What should you ask a Bali property agent?

There is no licensing regime for real estate agents in Indonesia. No professional standards body, no mandatory disclosure, no indemnity regime. Whatever you find out, you find out by asking and then verifying.

Agents here are not generally dishonest. They answer what you ask, and they are paid on the sale, which means the questions you do not ask do not get answered.

About the title

What exactly is being sold — leasehold, Hak Pakai, or shares in a company holding HGB? If the answer is "freehold", stop.

Whose name is on the certificate, and can I see the original? Not a photocopy or a photograph.

Is the person selling the registered owner? If not, what connects them, and can I see it?

Is the owner married, and will the spouse consent?

How many years remain? Exactly, from the deed, not approximately.

Is the extension jaminan or prioritas? Ask it in those words. An agent who does not know the difference is telling you something useful.

Is the extension price fixed now or determined later?

Does the lease bind heirs and successors, and permit assignment and sublease?

About the land and building

What zone is the parcel in, and does it permit commercial accommodation? The spatial plan, for that parcel, not the area.

What are the KDB and KLB, and what is the buildable area after setbacks?

Is there a PBG, and does it match the building that exists?

Is there an SLF?

Is the access road public, or is there a documented right of way?

Is the parcel splittable?

Has the land been surveyed, and does the area match the certificate?

About the money

What is the price, and what does it include? Furniture, staff, forward bookings.

What are the transaction costs and who pays each?

Are PBB payments current, and can I see the receipts?

Is there an existing lease, tenancy or management agreement?

Are there any encumbrances, mortgages or disputes?

About the income, if it is rented

What did it actually gross and net, month by month, for the last two years? Not a projection, and not an annual figure.

Can I see the tax filings and bank statements that support that? If they do not exist, the reported revenue is unverified.

What licence does it hold to operate, and can I see it?

What are the actual operating costs, itemised?

Who manages it, on what terms, and does that agreement survive the sale?

About the agent

Who are you acting for? In Bali the answer is almost always the seller.

How are you paid, and by whom?

Is this an exclusive or open listing?

Have you seen the original certificate yourself?

Which notary is involved, and who engaged them?

That last one matters more than any other question on this page. If the answer is "the seller" or "we always use them", engage your own.

The two questions that reveal most

"How long do I have for due diligence?" An answer of one to three weeks is normal and correct. Pressure to move faster is the single most reliable warning sign in this market.

"Can I have all of that in writing?" Verbal answers cost nothing to give. A written answer is a representation, and the willingness to put it on paper tells you how confident the answer is.

Then verify independently

Every answer above is a starting point, not a conclusion. Your own notary checks the certificate at the land office, the zoning against the spatial plan, the permits against the building, and the deed clause by clause.

An agent's answer is information. A notary's written report is evidence. Do not confuse the two.