Norway's Ministry of Finance has issued a transitional rule requiring real estate brokerage firms to ensure that all real estate agent assistants and settlement assistants already in post are subject to a formal suitability assessment. The rule extends the suitability regime introduced in mid-2025 beyond new hires to the existing workforce, with a requirement to submit the relevant notification to the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet) by 1 January 2027. Amendments to the Real Estate Brokerage Act that took effect on 1 July 2025 introduced a requirement for brokerage firms and Finanstilsynet to assess the suitability of real estate agent assistants and settlement assistants, reflecting that these roles can perform central parts of a real estate brokerage mandate and that unsuitable individuals can cause significant economic loss and undermine confidence in orderly property transactions. Under the transitional rule, the suitability assessment for existing staff is not limited to matters arising after 1 July 2025, and it must include a police certificate given, among other things, the requirement for an honourable record. Individuals assessed as unsuitable cannot continue in these roles.

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