AEI: The Dominican Republic’s Real Estate Agents and Companies Association

If you are buying or selling property in the Dominican Republic, you will eventually meet an agent who says they are "AEI." This page explains what that actually means — what the organization is, what it requires of its members, and what recourse it gives you if something goes wrong.

We are not affiliated with AEI. We publish market data and valuation tools for the Dominican market, and the standards AEI has set are the closest thing this country has to a professional benchmark. This is our reference guide to them.

What AEI Is

The Asociación de Agentes y Empresas Inmobiliarias (AEI) is the Dominican Republic's national association of real estate agents and firms. It was founded on 24 October 1989 to bring the country's real estate businesses under a common set of standards.

It is a non-profit. It was originally incorporated under Ley No. 520 of 1920 — the old Dominican law governing non-profit associations — and now operates under Ley 122-05, the current framework for non-profit entities.

Its founding objectives, in its own words:

• Set standards for how real estate business is conducted between professionals
• Prevent unfair competition, with disciplinary authority to enforce it
• Promote cooperation between members
• Keep members current on the sector
• Provide technical training through courses and workshops
• Standardise the forms and documents used in real estate transactions

Its stated vision is to be a "competent, prestigious and trustworthy entity" both nationally and internationally.

Headquarters: Calle Cub Scout #16, Plaza Franchesi, Local 203, Ens. Naco, Santo Domingo. It also runs two regional delegations — Zona Norte and Zona Este.

How Many Members It Has

AEI's public agent directory lists 1,617 registered agents as of August 2026. That is the membership figure to use — it comes from the association's own live directory rather than from an event headcount. For comparison, 725 agents attended its 2026 congress, so roughly 45% of the membership turned up in person for a single day in Santo Domingo.

Membership is structured in three categories:

• Principal members — brokers and real estate companies
• Allied members — businesses connected to the sector
• Honorary members — individuals recognised for their contribution

Access to AEI's MLS and property publishing is restricted to members. In AEI's own words, the service is "exclusively reserved for members of the Association."

What Its Code of Ethics Requires

This is the part that matters most to a buyer or seller, and it is why AEI membership is a meaningful signal rather than a logo on a website.

AEI's Código de Ética is a twelve-article document with real enforcement behind it. Among the obligations it places on a member broker:

• Verify before selling. Confirm the client's identity, their legal capacity to transact, and the facts about the property itself.
• Hold the CBR-01 certification covering the basic knowledge of the profession, and consult specialists when a matter falls outside it.
• Never advertise a property without the owner's written authorisation.
• Never take a deposit in their own name.
• Keep client information confidential — including after the engagement has ended.
• Refer out when ownership is unclear or the legal situation is complex.
• Put agreements in writing, with clear terms, and keep the relevant documents available.

There are also detailed rules governing how members treat each other — respecting another broker's exclusive listing, not approaching a client another member introduced, and not removing a competitor's signage.

Key Takeaway: AEI membership is voluntary and it is not a licence. But a member who mistreats you can be sanctioned by their own association, and a non-member cannot. That difference is the whole reason to check.

What It Costs to Use a Member Agent

AEI's code sets commission standards for the sector. Its published minimum is 5% on urban property sales, rising to 5–10% on rural or distant property. Rentals, management and short-term letting are priced separately, and the property owner pays ITBIS on top of the commission.

We have broken the full schedule down here: what real estate agents actually charge in the Dominican Republic.

Certification: What CBR Means

AEI runs a certification ladder for its members, referenced throughout its code of ethics:

• CBR-01 — the entry certification. The code makes holding it an ethical obligation, not an optional extra. AEI's 2026 programme delivered it as "Gestión de Ventas para Nuevos Agentes."
• CBR-02 — the advanced certification, aimed at strategic and managerial competence.

Alongside these, AEI runs a Bootcamp programme and recurring workshops. In 2026 these included sessions on sales psychology, international market outlook, and women's professional development in the sector.

This training infrastructure is about to matter a great deal more than it currently does — see the licensing section below.

Enforcement: What Happens When a Member Misbehaves

Unlike most trade bodies, AEI can actually sanction its members. Complaints go to a Comité de Ética, which supervises the code, and a Comité Disciplinario, which resolves disputes. Appeals go to the Junta Directiva.

Sanctions escalate through three levels: a private or public reprimand, temporary suspension of up to six months, or permanent expulsion. A suspended member keeps paying dues but loses member benefits — including MLS access and the ability to publish listings.

Full explanation of how to actually use this: what to do when a Dominican real estate agent behaves badly.

International Affiliation

AEI represents the Dominican Republic in CILA — the Confederación Inmobiliaria Latinoamericana, the regional confederation of Latin American real estate associations. CILA groups 18 member associations across 17 countries, from Mexico and Central America down through Argentina and Brazil.

Its Annual Congress

AEI's Congreso Internacional is the Dominican real estate sector's main annual gathering. The seventh edition was held on 5 August 2026 at the Hotel Catalonia in Santo Domingo, under the theme Evolución Inmobiliaria 2026, and sold out ahead of the date. AEI president Alberto Bogaert framed the aim as helping professionals understand the changes reshaping the sector and turn them into growth.

The 2026 agenda focused on digital transformation, artificial intelligence applied to real estate, investment trends, sustainability in development, and international business strategy.

Why This Is About to Become Much More Important

The Dominican Republic is in the process of making real estate licensing mandatory.

On 23 April 2026, the Senate approved in first reading a bill regulating real estate intermediation and deceptive advertising, sponsored by senators Rafael Barón Duluc, Félix Ramón Bautista and Eduard Alexis Espiritusanto. It would require every habitual real estate intermediary to hold an annually renewed operating licence issued through MIVHED, the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings — and it sets minimum training hours and academic requirements.

Stat: If the bill passes, the voluntary certification structure AEI has run since 1989 becomes the template for a legal requirement.

Full analysis: the Dominican Republic is about to license real estate agents.

How to Verify an Agent Today

Until licensing exists, verification is manual. AEI publishes both of its membership directories openly:

• Agent directory — individual agents
• Company directory — real estate firms

Our step-by-step version, including the four things AEI's code specifically forbids, is here: how to check a Dominican Republic real estate agent is legitimate.

Pro Tip: Verifying the agent and verifying the price are two different jobs. A fully ethical, certified, AEI-member agent can still bring you a property priced well above what comparable properties in that zone actually trade for — that is not misconduct, it is the incentive structure. Check the price independently.

Official AEI Resources

• AEI homepage
• History and objectives
• Code of ethics
• Board of directors
• Agent directory
• Company directory
• Frequently asked questions
• Affiliation for agents
• News
• Contact

Frequently Asked Questions

What does AEI stand for?

AEI stands for Asociación de Agentes y Empresas Inmobiliarias — the Association of Real Estate Agents and Companies. It is the Dominican Republic's national real estate association, founded on 24 October 1989 and headquartered in Santo Domingo.

Is AEI membership required to sell real estate in the Dominican Republic?

No. As of August 2026 the Dominican Republic does not require any licence or association membership to work as a real estate agent. AEI membership is voluntary. A bill that would make licensing mandatory through MIVHED passed the Senate in first reading in April 2026 and is still moving through the legislature.

How do I check whether an agent is an AEI member?

AEI publishes two public directories on its website — one for individual agents and one for real estate companies. If an agent claims membership, they should appear in one of them, or be working under a member firm.

What commission do AEI members charge?

AEI's code of ethics sets a minimum of 5% on urban property sales and 5–10% on rural or distant property, with the owner paying ITBIS on top of the commission. Rentals are typically one month's rent for an annual lease, and property management runs from 10–15% for rent collection to 20–40% for short-term rental management.

What can I do if an AEI member agent treats me badly?

You can file a written complaint, with supporting evidence, to AEI's Comité de Ética. Sanctions range from a private or public reprimand through a suspension of up to six months to permanent expulsion. The process cannot recover your money — that requires a Dominican lawyer — but it runs in parallel and costs nothing.

Is CBR certification the same as a licence?

No. CBR-01 and CBR-02 are AEI's own certifications, awarded by the association to its members. They are not government licences and carry no legal force. If the pending intermediation law passes, government-issued licences would exist alongside them for the first time.