Apartment Buildings in Berlin, Sold Quietly

Your apartment building appears on no portal. There are no public listings. We discreetly approach pre-vetted investors from our network. Viewings are arranged unobtrusively. Only serious, financially qualified buyers gain access. You will never see your multi-family building on any portal. Only pre-qualified buyers receive information. Discretion is not merely a promise — it has been our lived practice for 20 years.

Plan for five to eight months, from the first conversation through to purchase price settlement. The phases that matter: market-appropriate pricing so buyers engage, the right selection of prospects, documentation that allows a fast review, and a swift contract review. In milieu protection areas, the Berlin boroughs have a further three-month review period after the sale.

German law is clear: a sale doesn't end a lease, and tenants remain protected. Our priority throughout is discretion and pace, which spares everyone the disruption that comes with disorganized viewings or a public marketing campaign. Where it helps, we can quietly support the internal communication.

The purchase price factor is the multiple of the annual net cold rent and an important metric in the valuation of multi-family buildings. How high it turns out depends not only on location, year of construction, condition, rent level and development potential, but above all on construction interest rates. As we are in constant dialogue and negotiation with our network of buyers, we can give you a reliable factor for your property following an initial analysis of it.

If you own an apartment building together with others, for example as fractional co-owners, you can sell your co-ownership share; it is transferred before a notary and re-registered in the land register. In a community of heirs, disposing of the whole property is only possible jointly, whereas an individual inheritance share can be sold, though co-heirs may hold a statutory right of first refusal. As the buyer pool for shares is smaller, we value the share and approach specialised investors.

The basis comprises the land register extract, the cadastral map, the area calculation, the building description, floor plans and a valid energy certificate. Decisive for the valuation is the current rent roll with net cold rents, tenancy agreements, vacancies and any graduated or index-linked agreements; records of maintenance, modernisations and operating costs are added. For mixed residential and commercial buildings, commercial leases and any building encumbrances are also relevant. From this we compile a structured data basis for buyers.

For tenanted apartment buildings as private assets, capital gains tax applies when fewer than ten years lie between purchase and sale; the gain is taxed under Section 23 EStG at your personal rate. Anyone selling more than three properties within five years may fall under commercial property trading, in which case gains become subject to trade tax and the ten-year period does not apply. As treatment depends on holding period, ownership structure and use, clarify it with a tax advisor.

We value your apartment building in several stages: in a personal conversation we record the income situation, condition, fit-out and tenancy structure to derive a concrete picture. We then position it in the market, who the buyers are, how much financing a bank would provide, and at what prices comparable buildings sold in your district, drawing on the Berlin valuation committee's price data and our own transactions. You receive an assessment with a timing recommendation and a marketable target price.

We guide you through a structured, discreet process in five phases. First, we value your property and develop the sales strategy. We then prepare the documents in a data room for buyer due diligence, so prospective buyers can decide quickly and reliably. During marketing, we approach vetted investors from our network. In offer management, we review the bids, advise you on pricing and support the negotiation through to notarisation. After the notary appointment, we also ensure a smooth handover.

That depends on your personal situation and the current market. We analyse the interest rate environment, demand and price development in your submarket, and check whether targeted measures before the sale could increase the value of your property. On this basis, you receive a well-founded assessment and an honest recommendation, even if that means waiting before selling.