finalized. The notary’s role is to verify and document that the payment has been completed according to Greek property law.

Registration of the Transaction

Following the signing of the contract and the completion of the required payments, the notary submits the notarial deed for registration with the Land Registry or Cadastre through interoperable systems. This submission completes the formal process of transferring the property rights.

Implementation of the Framework

The provisions relating to the notary acting as a “one-stop shop” are not applied automatically upon publication of the law. According to Law 5293/2026, the commencement of this system is determined by a joint ministerial decision, which specifies the time of implementation, the technical details, and the scope of application. Until the issuance of this decision and the activation of the system, property transfers continue to follow the existing procedural structure.

Scope of the Reform

Law 5293/2026 introduces a more centralized model for the coordination of property transfers, compared to the existing structure. Under the current system, the parties and their advisors are responsible for collecting documentation, submitting declarations, and coordinating with multiple public authorities, while the notary’s role is primarily focused on drafting and executing the contract. Under the new framework, these administrative and procedural steps are concentrated to a greater extent within the notary’s responsibilities. The notary is designated to manage the preparation of the transaction, the retrieval of required documents, the submission and payment of taxes, and the registration of the contract. The reform does not modify the underlying legal and technical requirements governing property transfers, but changes how these requirements are coordinated and executed.

4. The Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent is a licensed professional who assists buyers and sellers in real estate transactions. They have a portfolio of properties and can arrange viewings. Moreover, they can advise on all matters regarding the purchase of a property in Greece, such as choosing the area and the type of property that suits you best, and on matters like taxation, local regulations and procedures. Once you've found a suitable property, they can assist in the negotiations with the seller. Various types of real estate agents are active in Greece:

Large Brokerage Firms

These are mainly located in Athens and deal with the upper part of the market.

Small ‘Traditional’ Greek Real Estate Agents

These agents are often very capable but not always service-oriented offices that sometimes want to get the deal done too quickly.

"Tourist" Brokerage Offices

Brokerage offices in the more touristy areas work mainly with Western European clients. It is necessary to inquire locally about the reputation and service of the real estate agent.

International Agencies, Specializing in Greek Real Estate

Elxis falls into this category. The advantage of this is that you have your point of contact and get answers to your questions in English, Greek, Dutch, French, or German, and can discuss everything with experienced brokers and legal experts that deal with international clients on a daily basis.

Expected Agent Fees

You must sign a clear written agreement with an authorized broker, stating the agreed brokerage fee, in a language you understand. Never sign anything in Greek if you do not know exactly what it says. For most Greek real estate agents, the brokerage fee is between 2% and 4% plus VAT.

5. The Accountant

It is important to hire an accountant to help you with tax returns once you own a home in Greece. It doesn’t matter if you will live in Greece or in another country. It will still be necessary to have an accountant. The accountant submits yearly tax statements, guides you on payment of taxes (income tax, property tax, etc.), and informs you on any tax matter related to ownership of property in Greece. Just after the home purchase is completed, the accountant is the one who declares the property in your E9 form. If you are buying a property for passive income or as an investment, it is also necessary to have an accountant. Any person or legal entity who earns income in Greece is required to submit annual tax income statements.