Property Cost Atlas 2026
Property Cost Atlas 2026: Purchase Costs by German State
When buying property in Germany, closing costs range from roughly 5.5% to 8.5% of the purchase price without an agent, and from roughly 12.6% to 15.6% with one. Almost the entire difference comes from the property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer), which ranges from 3.5% in Bavaria to 6.5% in several states. Notary (about 1.5%) and land registry (about 0.5%) fees are the same nationwide, and the agent commission is customary and usually split between buyer and seller.
Compare purchase costs by federal state
Enter a purchase price, pick a metric and tap a state on the map or in the ranking.
Metric
Bayern
at €300,000Total closing costs: €37,920 (12.64%)
- Transfer tax€10,500
- Notary fees€4,500
- Land registry€1,500
- Agent commission€21,420
The agent commission is customary and negotiable. For owner-occupied purchases, buyer and seller usually split it equally.
| # | State | Transfer tax | Total costs | Exampleat current price · With agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BayernBY | 3.5% | 12.64% | €37,920 |
| 2 | BremenHB | 5.5% | 13.45% | €40,350 |
| 3 | HamburgHH | 5.5% | 13.75% | €41,250 |
| 4 | Mecklenburg-VorpommernMV | 6.0% | 13.95% | €41,850 |
| 5 | Baden-WürttembergBW | 5.0% | 14.14% | €42,420 |
| 6 | NiedersachsenNI | 5.0% | 14.14% | €42,420 |
| 7 | Rheinland-PfalzRP | 5.0% | 14.14% | €42,420 |
| 8 | Sachsen-AnhaltST | 5.0% | 14.14% | €42,420 |
| 9 | ThüringenTH | 5.0% | 14.14% | €42,420 |
| 10 | SachsenSN | 5.5% | 14.64% | €43,920 |
| 11 | BerlinBE | 6.0% | 15.14% | €45,420 |
| 12 | HessenHE | 6.0% | 15.14% | €45,420 |
| 13 | BrandenburgBB | 6.5% | 15.64% | €46,920 |
| 14 | Nordrhein-WestfalenNRW | 6.5% | 15.64% | €46,920 |
| 15 | SaarlandSL | 6.5% | 15.64% | €46,920 |
| 16 | Schleswig-HolsteinSH | 6.5% | 15.64% | €46,920 |
What makes up the purchase costs
The transfer tax is the only cost item that differs between states. Bavaria charges the lowest rate at 3.5%, while North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein sit at the top with 6.5%.
Notary fees (a rule of thumb of about 1.5%) and land registry fees (about 0.5%) follow the nationwide GNotKG and are therefore identical everywhere.
The agent commission is customarily around 7.14% including VAT and, since the commission-sharing law of December 2020, is usually split equally between buyer and seller. It is typically lower in Bremen, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, it is negotiable and only applies when an agent is involved.
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Suggested citation
immotap Property Cost Atlas 2026. Purchase costs by German state. https://immotap.com/en/property-cost-atlas-2026
https://immotap.com/en/property-cost-atlas-2026
Created and maintained by the immotap editorial team
Reviewed: July 2026Last changed: July 2026
Methodology & sources
- Transfer tax rates: state transfer tax laws (GrEStG Section 11)
- Notary and land registry fees: Court and Notary Costs Act (GNotKG, Annex 2)
- Agent commission: customary rates, Sections 656a to 656d BGB
- Map base: @svg-maps/germany, CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
Closing costs are around 5.5% to 8.5% of the purchase price without an agent and around 12.6% to 15.6% with one. They consist of transfer tax (3.5% to 6.5% depending on the state), notary fees (about 1.5%), land registry fees (about 0.5%) and the customary agent commission.
Bavaria, because its transfer tax is the lowest at 3.5%. All other cost items (notary, land registry, agent) are largely identical nationwide, so the transfer tax is the deciding factor.
Notary fees (about 1.5%) and land registry fees (about 0.5%) are set uniformly by the GNotKG. The agent commission is also identical at about 7.14% in 13 of 16 states, with only Bremen, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern differing.
When buying an owner-occupied flat or single-family house, buyer and seller have usually split the commission equally since December 2020 (Section 656c BGB). The commission is negotiable and only applies when an agent is involved.
The current rates continue to apply unchanged. A nationwide allowance for first-time buyers is under political discussion but is not in force as of 2026. Under current law the states could not set their own allowances. We update the atlas as soon as a state rate changes.
Yes. The dataset is available as CSV and JSON under the CC BY 4.0 licence. When using it, please cite "immotap, Property Cost Atlas 2026" with a link.