The Selling Agent
(Verkoopmakelaar)
While you can technically sell a house yourself, over 95% of Dutch home sellers use a licensed Verkoopmakelaar.
Why use a Verkoopmakelaar?
The Dutch real estate market relies heavily on a closed system called the NVM (or similar organizations like VBO or VastgoedPRO). Your agent gives you access to this system, which means your house is automatically shared with all buying agents in the country often before it even hits the public internet.
1 Funda Access
Only licensed real estate agents can place a full, premium listing on Funda.nl. If you try to sell it yourself without an agent, you cannot list it there directly, severely limiting your buyer pool.
2 Legal Protection
They handle the dense legal questionnaires, mandatory defect disclosures, and draft the preliminary purchase agreement (Koopovereenkomst - unless in Amsterdam, where a notary does this).
3 Viewings (Bezichtigingen)
Dutch buyers generally prefer to view a house without the emotional owner present. Your agent will host all the viewings, answer tough questions, and highlight the property's best features.
4 Negotiation Tactics
Agents analyze bids not just on price, but on conditions (e.g., financing clauses, expected move-in dates). They create a bidding strategy to drive the price up.
What does a Selling Agent cost?
Verkoopmakelaars usually charge a commission called Courtage. This is slightly different from buying agents who often charge fixed fees.
- Standard Courtage: Normally ranges from 1% to 1.5% of the final selling price, inclusive of VAT (BTW).
- Startup Costs (Opstartkosten): Most agents charge an upfront fee of €500 - €900 to cover professional photography, floor plans, and the Funda listing fees.
- Bonus Structure: Some agents offer a lower base percentage, but add a 10% bonus on any amount they secure above the initial asking price.