For most owners, selling a property is not an everyday event but one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. It is all the more reassuring, then, to understand exactly how the journey unfolds: from the first realistic valuation, through marketing, to certification by the notary and the handover of the keys.
This guide takes you step by step through the entire process, sets out all the costs and taxes openly, and shows you what really matters, so that in the end you can sell securely and at the best possible price — in Düsseldorf and throughout North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).
The right price determines everything
No factor influences the success of your sale as strongly as the asking price. If it is set too high, the property lingers on the market and loses its appeal with every passing week — and in the end it is often sold below value. Too low a price, on the other hand, gives away hard cash.
A dependable price is not based on a gut feeling but on data: actual comparable sale prices, the official standard land values published by the valuation committees (BORIS NRW), as well as the location, condition, living area and energy standard of your property. A sound valuation is therefore always the first step — and with us it is free and without obligation.
The sales process in seven steps
A property sale follows a clear process. Those who know it stay in control and avoid costly mistakes:
- Gather the documents — an extract from the land register, the cadastral map, building documents and the energy performance certificate form the basis.
- Determine a realistic price — data-based rather than estimated.
- Market the property — a compelling brochure with good photographs and the mandatory information required by law from the energy performance certificate.
- Viewings and buyer selection — including checking the financing confirmation (creditworthiness) of prospective buyers.
- Draft purchase contract — the notary draws up the contract; consumers are entitled to a 14-day review period before certification.
- Notary appointment — certification of the purchase contract and entry of the priority notice of conveyance in the land register.
- Payment of the purchase price and handover — once payment has been made, possession passes and finally the transfer of ownership is recorded in the land register.
Realistically, you should allow three to six months from the start of the sale to payment of the purchase price — with a price in line with the market and a good location it can be quicker, while for special properties it may take longer.
The documents you will need
Complete documentation builds trust with buyers and banks and noticeably speeds up the sale. For a house or a freehold flat you will usually need:
- a current extract from the land register and the cadastral map / site plan
- building documents, floor plans and a living area calculation
- a valid energy performance certificate
- for freehold flats, additionally the declaration of division, minutes of the owners' association meetings, the budget plan and service charge statements
- evidence of modernisation works as well as — for let properties — the tenancy agreements
We are happy to compile for you which documents are required in your particular case, and to obtain any that are missing.
What does selling cost?
The largest item is usually the estate agent's commission. Since 23 December 2020, it has been regulated nationwide for the sale of freehold flats and detached houses to consumers (§§ 656c, 656d BGB, German Civil Code): if you, as the owner, engage the agent, no more than half of the costs may be passed on to the buyer — both sides then pay the same share. In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the total commission is usually around 7.14% of the purchase price including VAT, that is roughly 3.57% per side. The agency agreement requires at least text form.
In addition, there are notary and land registry costs totalling around 1.5 to 2% of the purchase price (§ 311b BGB makes notarial certification mandatory). These are usually borne by the buyer; as the seller, you generally pay only those costs that are solely in your interest — such as the cancellation of a land charge still entered in the register. The energy performance certificate adds only a small amount.
Taxes on the sale: the speculation period
Whether any tax is payable on the sale depends above all on the speculation period (§ 23 EStG, Income Tax Act). If more than ten years lie between the purchase and the sale of a private property, the gain is tax-free.
Within the ten years, the sale nevertheless remains tax-free if you have lived in the property yourself — either continuously since acquisition or in the year of the sale and the two preceding calendar years. If the gain is taxable, it is taxed at your personal income tax rate; it is therefore not a separate type of tax.
The real estate transfer tax in NRW is 6.5% and is almost always assigned to the buyer in the purchase contract. Exactly how the sale is treated for tax depends on the individual case — the details are best clarified with your own tax adviser.
Energy performance certificate: mandatory when selling
When selling, a valid energy performance certificate is required by law (§ 80 GEG, Building Energy Act). Even in the property advertisement, the most important energy indicators must be stated (§ 87 GEG). At the viewing, you present the certificate without being asked and hand it over to the buyer at the latest upon conclusion of the contract.
Anyone who disregards these obligations commits an administrative offence that can be penalised with a fine of up to 10,000 euros. So make sure you obtain a valid certificate in good time — we will tell you which type is right for your property.
Sell with an agent, privately or discreetly?
Selling on your own is possible, but it is time-consuming and prone to error: pricing, documents, mandatory disclosures, viewings, creditworthiness checks and contract handling all rest entirely with you. An experienced estate agent takes all of this off your hands, protects you from costly mistakes and, through professional marketing, usually achieves a higher price.
Not every sale belongs in the public shop window. If you wish, we can also take a discreet route: we approach suitable contacts from our network of more than 20,000 addresses — built over decades — in a targeted way and without a public listing. Whether this will find the right buyer cannot be guaranteed, which is why we discuss openly with you when a discreet sale makes sense and when public marketing will achieve the better price. In addition, we are open to cooperating with other estate agents in order to widen the pool of potential buyers. Throughout, you will be looked after personally by Klaudia Jossberger.
