Broker
Megler (broker) is the everyday word for an intermediary who brings buyer and seller together and handles the practical side of a deal. In a property context, people almost always mean an eiendomsmegler (a licensed estate agent): the authorised professional who handles the sale of a home or a property, from pricing and marketing to the bidding round and settlement. The word is also used in other industries (insurance broker, ship broker, freight broker), but in the housing and property market "megler" and "eiendomsmegler" are in practice the same person.
So when someone says they have "spoken to the megler" about a house sale, they mean the person who carries out estate agency work under eiendomsmeglingsloven (the Estate Agency Act). This is a regulated activity, and only firms with a licence from Finanstilsynet (the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway) may carry it out. The responsible broker must be an authorised eiendomsmegler or a lawyer with a licence. The title "megler" is not protected in itself, so it is the authorisation and the firm's licence that decide whether you are actually dealing with a professional estate agent.
In practice, there are several types of broker in the property market. A residential broker sells homes to consumers. A næringsmegler (commercial property broker) handles the purchase and sale of næringseiendom (commercial property), often as company transactions with due diligence and valuation based on rental income and yield. A settlement broker (oppgjørsmegler) handles only the settlement part, that is the contract, registration and flow of funds, while the seller takes care of the marketing. What they all share is the role of independent intermediary with a duty to look after both parties.
Do not confuse the broker with a takstmann (surveyor). The surveyor assesses the technical condition and value of the property in a takst (valuation report) or a tilstandsrapport (condition report), while the broker runs the sales process itself. The broker's asking price is also not the same as an independent valuation. The broker is normally paid by commission or a fixed fee plus expenses, and the fee is freely negotiable.
In Placepoint you will find much of the groundwork a broker builds on: property data from the matrikkel, ownership history and encumbrances from Grunnboken, and transaction figures for the area. That makes it easier to prepare a sale or assess a property before the bidding round.
From Placepoint's dictionary: Broker
More information: Eiendomsmeglingsloven, Finanstilsynet: eiendomsmegling, Norges Eiendomsmeglerforbund
English: Broker / agent (in property contexts, normally a real estate agent, eiendomsmegler).
Common questions
Are megler and eiendomsmegler the same thing?
In the housing and property market, yes. "Megler" is everyday speech for eiendomsmegler, the authorised intermediary who runs the sales process. The word is also used in other industries (insurance and ship brokers), but that is normally made clear.
Is the title megler protected?
No. The word "megler" itself is not protected, but estate agency work is regulated by law. The responsible broker must be an authorised eiendomsmegler or a lawyer, and the firm must hold a licence from Finanstilsynet.
What is the difference between a megler and a takstmann?
The broker runs the sales process: pricing, marketing, viewings, the bidding round and settlement. A takstmann assesses the technical condition and value of the property in a takst or a tilstandsrapport.
What does a megler cost?
The broker usually charges commission (a percentage of the sale price) or a fixed fee, plus expenses for marketing and information. The fee is freely negotiable, so it pays to compare offers.