Selling property in Berlin.

At a glance

Why this guide.

Most people sell a property once or twice in their lives. A lot of money is at stake, and some decisions cannot be undone later.

If you ask too much, you lose weeks and often the buyers as well in the end. If you wait until the notary stage to gather the documents, everything gets pushed back.

This guide takes you through every stage of a sale in Berlin City West, from the right timing to the key handover. It does not replace advice. It gives you the questions you should ask yourself and every estate agent before you sign anything.

What this guide contains

1 · Timing

The right time to sell.

There is no single best time. It depends on two things, and they rarely line up: the state of the market and your own situation. If you look at both soberly, you will sell neither in a rush nor too late.

Market conditions in City West

Life events as a reason to sell

2 · Valuation

What is your property worth?

No estimate from a portal can tell you what your property is worth. There are fixed methods for that. In Germany there are three, set out in the Real Estate Valuation Ordinance (Immobilienwertermittlungsverordnung, ImmoWertV). Which one counts depends on what you are selling.

The three valuation methods at a glance

• A proper valuation looks at location, condition, fittings, year of construction, floor plan and current market data, not just the square metres.
• Instant online valuations give a rough direction. Basing a sale price on them is a mistake.
• If it has to stand up in court, for example when dividing an inheritance or in a divorce, you need a report from a publicly appointed expert. An estate agent's assessment is not enough for that.

We only give a figure for your property once we have seen it and checked your documents. Non-binding and without guarantee.

3 · Preparation

Which documents you need.

Nothing saves as much time in a sale as complete documents. The brochure is ready sooner, buyers feel secure, and the notary appointment comes closer. Gather these documents early:

• A current land register (Grundbuch) extract, no older than three months. It shows who owns the property and which third-party rights are registered against it (sections II and III)
• The energy performance certificate under § 80 GModG (Building Modernisation Act). You should not advertise without it, and you must show it at the viewing at the latest (more in chapter 6)
• Floor plan and the living space calculation, ideally with dimensions
• The declaration of division (Teilungserklärung) with the community rules, if you are selling an owner-occupied flat. That is the document that divides the building into individual flats, including all later amendments
• The minutes of the last three owners' meetings and the current budget, if the building belongs to an owners' association
• The running cost statements for the last two to three years
• The building specification and proof of the year of construction, plus invoices for modernisation of windows, heating or roof
• If the property is let: the current tenancy agreement, all rent increases and proof of the deposit
• The cadastral map (Flurkarte), i.e. the official site plan of your plot, for houses and plots

Where to get the documents

If individual documents are missing, we help you obtain them. This does not replace a legal review by a notary or lawyer.

4 · Pricing strategy

What price to put in the listing.

No decision has as much impact as the price in the listing. It determines how many serious buyers get in touch, how long it takes and what is actually paid in the end.

How price and time on the market are linked

What plays a role in setting the price

• The valuation result (chapter 2) as a starting point, not a fixed target
• The current state of the market and what else is on offer in the same streets
• Condition, what was last modernised and how much energy the building uses
• How much time you have. If you have to sell quickly, it is better to set the price cautiously

5 · Marketing

Brochure, photos, portals and the quiet sale.

Marketing determines whether the right people see your property at all and whether they have an accurate picture of it before they come to a viewing.

The brochure

A complete brochure contains the hard facts: living space, number of rooms, year of construction, the mandatory information from the energy performance certificate and the running costs. Add a sober description of location and condition and a legible floor plan. Promotional exaggeration does more harm than good. It raises expectations that the viewing then disappoints.

Photography

Good photos bring significantly more clicks: wide angle, the right light and, for empty flats, furniture staging as well. If the flat is let, you must inform the tenant before the photo shoot.

Portals and reach

Organise viewings in a structured way

• Before the viewing, ask whether the financing is in place and how serious the prospective buyer is. This saves time and keeps the merely curious out of your flat.
• Several prospective buyers at one fixed appointment instead of lots of individual visits. That way people see that others are interested too.
• After each viewing, note down what was said. You will need it if the price has to be adjusted after all.

6 · Mandatory information

Energy performance certificate: mandatory information under § 87 GModG.

If you offer a property and already have an energy performance certificate at that point, certain figures from it must appear in the listing. It makes no difference whether the listing is on a portal, in a newspaper or anywhere else online. This is set out in § 87 of the Building Modernisation Act (Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz, GModG).

The five mandatory details at a glance

This does not replace legal advice. For individual questions about the certificate requirement, energy consultants or a specialist lawyer for construction and real estate law can help.

7 · Completion

From offer to notary appointment.

As soon as a prospective buyer makes a binding offer, the final round begins. The following steps, in this order, protect both sides.

What happens at the notary appointment

• The notary reads the entire purchase contract aloud and explains to both sides what it means.
• The notary then has the placeholder entered in the land register (Grundbuch): the priority notice of conveyance (Auflassungsvormerkung). It protects the buyer until the property really belongs to them.
• Payment is only made once everything is settled: the placeholder is in the land register and the removal of old loans from the register has been prepared.
• The property is only transferred to the buyer once the full purchase price has been received.

This is general information and does not replace advice from a notary or lawyer.

8 · In practice

The most common mistakes when selling.

Most problems in a sale are not bad luck. They arise during preparation and can be avoided. Here are the most common ones, and how to avoid them.

9 · Summary

Selling checklist.

• Clarify why and by when you are selling: How much time do you really have? (chapter 1)
• Get a valuation: using a recognised method, not an online estimate (chapter 2)
• Gather all documents: land register extract, energy performance certificate, floor plan, declaration of division, running costs (chapter 3)
• Set the price for the listing: based on the valuation, not on wishful thinking (chapter 4)
• Have the brochure and photos done by professionals (chapter 5)
• Check every listing for the five energy performance certificate details (chapter 6)
• Qualify prospective buyers before viewings and ask for proof of financing (chapter 7)
• Book the notary appointment only after the draft purchase contract has been checked (chapter 7)

10 · Sources and legal position

Where the statements come from.

This guide prefers official sources and names market data with provider and date. It clearly distinguishes between reliable official values and market-based figures.

Values rounded; asking prices are not market values. This guide is general market information and does not replace a valuation, an expert report under § 194 BauGB (Federal Building Code) or legal or tax advice. Subject to changes in the law after the editorial deadline.