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Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

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Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#11
post #3

Closing costs in Germany are quite high... about 12%. - 3.57% RE commission - 2.00% notary - 6% for the land transfer tax And the seller also pays 3.57% of the RE commission. So over 6% at the end of the day :)

Why is the notary making 2%?!

Is that including all legal fees?

Even still that seems like a much bigger rip off than a buyer's agent in the US.

Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#13
post #3

Closing costs in Germany are quite high... about 12%. - 3.57% RE commission - 2.00% notary - 6% for the land transfer tax And the seller also pays 3.57% of the RE commission. So over 6% at the end of the day :)

Why is the notary making 2%?! Is that including all legal fees? Even still that seems like a much bigger rip off than a buyer's agent in the US.

That signature is made with a realllllly heavy pen, I guess?

Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#15
post #3

Closing costs in Germany are quite high... about 12%. - 3.57% RE commission - 2.00% notary - 6% for the land transfer tax And the seller also pays 3.57% of the RE commission. So over 6% at the end of the day :)

Why is the notary making 2%?! Is that including all legal fees? Even still that seems like a much bigger rip off than a buyer's agent in the US.

A nortary makes sure the sale ia properly exevuted and titles properly transferred, he is certifying the transaction and takes on some legal riks dor doing so. This provides legal security for seller and buyer, a service woth paying for in transactions most people only do once in their life (we talk about Germany here). For all others, it is just coat of doing business.

No idea why it is always everybody else who should work for free.

Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#16

If you divide 6% commission by hours spend, how much does an agent earns per hour? Probably more than senior Google AI developer?

Well typically 6% is split between the buyers agent and the sellers agent. And each agent has to kick up a percent to their broker. Most real estate agents I know working in the average market (I.e. not NYC or the Bay Area) are not clearing $100K.

Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#17
post #7
post #3

Closing costs in Germany are quite high... about 12%. - 3.57% RE commission - 2.00% notary - 6% for the land transfer tax And the seller also pays 3.57% of the RE commission. So over 6% at the end of the day :)

Germany has high fees when buying a house, but compared to the US it is dirt cheap to actually own the house. „Ground tax“, similar ro „property taxes“ in the US is usually just a few hundred Euro a year. Which, compared to the US, is change money. A German house, when the mortgage is paid, feels like real property.

I would hate the high US property taxes. It’s like you never really own the property if you are being taxed on it continually. It must play havoc with retirement planning?

Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#18
post #7
post #3

Closing costs in Germany are quite high... about 12%. - 3.57% RE commission - 2.00% notary - 6% for the land transfer tax And the seller also pays 3.57% of the RE commission. So over 6% at the end of the day :)

Germany has high fees when buying a house, but compared to the US it is dirt cheap to actually own the house. „Ground tax“, similar ro „property taxes“ in the US is usually just a few hundred Euro a year. Which, compared to the US, is change money. A German house, when the mortgage is paid, feels like real property.

The tax man gets his one way or another. Imagine the shock of an American living without sales tax when they go to Germany and everything has a 20% government markup...

In Germany, the net average tax rate on a worker is 37.4%, in America it is 24.8%. That's a dramatic difference in taxation!

Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is the notary making 2%?! Is that including all legal fees? Even still that seems like a much bigger rip off than a buyer's agent in the US.

A nortary makes sure the sale ia properly exevuted and titles properly transferred, he is certifying the transaction and takes on some legal riks dor doing so. This provides legal security for seller and buyer, a service woth paying for in transactions most people only do once in their life (we talk about Germany here). For all others, it is just coat of doing business. No idea why it is always everybody else who sho…

Might be a different meaning of the term notary. In the US, you can become a notary public for $35 and an online course in many instances.

Re: Almost no one pays a 6% real-estate commission except Americans

#20
post #3

Closing costs in Germany are quite high... about 12%. - 3.57% RE commission - 2.00% notary - 6% for the land transfer tax And the seller also pays 3.57% of the RE commission. So over 6% at the end of the day :)

In the UK, the market rate 1.5% paid by the seller on completion. Nothing to the buyer and rarely any fees for a failed transaction. Then approximately £1000 in legal fees when buying or selling. Then the big one which is stamp duty (a government tax) which is between 0 and 12% of the purchase price. Typically the lower end of that scale though. ( https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-... )

It's important to note that (in general) sellers pay the estate agents fee and buyers pay stamp duty. If you are both buying and selling then you'd pay both, but on different properties. However if you're moving to/from rentals, dead or moving abroad then you'd pay only one.

Also it's possible to cut out the estate agent if you really want to save money. There are a bunch of websites that for a minimal flat fee will let you DIY it, but be prepared to make your own for sale sign, photograph your own property, and show prospective buyers around.

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