Selling your business property yourself: 9 steps from valuation to notary

Looking for the complete overview? Read our guide selling commercial property without an estate agent: value, costs, steps and a no-obligation offer within 24 hours.

Why sell without an estate agent anyway?

The average commercial estate agent in the Netherlands charges between 1.25% and 2% commission on the sale price, sometimes with a minimum of a few thousand euros. For a building worth a million, you are quickly talking about €15,000 to €20,000. That is a lot of money for a service that — to be honest — largely consists of taking photos, placing an advertisement and guiding viewings. Matters that, provided you are well prepared, you can arrange perfectly fine yourself.

Yet "selling without an estate agent" is not for everyone. Do you have no time, no network and no patience for negotiations? Then an estate agent is worth their money. But if you are an entrepreneur yourself and are used to handling business, there is much to be gained.

Step 1: realistic valuation

The biggest pitfall in self-selling is the price. Entrepreneurs almost standardly overestimate their property by 10 to 20 percent. Understandable — there is emotion and history involved — but fatal for the sales process. A property priced too high remains in the shop window for months and becomes "burnt" in the market.

Start with three anchor points: the WOZ-waarde (often conservative), recent sales of comparable properties in the same district (found via the Kadaster) and the current rental income multiplied by a realistic BAR-factor (gross initial yield, for commercial real estate usually between 6% and 9%). The average of those three gives you an honest starting point.

Step 2: file in order

A professional buyer wants to be able to view a complete file within a week. Are you missing documents? Then they will pull out or offer 5% lower "for the risk". So make sure you have the following ready: cadastral data, title deed, recent WOZ-beschikking, energy label (mandatory!), zoning plan (bestemmingsplan), any rental contracts, annual accounts for the property, and a current asbestos report if the property dates from before 1994.

Step 3: findability

Without Funda access (only for estate agents), your marketing is a lot more challenging. Funda in Business and Realworks are shielded. What does work: your own landing page with good photos, placement on platforms such as Pandverkoop.nl, LinkedIn messages in your network, and direct approaches to known local investors. That last group — often DGA's with private wealth — is surprisingly accessible.

Step 4: viewings and negotiation

Keep viewings short and businesslike. A maximum of 30 minutes, with a pre-prepared information sheet. Do not sell, but show. And at the end always ask further: what is your impression, what would be a fair price for you? You learn more in five minutes than in an hour of small talk.

In the negotiation, one rule applies: allow yourself time. An offer never has to be answered within a day. Sleep on it for a night, call your accountant, and come back with a substantiated counter-proposal.

Step 5: notary and transfer

From the moment you agree, a notary is mandatory. Preferably choose a notary with demonstrable experience in commercial real estate — not the standard local high-street notary. The costs are between €1,500 and €3,500, depending on complexity.

Alternative: sell directly to a professional buyer

Those who want to get rid of the hassle entirely can also offer their building directly to a professional buyer. At Pandverkoop.nl you receive an offer within 48 hours, without estate agent fees and without months of uncertainty. You give up some margin on the absolute top price, but you have the money in your account within a few weeks.

Whichever route you choose: prepare well and do not be rushed. You only sell a commercial building once.