English
Real estate agent in Berlin, in English.
Selling, letting, buying or valuing property in Berlin and Brandenburg. Personal advice from the managing directors, in English, from first call to notary appointment.
Immobilienmakler in Berlin mit Beratung auf Englisch.
Who we are
A family-run agency in Charlottenburg.
HEPA Immobilien GmbH is a family-run real estate agency based at Kantstraße 154a in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Father and son run the company together and take care of every mandate personally, so you always speak with the managing directors, not with a call center.
We sell and let apartments, houses, apartment buildings, commercial property and land in Berlin, Brandenburg and across Germany. Through our sister company HEPA Hausverwaltung we also manage buildings, so we know tenancy agreements, service charges and maintenance from daily practice.
This page is for everyone who prefers English: owners who inherited property in Berlin, sellers who have moved abroad, buyers relocating to Berlin and international investors. We explain the German process in plain English and make sure you understand each step before you sign anything.
Selling
Selling property in Berlin and Brandenburg.
A realistic price, complete documents and a process you can follow at any time, even from abroad.
Meeting and viewing
We look at the property with you and agree on your goals: price, timing and how discreet the sale should be.
Price and mandate
You receive a reasoned price assessment and a written offer with a clearly stated commission.
Marketing
Photos, floor plans and an exposé, listing on the major German portals or direct approach to selected buyers, viewings with feedback to you.
Notary and handover
Buyer checks, coordination of the draft contract with the notary, the notary appointment and the handover with a written protocol.
More on selling: Selling property · Apartments · Houses · Apartment buildings · Land · Commercial property
What is different in Germany.
Land register (Grundbuch). Ownership of German real estate is recorded in the land register at the local court. It shows the owner, rights of third parties such as rights of way or usufruct, and land charges securing loans. Buyers and their banks will always ask for a current extract, and we obtain it for you if needed.
Notary. A contract to sell or buy real estate is only valid if it is notarized (§ 311b BGB). The notary is neutral, drafts the contract and handles the transfer. For a consumer buyer, the notary should provide the draft text, as a rule two weeks before the appointment (§ 17 BeurkG). Ownership passes when the conveyance (Auflassung) is entered in the land register (§ 925 BGB). Until then, a priority notice (Vormerkung) protects the buyer (§ 883 BGB).
Energy performance certificate. When a building or apartment is sold, the seller or the agent has to present the energy certificate to prospective buyers at the latest at the viewing and hand it over after the contract is signed (§ 80 GModG). If a certificate exists, key figures such as the type of certificate, the energy value and, for residential buildings, the year of construction and the efficiency class must appear in the listing (§ 87 GModG). If it is missing, we arrange it.
Documents we need.
Whatever is missing, we request from the authorities or the property management.
- Current extract from the land register (Grundbuch)
- Cadastral map and site plan
- Floor plans and calculation of living or usable space
- Energy performance certificate (Energieausweis)
- For apartments: declaration of division (Teilungserklärung), minutes of the last owners’ meetings, budget and service charge statement
- For let properties: tenancy agreements, rent roll and utility cost statements
- Passport or ID of all owners (identity check under the German Anti-Money Laundering Act, GwG)
Letting
Letting apartments and commercial space.
We find tenants for apartments, offices, retail units, restaurants and warehouses, check applicants and prepare the tenancy agreement. For residential lettings, tenants pay no commission unless we search exclusively on their behalf (§ 2 Abs. 1a WoVermRG). For commercial space we agree on the commission in writing in advance.
Valuation
Free price assessment.
What is your property worth today? The managing directors assess it personally, taking location, condition and comparable sales into account. Free and non-binding; a market assessment by an agent, not a formal valuation report.
Fill in the online form as far as you can, or simply send us an email. We reply in English.
Buying and investing
Buying as an international investor.
Whether you want an apartment to live in, a let apartment or an entire apartment building, we show you suitable properties and help you check rent roll, tenancy agreements, service charges, owners’ meeting minutes and condition.
Transfer tax. Every buyer pays real estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer). The rate is set by each federal state: 6.0 percent of the purchase price in Berlin and 6.5 percent in Brandenburg. You are registered as the new owner only once the tax office has confirmed that the tax is settled (§ 22 GrEStG).
Notary and land registry. Notary and land registry fees come on top, plus the agent’s commission if one is involved. Our purchase cost calculator (German) shows all items for your purchase price.
Investor profile. Tell us what you are looking for and we contact you when a suitable property comes onto the market: Investors and acquisitions.
Financing. Requirements for buyers living abroad differ from bank to bank, so talk to a lender early. A financing confirmation makes your offer stronger.
Tax
The ten-year rule.
If you sell privately held real estate in Germany, the gain can be subject to income tax when less than ten years have passed between purchase and sale (§ 23 EStG, often called speculation tax). Property you used exclusively as your own home between purchase and sale, or in the year of sale and the two previous years, is generally exempt. The rule can also apply if you live abroad, because gains from German real estate are taxable in Germany (§ 49 EStG).
Please clarify your situation with a tax advisor before you sell. We do not provide tax advice.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Do you work in English?
Yes. Meetings, viewings, emails and phone calls can be in English. Notarial deeds are usually drawn up in German. If a party does not speak German well enough, the notary has the deed translated (§ 16 BeurkG).
Can foreign nationals buy property in Germany?
German law does not generally restrict property purchases by foreign nationals. As in every purchase, the notary and the agent have to identify all parties, so you will need a valid passport or ID.
Who pays the real estate agent commission?
It is agreed in writing before marketing starts. For an apartment or single-family house sold to a consumer, seller and buyer pay equal shares if both pay (§ 656c BGB), and a buyer can take over at most half of the seller’s commission (§ 656d BGB). For other property types the split is negotiable.
How much is the real estate transfer tax?
6.0 percent of the purchase price in Berlin and 6.5 percent in Brandenburg, paid by the buyer as a rule. Purchase cost calculator (German)
Is the price assessment free?
Yes, free of charge and non-binding. Request a free valuation
Do I pay tax when I sell my property in Germany?
Possibly, if less than ten years have passed between purchase and sale (§ 23 EStG), also for sellers living abroad (§ 49 EStG). Please ask a tax advisor; we do not provide tax advice.
Talk to us.
Call or write to us in English. We usually reply within one working day.
HEPA Immobilien GmbH
Kantstraße 154a, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm