How long does selling a commercial property really take?

The short answer

Via a commercial estate agent on the open market, the sale of a commercial property in the Netherlands takes an average of 6 to 12 months. With a direct sale to a buyer with their own funds, the lead time is between 2 to 6 weeks. The difference is rarely in the property and almost always in the buyer's financing and the completeness of the file.

Timeline per route

The six biggest delayers

• Missing documents. No measurement report, no energy label, no current rent roll: every gap costs an average of one week.
• Financing contingency. Banks require a valuation, a tenant check, and sometimes a soil survey for commercial real estate.
• Soil and asbestos questions. An exploratory survey takes four to eight weeks in practice.
• Multiple owners. In cases of inheritances and partnerships, decision-making often takes more time than the transaction itself.
• Tenant agreements. Security deposits, service charge settlements, and indexation arrears always surface at the notary.
• Ground lease or VvE. Permission from the ground lessor or missing VvE documents can take weeks.

What you can do today

Prepare one folder with: title deed, cadastral extract, rental contracts and addendums, energy label, floor plans or measurement report, maintenance overview, permits and – if applicable – VvE and ground lease documents. Owners who provide this complete set not only sell faster but, in our experience, also receive a higher offer: uncertainty is always factored into the price as a risk premium.

Read more about selling a commercial property quickly or compare the route with or without a commercial estate agent.