DOMA Agency Code of Conduct

Why this exists

DOMA is the platform expats use when they're buying or renting in Montenegro. For most of them, it's the biggest purchase of their life, in a country they don't yet know, in a language they don't yet speak. They need to trust the agencies they work with.

We built this code so they can.

Every agency on domamontenegro.com/agencies has signed this code. If an agency doesn't follow it, they come off the list.

The commitments

By joining DOMA as a verified agency, you commit to the following.

1. 1

   Accurate listings

   Every listing you publish represents a property that is real, available, and for sale or rent at the price shown. No fake listings to capture leads. No properties you don't have a mandate on. No "starting from" prices on properties that always cost more.

   If a property is no longer available, you mark it as such within 48 hours.

2. 2

   Respond to enquiries within 48 hours

   Every enquiry gets a reply, even if the answer is "this property is no longer available" or "I'll need a day to get back to you."

   Ignoring expats who ask questions through DOMA is the fastest way off the list.

3. 3

   No bait-and-switch

   The property shown is the property sold. You don't advertise a €600/month apartment and then only show €900/month apartments. You don't show photos of a renovated flat and then take clients to a tired one.

   If the property you advertised is gone, you say so before the viewing, not during.

4. 4

   Honest about fees

   Agency fees, commission structures, and any "mandatory" additional costs (contract fees, notary charges, transfer taxes) are disclosed in writing before the client commits. No surprise charges at signing.

5. 5

   Respect the client's money

   You don't pressure clients into paying deposits or reservations before they've had time to read a contract they understand. Clients who don't speak Montenegrin or Serbian get documents translated before they sign.

6. 6

   Respect the client's data

   Enquiries that come through DOMA stay between you and that client. You don't sell the contact details, pass them to third parties, or spam the client with unrelated property offers.

7. 7

   Represent yourself honestly

   You are who you say you are. Your agency is registered. Your licence is valid. Your photos are of your actual staff and office. We verify these once; if anything changes, you tell us.

8. 8

   Treat every enquirer equally

   You don't filter enquiries by nationality, language, religion, or how wealthy they look. Every person who contacts you through DOMA gets the same professional response.

9. 9

   Keep us informed

   If you're involved in a legal dispute, under investigation, or lose your licence, you tell DOMA within 14 days. We won't necessarily remove you, but we need to know.

10. 10

    Co-operate with reviews

    Every 180 days, we check in. Re-verify your details, confirm your listings are accurate, look at complaints (if any). Takes 10 minutes. Non-negotiable.

What happens if an agency breaks the code

We take complaints seriously. Here's how it works.

• Minor issues

  Slow response to an enquiry, a stale listing. We email you, flag it, expect a fix. First warning is private.

• Pattern of issues

  Multiple complaints, repeat slow responses. Formal review. We look at your record, your responses, and the severity. You get 14 days to respond.

• Serious breaches

  Misrepresentation, bait-and-switch, dishonesty, harassment. Removed from the list immediately. We publish what happened on your former profile page so prospective clients know.

• Fraud or criminal conduct

  Removed, reported, and we actively warn anyone we know was in contact with you through DOMA.

We'd rather not remove anyone. Most issues are fixable. But the list means nothing if we don't enforce it.

Questions

Email james@domamontenegro.com or reply to any DOMA email. We read every one.