12 questions to ask an estate agent before you hire them

1. Do you have a licence under § 34c GewO?

Estate agents (Immobilienmakler) need an official licence. It requires reliability and orderly financial circumstances. Agents must also complete at least 20 hours of further training within three years. Details of the licence and the supervisory authority are given in the legal notice (Impressum).

2. How well do you know my area?

Ask about sales in your street, your neighbourhood, your municipality. An agent from Munich does not know the market in Selb or Kronach – one with regional roots does.

3. How do you determine the asking price?

A good agent explains their valuation transparently: comparable sales, the standard land value (Bodenrichtwert), condition, demand. You should become suspicious if someone promises a particularly high price without a viewing. This is often a tactic to win the instruction – followed by price reductions later.

4. How long does a sale take with you on average?

The marketing period shows whether an agent sets realistic prices and is well connected. At FrankenImmo it is around 85 days.

5. How will you market my property?

Portals alone are not a strategy. Ask about photography, the brochure (Exposé), targeting the right audience, registered buyers and off-market options.

6. How do you check prospective buyers?

Viewings only with buyers who have been checked in advance save time and prevent notary appointments from falling through. Ask specifically: do you require confirmation of financing?

7. Who will be my contact?

Changing case handlers or a call centre are a warning sign. You need someone who knows your property and can be reached.

8. How often will I receive updates?

Good agents report regularly: enquiries, viewings, feedback from prospective buyers, need for adjustments. Weekly is a good standard.

9. How much is the commission, and who pays it?

For flats and detached houses, the statutory principle of equal sharing (Halbteilungsprinzip) applies. Have the commission and the services included confirmed in writing. More on this under Estate agent commission in Bavaria.

10. What is the term of the agency agreement?

A sole agency agreement (Alleinauftrag) with a term of three to six months is normal. It motivates the agent to invest in photos and marketing. Be careful with long terms without a clear description of services and a way to terminate.

11. What happens if the property does not sell?

A reputable agent says openly when a property does not fit the market – and suggests alternatives: price adjustment, letting, renovation, sale to investors.

12. What do you do after the notary appointment?

Handover, handover report, meter readings, change of registrations: ask whether the agent is still there for you after the signature. You will find our answer under After-sale service.

Warning signs: when you should become suspicious

Comparing three agents: a simple evaluation sheet

Invite two or three agents to an initial meeting and rate each point from 1 (weak) to 5 (convincing):

Important: the agent with the highest price is not automatically the best. Ask how the price was derived – and how often this agent has had to lower their starting prices later.

How to prepare for the initial meeting

A good initial meeting takes 60 to 90 minutes and takes place at the property. Have ready whatever you have: land register extract (Grundbuchauszug), floor plans, energy performance certificate (Energieausweis), a list of modernisation work and, for flats, the latest minutes of the owners' meeting. Think beforehand about:

• By when do you want or need to sell?
• Is there a minimum price below which you will not sell?
• Should the sale be discreet, i.e. without a public advertisement?
• Who else has to take part in the decision (spouse, co-heirs, bank)?
• Do you still need time in the property after the sale?

The clearer your answers, the more precisely an agent can propose a suitable strategy. You will find a complete list of documents in the Checklist for sellers.

What the agency agreement should contain

An agency agreement for a flat or a detached house must be concluded in text form. Make sure that at least the following is covered:

1. Property with address and land register details
2. Type of instruction (simple instruction or sole agency) and term
3. Commission amount including VAT and how it is split between buyer and seller
4. Services of the agent: valuation, photos, brochure, portals, viewings, reports, notary preparation
5. Asking price and who decides on price changes
6. Termination and extension
7. Information on the right of withdrawal, if the contract is concluded away from business premises or by distance communication

Full details on commission and types of contract in the guide Estate agent commission in Bavaria. How an estate agent works is described in The role of the estate agent.

Additional questions for commercial and investment properties

When selling an apartment building or a commercial property, further questions arise:

• Which investors do you work with, and how many of them are looking in my size bracket?
• Can you set up a data room with leases, schedules of areas and service charge statements?
• How do you handle confidentiality – do prospective buyers sign a confidentiality agreement?
• Do you value using the income approach (Ertragswert), and which multipliers do you apply?

Our answers to these are under Investor matching and Selling commercial property.

Questions buyers should ask an estate agent

As a buyer you also deal with the agent – who has usually been instructed by the seller. These questions will help you:

1. How long has the property been on the market, and has the price already been reduced? A long time on the market can mean room for negotiation.
2. Why is the owner selling? Inheritance, relocation, separation – the reason can affect the timetable and flexibility.
3. Which documents are available? Land register extract, energy performance certificate, building permits and, for flats, the minutes.
4. Are there any known defects? A reputable agent gives honest answers and records them.
5. How many interested parties are there? This helps you judge how quickly you need to decide.
6. How does the commission work? For flats and detached houses, buyer and seller share the commission.
7. Can I come a second time with a surveyor? The answer should always be "yes".

What a good agent should deliver in the first month

An agency agreement is a promise. Whether it is kept can be seen in the very first month:

If these steps do not happen, raise it. An agent who has not taken any photos after four weeks will not get any faster later either.

Reading reviews and references correctly

Online reviews give an impression, but they are not everything. Check whether reviews are specific (process, duration, contact person) or just generally positive. Ask about reference properties in your area that you can look at. And do not let yourself be impressed by figures that are not backed up. How we work and what clients say about us can be found under Client testimonials and Case studies.