3 July 2026 · Ekaterina Flugelman
What it really costs to buy in Berlin
The purchase price is only the beginning. A concrete breakdown of Berlin's transaction costs — transfer tax, notary, land registry, agent commission — with a worked example.
Ask what an apartment costs and you’ll get the listing price. Ask what it costs to buy it, and the honest answer is: add roughly 8–10% on top. Here is where that money goes, using a 500.000 € apartment as the example.
The four transaction costs
Property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) — 6%. Berlin charges 6% of the purchase price, one of the higher rates in Germany. On our example: 30.000 €. The tax office sends the assessment shortly after notarization, and the land registry will not transfer ownership until it is paid.
Notary — around 1,5%. Every German property purchase must be notarized; the notary drafts the contract, reads it aloud at the signing, and handles the land-registry filings. Fees are set by law and scale with the price. Example: about 7.500 €.
Land registry (Grundbuch) — around 0,5%. Registering the priority notice and the final transfer of ownership. Example: about 2.500 €.
Agent commission — typically 3,57% including VAT. Since 2020, the commission on residential purchases is usually split between seller and buyer, with the buyer’s share capped at half. If the listing carries a commission, expect 3,57%. Example: 17.850 €.
The worked example
| Item | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | — | 500.000 € |
| Transfer tax | 6% | 30.000 € |
| Notary | ~1,5% | 7.500 € |
| Land registry | ~0,5% | 2.500 € |
| Agent commission | 3,57% | 17.850 € |
| Real total | ~11,6% | 557.850 € |
Two practical consequences. First, German banks generally expect you to pay these transaction costs from your own equity — they finance the property, not the fees. Second, your real budget for the apartment is your total budget divided by roughly 1,1.
Want your own numbers? The buying-costs calculator does this instantly for any price — and the consultation puts the full financing picture together for your situation.