Germany real estate agent fees: the 50/50 rule since 2020.
// Short answer
German law does not set the size of an estate agent's commission (Maklerprovision). Since December 2020 it does control the split for a flat or a single-family house bought by a consumer: if both sides hire the agent, each pays the same amount, and a buyer can be charged at most what the seller pays. The government's own 2019 bill put the usual commission at 4.76% to 7.14% of the price, including VAT.
Where agent commission is capped, who pays it and the VAT, in twenty-one countries side by side: real estate agent fees by country.
Rules and rates as of October 2026.
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How much is the Maklerprovision in Germany?
No law sets the rate. The German government's bill for the 2020 reform found local customary rates of 4.76% to 7.14% of the purchase price, including VAT, with 7.14% (6% plus 19% VAT) the most common.
Those figures describe the market before the reform; the reform changed who pays, not the rate. Every other cost of buying: Germany property buying costs.
Who pays the estate agent in Germany, buyer or seller?
For a flat or single-family house bought by a consumer, the law splits it. If buyer and seller both hire the agent, each must owe the same amount, and if the agent works for one side free, it cannot charge the other (BGB section 656c).
If only the seller hired the agent, a clause passing part of the fee to the buyer is valid only if the seller still pays at least as much, and the buyer's share falls due only once the seller has paid (section 656d). The brokerage contract must be in text form; an email is enough. Before 2020 the buyer paid the whole commission in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse and parts of Lower Saxony.
Sources
Is VAT charged on agent fees in Germany?
Yes. The standard VAT rate is 19%, which is why 6% net appears as 7.14% gross.
Taxes once you own: Germany property tax for foreigners.
Sources
Germany agent guide
Choosing a Makler in Germany? The questions to ask first
The fee is split 50/50 for flats and houses, and agents' reservation fees are void. The 12 questions, the permit, your 14 days to withdraw, a first-call script and a worksheet in euros.
How do I check a German estate agent?
Anyone brokering property commercially needs a permit from the local authority under section 34c of the Trade Regulation Act. There is no national public register, so ask the agent for the permit.
The register that proves ownership: the Grundbuch explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the estate agent fee in Germany?
Does the buyer pay the Makler in Germany?
What is the 50/50 rule for estate agents in Germany?
Do German estate agents need a licence?
Header photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.