Selling a house without an agent is always possible in Germany and can save the agent's commission. A private sale, however, also means that you handle every task yourself: valuation, documents, listing, marketing, viewings, negotiation and preparing the notary appointment. This guide honestly explains how a private sale works, which duties and risks you should know, and when professional support is worthwhile. That way you can make an informed decision on whether to sell yourself or bring in help.
Private sale step by step: the process at a glance
Selling a house without an agent essentially follows the same steps as any property sale. Working in a structured way keeps you on top of things and avoids delays.
- Determine the market value: set a realistic asking price based on comparable properties and local standard land values.
- Gather the documents: obtain the land register extract, energy certificate, floor plans and other documents.
- Create the listing: a meaningful description, good photos, and complete and accurate details.
- Marketing: advertisements on property portals, in regional media and within your own network.
- Viewings: pre-qualify enquiries, organise appointments, guide prospective buyers through the house.
- Negotiation: clarify price and terms, check the buyer's creditworthiness and financing.
- Notary appointment: the purchase contract is drafted and certified by the notary (Notar); the transfer of ownership and handover follow afterwards.
Allow yourself enough time. Obtaining some documents alone, for example from public authorities and offices, can take several weeks. In sought-after locations such as Düsseldorf and the Rhineland, the marketing itself can be comparatively quick, while the formal processing through the notary keeps to its fixed framework.
Determining the right value
Pricing is the most important and at the same time the most difficult task in a private sale. A price set too high means the property stays on the market for a long time and often ends up selling below value. A price set too low gives away cash. Both can be avoided if you base your decision on verifiable data.
Three methods are common in property valuation:
- Comparative value method (Vergleichswertverfahren): based on prices actually achieved for similar properties. It is especially suitable when enough comparative data is available, for example for owner-occupied flats and terraced houses.
- Asset value method (Sachwertverfahren): often used for owner-occupied detached houses. In simplified terms it values the land value plus the building's construction costs less depreciation.
- Income value method (Ertragswertverfahren): mainly for rented or yield-oriented properties, as it focuses on the rental income that can be sustainably achieved.
An important point of reference is the standard land value (Bodenrichtwert), which is determined by the municipalities' valuation committees. For NRW these values can be viewed via the BORIS.NRW portal. If you want to be entirely sure, you can commission a qualified valuation report or obtain a professional valuation instead of relying solely on automatic online calculators.
Documents required for selling a house
Complete and accurate documents build trust, speed up the sale and are indispensable for the buyer's financing as well as for the notary. Collect them early, as obtaining them takes time.
- Current land register extract (Grundbuchauszug): documents ownership as well as registered rights and encumbrances.
- Cadastral map or site plan: shows the property boundaries and location.
- Building plans and floor plans: important for the property description and for review by prospective buyers.
- Living space calculation: so that the stated living space is verifiable and undisputed.
- Energy certificate (Energieausweis): legally required when selling (see next section).
- For flats, additionally: declaration of division (Teilungserklärung), minutes of the owners' meetings, business plan and proof of the maintenance reserve.
In practice, proof of modernisations and repairs, a breakdown of the ongoing running costs and insurance certificates are also helpful. These documents are not legally mandatory in every case, but they increase transparency and prevent later queries.
Duties and law: energy certificate and notary
The same legal duties apply to a private sale as to a sale through an agent. Two points are particularly important.
Energy certificate (Buildings Energy Act, GEG): A valid energy certificate (Energieausweis) is mandatory when selling a residential building. Under § 80 GEG you must present it to prospective buyers unprompted at the viewing at the latest and hand it over to the buyer after the purchase contract is concluded. Even in a property advertisement in commercial media, mandatory details must be provided under § 87 GEG if a certificate is available: type of certificate (demand or consumption), final energy demand or final energy consumption, the main energy source of the heating, the year of construction of the residential building and the energy efficiency class. An energy certificate is generally valid for ten years. Breaches can be punished as an administrative offence under § 108 GEG with a fine of up to 10,000 euros.
Notarial certification (§ 311b BGB): A purchase contract for a plot of land or a house is only valid if it is certified by a notary (Notar). A privately written contract or a handshake is not enough. As a rule the notary drafts the contract on the basis of your details; therefore agree price, inventory, handover date and liability arrangements clearly in advance and review the draft carefully. The notary and land register costs as well as the property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) are usually borne by the buyer; in NRW the property transfer tax is currently 6.5 percent of the purchase price.
Marketing, viewing and negotiation
Listing and marketing: A good listing contains meaningful photos taken in daylight, clear floor plans and an honest description with all mandatory details. Make sure the living space, year of construction and energy figures are correct, because incorrect details can later be regarded as a warranted characteristic and lead to liability claims. For reach, the large property portals, regional media and your personal network are important.
Viewings: Pre-qualify enquiries and only consider prospective buyers with complete contact details. Put away valuables and sensitive documents, hold viewings during the day where possible and not on your own, and avoid unaccompanied tours. Have documents such as floor plans and the energy certificate ready and address known defects openly.
Negotiation and creditworthiness: Set a minimum price and your arguments in advance, for example comparative prices, modernisations and the energy condition. Do not rely on verbal financing assurances. Ask serious buyers for a financing confirmation from the bank before you set a notary appointment. This avoids a sale falling through over unsecured financing shortly before completion.
Pros and cons as well as typical mistakes and risks
A private sale has clear strengths, but also weaknesses. A fair weighing-up helps you decide.
Advantages:
- You save the proportionate agent's commission. For sales of detached houses and flats to consumers, a statutory split of the commission has applied since December 2020 (§ 656c and § 656d BGB); anyone selling entirely without an agent avoids the commission completely.
- You retain full control over the pricing strategy, appointments and the choice of buyer.
- You have direct contact with prospective buyers.
Disadvantages and typical risks:
- Mispricing: a wrongly set price is the most common and most expensive mistake, in both directions.
- Lower reach: private sellers often use only one or two channels and thereby reach fewer suitable prospective buyers.
- Time and stress: preparation, communication, viewings and negotiations can almost amount to a full-time job during the marketing phase.
- Legal pitfalls: even an agreed exclusion of liability does not apply if defects are fraudulently concealed. Known material defects must be disclosed.
- Security and creditworthiness: strangers in the house and buyers without secured financing are real risks that can be limited with caution and evidence.
When professional support is worthwhile
A private sale can be particularly worthwhile when a specific, soundly financed buyer is already in place, there is no time pressure and you thoroughly familiarise yourself with the process or specifically purchase individual services such as valuation and contract review. The consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) expressly points out that a sale without an agent is possible, but advises careful preparation.
Professional support is typically worthwhile when speed, a good sale price and security are important, when no buyer has yet been found, in complex constellations such as a community of heirs, divorce or rented properties, and when you lack time or experience.
This is exactly where Richter Immobilien-Transaktionen from Düsseldorf can be a discreet, professional alternative. As part of the Wolfgang Richter GmbH, established for over 60 years, we support owners in Düsseldorf and NRW with realistic valuation, targeted outreach from a network grown over decades with more than 20,000 contacts, and careful processing up to the notary. On request, confidential marketing away from public portals is also possible. Whether you sell yourself or want support remains your decision; a no-obligation conversation helps you find the path that suits you.
