With or without a real estate agent?! Sell your House & Apartment + Checklist

Privat oder mit Makler verkaufen? Ihr Wohnungsverkauf, Ihr Hausverkauf ist zweifellos einer der bedeutendsten finanziellen Schritte im Leben eines Immobilienbesitzers. Eine der grundlegenden Entscheidungen: Verkauf privat abwickeln oder die Dienste eines Immobilienmaklers in Anspruch nehmen? Diese Entscheidung hängt nicht nur von Zeit und Präferenzen ab, sondern auch vom Immobilientyp, von der Marktlage und vor allem vom finanziellen Risiko, das Sie tragen wollen. In diesem Ratgeber: detaillierter Vergleich, Kostenrechnung mit echten Zahlen, Risiko-Analyse für Privatverkäufer, Insider-Hinweise zu Maklerverträgen und Checkliste für seriöse Makler. Fragen zur Bewertung oder zum Verkauf? Schreiben Sie mir oder rufen Sie an, ganz unverbindlich: Kontakt.

Sell an apartment privately or with a real estate agent? The core question

Both options are possible — but the decision shouldn’t be based solely on “available time.” It has financial consequences in the five- to six-figure range. Studies from the German-speaking region show that properties marketed by a professional real estate agent achieve, on average, 5 to 15 percent higher selling prices than comparable private sales. For an apartment worth 500,000 €, that’s a difference of 25,000 to 75,000 € — clearly more than any commission.

Let’s take a closer look at both options.

Selling an apartment without a real estate agent: The DIY challenge

Can you sell an apartment without a real estate agent?

Yes, private sales are legally possible at any time. You save the real estate agent’s commission — but you take on all the tasks, all the risks, and all the costs yourself. The idea of a “free” private sale is a myth.

What tasks will fall to you?

The process involves much more than just taking photos and placing an ad. Specifically:

• Rating of the condominium and market-appropriate pricing strategy
• Procurement of all documents and paperwork (land register extract, division declaration, minutes of the homeowners’ meeting, housing allowance statements, energy certificate)
• Professional photos, floor plans, possibly home staging
• Create an exposé with all legally required information
• Advertising on ImmoScout24, Immowelt, Kleinanzeigen
• Preliminary qualification of inquiries (real buyers vs. tourists, rent nomads, data thieves)
• Credit checks of serious interested parties
• Viewings organisation and conduct (often 15-30 appointments)
• Price negotiation and reservation
• Notary selection and purchase contract support
• Handover protocol, key handover, notification to the utility provider

What does the private sale really cost?

The hidden costs of a private sale are often underestimated. A realistic breakdown for an average apartment:

Cost item	Typical range
Energy certificate (consumption/requirement)	50 – 500 €
Land register extract, cadastral map, building plans	30 – 150 €
Professional photos and floor plans	200 – 800 €
Home staging (optional)	1,500 – 5,000 €
ImmoScout24 Premium listing (3 months)	600 – 1,200 €
Drone/video recordings (optional)	300 – 1,000 €
Own time (40 – 120 hours)	hard to quantify
Direct cash costs (excluding time)	approx. 1,500 – 8,000 €

What risks does the private seller take on?

The financial and legal risks are often overlooked — yet they are the real reason why many private sellers eventually turn to a real estate agent:

• Wrong asking price: Too low = money thrown away. Too high = the apartment becomes a showpiece, price reductions appear desperate
• Liability traps: Hidden defects can lead to a reversal of the sale even years later
• Energy certificate obligation: Fines up to 10,000 € for violations
• Data misuse: Inquiries from competitors, data thieves, fraudsters
• Safety risks during viewings: Strangers in the apartment
• Dirty money inquiries / money laundering attempts: Seller is liable for violations of the anti-money laundering law
• Emotional negotiations: Private sellers are not professional negotiators — buyers take advantage of this
• Time delays: Private sales take two to three months longer on average

Choose private sale if you have 80+ hours of time, can assess the market realistically, know the legal aspects — and can live with a potentially 5-15 % lower selling price.

Sell your apartment with a real estate agent: Professional support

Should I hire a real estate agent?

A good real estate agent saves you not only time — through market knowledge, negotiation experience and buyer network, he often achieves a higher selling price than private sale, which more than compensates for the commission.

What tasks does the agent take over?

The agent takes over most of the above-mentioned tasks:

• Market value determination with comparable properties and realistic pricing strategy
• Procurement of all documents (often direct access to authorities)
• Professional exposure, photographer, possibly 360° tours
• Multi-channel marketing (portals + own network + off-market)
• Complete pre-qualification of interested parties
• Credit check and financing confirmation
• Viewing appointments as individual viewings or professionally structured
• Price negotiation with negotiation expertise
• Contract preparation with a notary
• Accompaniment until handover

Premium and Off-Market Sales for Investors

For high-quality properties starting at around 1 million €, the discreet Off-Market sale is often the better choice: no public advertisements, no viewing tourism, targeted approach from a qualified investor network. Those who need privacy, tenant peace or reputation protection (inheritance, divorce, succession, prominent location) clearly benefit from this. This form of sale is practically impossible without a professional network.

Comparison: Private vs. Real Estate Agent at a Glance

Aspect	Private Sale	With Real Estate Agent
Time Investment Seller	40 – 120+ hrs	5 – 15 hrs
Direct Costs	1,500 – 8,000 €	0 € (Commission from proceeds)
Commission	none	3 – 7 % split
Achievable Selling Price	Market average or below	often 5 – 15 % higher
Selling Duration	4 – 9 months	2 – 5 months
Liability Risk	fully with the seller	reduced through preparation
Discretion / Off-Market	not possible	possible
Buyer Credit Check	to organize yourself	Standard

Choose a real estate agent if you want to save time, minimize liability risks, and with high probability achieve a higher net profit.

Real Estate Agent Contract: Which Variant Is the Right One?

Who hires a real estate agent should know the type of contract — it determines how intensively the property will be marketed:

• Simple commission (general commission): Several agents work in parallel. Sounds good, but is often counterproductive: no agent invests in marketing, because another agent could close the deal. Result: lackluster marketing, price burns.
• Exclusive commission: One agent receives the exclusive right to market the property. The seller is still allowed to sell privately. A fair middle solution.
• Qualified exclusive commission: Exclusively the agent sells, and the owner also refers interested parties to the agent. Offers the highest marketing quality, because the agent is fully invested. Standard for premium real estate.

Important: Fix in writing the contract duration (usual: 6 months), cancellation terms, and specific marketing services.

Questions? Rating, Sell, Lukinski

Do you still have questions about the rating or the sale? Free valuation, real estate agent recommendation — and maybe we have the right buyers directly from our investor network. Write to me or call me, completely non-committal.

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Real estate agent costs: commission, split, and negotiation

The costs for a real estate agent in Germany vary by region, property value, and agreement. Commonly, they are 3% to 7% of the purchase price (excluding VAT), usually split between buyer and seller.

Commission examples in euros

Purchase price	Commission 3.57% (including VAT)	Share per party (split)
250,000 €	8,925 €	4,462.50 €
500,000 €	17,850 €	8,925 €
750,000 €	26,775 €	13,387.50 €
1,000,000 €	35,700 €	17,850 €
2,500,000 €	89,250 €	44,625 €

Splitting of commission in property sales (since Dec. 2020)

Since December 23, 2020, the legal commission split according to §§ 656a–656d BGB applies to the sale of apartments and single-family homes to consumers: If the seller has commissioned the real estate agent, he can pass on a maximum of half of the commission to the buyer — and only if he can prove that he has paid his own share. The buyer therefore never pays more than the seller.

Client principle in the rental market

In contrast to the purchase market: Since 2015, the real client principle applies in the rental market — whoever commissions the real estate agent pays. In the case of rentals, this is usually the landlord.

Commission is negotiable

The exact commission rates are negotiable, some real estate agents work with flat fees or success bonuses. For higher-value properties starting at around 750,000 €, reduced rates are common practice. Tip: negotiate not based on the amount, but on the performance — fixed-price marketing budget, home staging, investor outreach.

Checklist: Finding a Reputable Real Estate Agent

With this checklist, you can find reputable real estate agents near you. If in doubt: write to me or give me a quick call: <a href="