How to buy an apartment in Berlin?
Why to buy an apartment in Berlin? Firstly, when you buy a property in Berlin it is definitely a good investment with great value for money. In fact, the real estate market in the German capital is very dynamic and promising so whatever you plan to buy a flat in Berlin for your self-use or as an investment property, you would benefit from significant advantages:
- 3rd best city worldwide in terms of quality of living
- Top 3 best cities for property investment in Europe
- Attractive real estate prices in Berlin central areas
- Low mortgage interest rates in Germany
- Great lifestyle neighbourhoods like Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Schöneberg, Wilmersdorf and Charlottenburg
- Attractive property tax advantages in Germany
If you are renting an apartment in the city, it is a great opportunity buy a flat in Berlin and save money by just substituting the payment of the rent with an equivalent monthly mortgage installment. Indeed, mortgage rates in Germany are at their historical lowest levels so if you get qualified for a mortgage loan, it’s definitely a good idea to take profit from this situation to buy your own apartment in Berlin!
If you are an investor, the attractive property prices, the attractiveness of the city, the safety of property investment in Berlin, and the tax advantages in Germany, make of the city the best destination for investment among all German and European cities.
Selection of apartments for sale in Berlin
Ready to move! 3/4 Room apartment with two balconies facing Strandbad Weißensee
Ready to move! Spacious 3-room apartment in Schillerkiez
Luxurious 3-room Penthouse with 2 terraces next to Viktoriapark & Gleisdreieck Park
Ready to move in! 2-room apartment on the border to Prenzlauer Berg – Weißensee
Close to Friedrichshain Hotspots: Brand new high-quality project with great amenities
Ready to move! 3 room apartment with large terrace close to Eastgate!
Directly at the Volkspark! Unique newly built 4-room apartment with balcony
Ready to move! Recently Renovated Spacious 3 Room Apartment in Moabit
Modern 3-Room Apartment with Balcony in Prime Berlin Mitte Location
Available immediately! Charming 3/4-room period apartment near Mauerpark!
Ready to move next to Helmholtzplatz! Charming 2-room apartment with Balcony
Ready to move! Studio apartment with balcony in Nollendorfkiez!
Charmant 2-room apartment next to Arnimusmarkthalle in Moabit!
Penthouse new apartment with two terraces at the Volkspark
Upper class 5-room garden apartment in prime location
No Buyer fee! Excellent 3-room new apartment with balcony
Perfect for families! Spacious 5 room new build apartment with balcony
Living like in a Kiez! Perfect for families 4 – room new apartment
Unique 3-room garden apartment in a top location in Friedrichshain
Unique 2 room garden apartment with terrace
Buy your apartment in Berlin in 3 steps
If you consider to buy a property in Berlin, our real estate agency will assist you from A to Z. We will advise about city neighborhoods, property building types and apartment prices for every area as well as rental levels for investment properties. Our team will also actively help you in finding the right property with our listing selection of over 100 apartments for sale and our Berlin property finder service.
If you are not fluent in German, this won’t be a hurdle for you to buy an apartment in Berlin. We are an international English-speaking agency and advised so far expatriates and international customers from over 50 countries. In this view, we were granted the “Best International Real Estate Agency in Berlin Award” in 2019.
To buy a flat in Berlin, you can rely on our team commitment, quality of service and real estate market knowledge.
With First Citiz Berlin assistance, buying your dream apartment in Berlin would be a straightforward process!
To buy a flat in Berlin, our team will guide throughout the key steps of the purchase process:
- Choice your preferred area(s)
- Property selection and viewings
- Property purchase organisation
Choice your preferred city area(s)
The choice of the district and the area is an essential first step for your purchase since the German capital is quite a large city (about eight times bigger than Paris). If you intend to buy an apartment in a central district of Berlin, you have the choice between eastern “cool” areas like Prenzlauer Berg, Mitte and Friedrichshain, southern alternative areas like Neukölln, Kreuzberg and western posh areas like Charlottenburg, Schöneberg and Wilmersdorf. Northern Berlin areas like Moabit, Tiergarten and Wedding might be more affordable. If you buy a flat in Berlin to move-in, the area choice is quite important as the neighborhoods are particularly different and have their own contrasted lifestyles. Other personal preferences like public transportation, distance from your workplace, green area vicinity, entertainment opportunities will also drive your final choice. Then come the main purchase criteria: budget, floor, living size, number of bedrooms, balcony and building type.
Property selection and viewings
For an effective property selection, it’s important to set the search criteria from the very beginning: vacant or rented out flat, budget, neighborhood(s), bedrooms, living room size, number of bathrooms, floor, balcony or terrace, new build construction project or period building…
Our advice: for self-use apartments, try to enlarge your search scope, as less than 2% of flats in Berlin are vacant!
With your search criteria, our team will select the most suitable offers and organize for you the viewings. All our viewings are individualized and for every property, you’ll benefit from a customized advisory, document explanation and follow-up. We offer over 100 properties for sale in central neighborhoods like Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Charlottenburg, Neukölln and Kreuzberg. Our property listings include all type of apartments from the studio flat to the 4-5 rooms family apartment. We also have an exclusive selection of high-end penthouses and finest Berlin luxury real estate in the city’s most sought-after areas. If you are not living in Germany, it is possible to buy a flat in Berlin thanks to virtual viewings that we can arrange for you. Whether you are looking for a new-build property, a flat to renovate with your own taste or a turnkey furnished flat, you have come to the right address to successfully buy your apartment in Berlin!
Property purchase organization
Our team will actively assist you from A to Z to buy your flat in Berlin. with peace of mind We take care of the purchase process in Germany and coordinate the paperwork with the notary office. Our service covers the clearance of the administrative steps until the ownership transfer and the key handover. If you are interested in financing your apartment with a mortgage in Germany, this would be definitely a good idea giving the current low German mortgage market rates. We will provide you with all information you need (interest rates, percent of property price, mortgage processing time…). If you decide to buy your flat with our agency, we will also assist you with the mortgage application in Germany from A to Z. If you acquire a buy-to-let property, we will also provide you with assistance on all aspects of rental management for your new property in Germany.
Discover our new building projects
- Top & central locations in Berlin
- Generous living volumes & spacious balconies
- Bright flats with floor-to-ceiling windows
- Premium fittings & fixtures
- Energy-efficient properties
- Apartments for sale from 1 to 5 rooms
- Commission-free for buyers
- Mortgage assistance for buyers
The process to buy a property in Germany
It takes on average three months to buy a property in Germany, from the day you decide for the purchase until you can move in or rent it out. In order to buy an apartment in Berlin, one should consider going through the following steps:
- Reservation of the property: the reservation of an apartment in Germany generally implies a security deposit of around 1% from the flat price. Upon the acquisition of the property, this down-payment will be reimbursed or simply deducted from brokerage fee or property price.
- Purchase process organization: After the property reservation, some administrative and legal steps need to be cleared to prepare for the notary appointment in a couple of weeks. If you need a mortgage to buy your property in Berlin, this period would be around one month.
- Notary appointment: once your mortgage is confirmed and the notary appointment prepared, you are finally ready to sign your purchase and sale agreement at the notary office! The notary appointment takes generally 2 hours during which you will be assisted by your First Citiz advisor.
- The Big Day: 4 to 8 weeks following the notary appointment, you will receive the payment order for the apartment price. Once the order processed, you become the new owner of the apartment the next day!
You don’t speak German? This should not represent a barrier to buy your apartment in Berlin! Our English-speaking team offer a 360° service package and will guide you throughout the purchase process from A to Z!
What costs to consider when buying a property in Berlin?
When you buy a property in Berlin, you should always consider the so-called side costs or closing costs, related to purchase taxes and associated services.
Buying a property in Berlin implies tax registration and notary office service fees for ca. 7.5% of the apartment purchase price. This consists of land and property registry fees in addition to the payment of the notary office services.
Depending on the listing, a brokerage fee of generally up to 3,5% would be applicable. You can hire a legal adviser for assistance during the purchase process which costs ca. 1% of the apartment price.
However, if you buy an apartment in Berlin with our English-speaking real estate agent in Berlin, this extra expense won’t be necessary.
This makes the average sides costs to buy a flat in Berlin at around 11% of the apartment purchase price.
If you do not have enough own cash funds for side costs, this should not be hurdle to buy a property in Berlin. In fact, some banks offer side cost financing or mortgages that could go up to 110% of the apartment sale price.
Ask your First Citiz Berlin real estate advisor for more details!
Our new apartments for sale in Berlin
Ready to move! 3/4 Room apartment with two balconies facing Strandbad Weißensee
Berlin - Weißensee
Room(s):
4
Property size:
95.89 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
629,000 EUR
Ready to move! Spacious 3-room apartment in Schillerkiez
Berlin - Neukölln
Room(s):
3
Property size:
55.99 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
339,000 EUR
Luxurious 3-room Penthouse with 2 terraces next to Viktoriapark & Gleisdreieck Park
Berlin - Kreuzberg
Room(s):
3
Property size:
128.63 m²
Area:
164.18 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
1,025,000 EUR
Ready to move in! 2-room apartment on the border to Prenzlauer Berg – Weißensee
Berlin - Weißensee
Room(s):
2
Property size:
51.87 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
290,000 EUR
Close to Friedrichshain Hotspots: Brand new high-quality project with great amenities
Berlin - Friedrichshain
Room(s):
3
Property size:
80.66 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
734,900 EUR
Ready to move! 3 room apartment with large terrace close to Eastgate!
Berlin - Marzahn
Room(s):
3
Property size:
69 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
260,000 EUR
Directly at the Volkspark! Unique newly built 4-room apartment with balcony
Berlin - Friedrichshain
Room(s):
4
Property size:
111.92 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
1,029,000 EUR
Ready to move! Recently Renovated Spacious 3 Room Apartment in Moabit
Berlin - Moabit
Room(s):
3
Property size:
74.53 m²
Status:
vacant
Price:
425,000 EUR
Ready to move! 3/4 Room apartment with two balconies facing Strandbad Weißensee
Ready to move! Spacious 3-room apartment in Schillerkiez
Luxurious 3-room Penthouse with 2 terraces next to Viktoriapark & Gleisdreieck Park
Ready to move in! 2-room apartment on the border to Prenzlauer Berg – Weißensee
Close to Friedrichshain Hotspots: Brand new high-quality project with great amenities
Ready to move! 3 room apartment with large terrace close to Eastgate!
Directly at the Volkspark! Unique newly built 4-room apartment with balcony
Ready to move! Recently Renovated Spacious 3 Room Apartment in Moabit
Tips about buying a flat in Berlin
How long it takes to buy an apartment in Berlin?
Buying a apartment in Berlin takes on average 3 months. This period might be longer if you buy your apartment with a mortgage in Germany and that you need more time to finalize the mortgage application.
Do I need to be in Germany when buying an apartment in Berlin?
No, it is not necessary to be in Germany to complete the purchase of your apartment in Berlin. Some international agents like First Citiz Berlin offer complete service solutions to buy properties in Berlin 100% remotely.
Can a foreigner buy a property in Berlin?
There is no restriction for a foreigner buyer to acquire a property in Germany. However, owning a property in Germany does not entitle you to a German residence permit like in other countries.