Countries
Selling without an agent, country by country
The idea is the same everywhere: skip the agent, keep the commission. The execution is not. Who registers the deed, whether a notary is mandatory, which energy certificate you need, and what a transfer is taxed all change at the border. Pick your country.
40 countries, one method
Find your country, and what changes at its border
Listing your own home is legal in every country here, so none of them requires a selling agent. What changes at the border is who registers the deed, whether a notary or lawyer is mandatory for the transfer, which energy certificate applies, and how the sale is taxed. The typical agent commission sits near 3% at the midpoint, and 20 of the 40 markets require an energy certificate to sell. Every figure below comes from our own research across all 40 markets.
- 40 countries researched, each from its own land registry, notary or legal body, energy rules, and tax authority
- 13x spread in typical agent commission, from about 0.55% in South Korea to 7% in Brazil
- 24 of 40 require a notary or lawyer for the legal transfer. A selling agent is optional in all of them
- 29 of 40 have a free, owner-direct way to list your home to buyers
Compare the full picture: agent commissions by country and house prices by country.
New to this? See how selling your home yourself works and the best way to sell yourself, or estimate the payoff with the commission savings and net proceeds calculators.
Europe
Selling in Europe
The Americas
Selling in The Americas
Middle East
Selling in Middle East
Asia-Pacific
Selling in Asia-Pacific
Common questions about selling without an agent
Is it legal to sell a home without an agent?
Yes, in all 40 countries covered here. No law in these markets requires you to hire a selling agent. What is often required is a professional for the legal transfer itself: in 24 of the 40 markets a notary, solicitor, conveyancer, or attorney must handle the transfer. Listing and marketing the home yourself is allowed everywhere we cover. Each country guide lists its official sources.
Do you always need a notary or a lawyer to sell without an agent?
Not everywhere. A notary, solicitor, conveyancer, or attorney is required for the transfer in 24 of the 40 markets, including most of continental Europe, the UK, and Ireland. In the other 16 it is optional. In every case the requirement is on the legal transfer and registration, not on marketing the home, so you can still sell without an agent. Each guide states who is required and whether it is mandatory.
How many countries does this guide cover?
There are 40 country guides. Each one covers the land registry, whether a notary or lawyer is mandatory, which energy certificate applies, the transfer taxes, a step-by-step process, and a checklist for that market, with official sources on the page. The map and the region sections above link to every one.
What changes from one country to the next?
Four things mainly: who registers the deed, whether a notary or lawyer is mandatory for the transfer, which energy certificate the sale requires, and how the transfer is taxed. The local vocabulary changes too, for example estate agent in the UK and Realtor in the US and Canada, and a shared MLS system exists mainly in North America. Each country guide documents these for its market.
Is there a free way to list my home directly to buyers?
In most markets, yes. In 29 of the 40 countries we cover, our guides recommend the same free owner-direct platform, and in the other 11 they point to a local option. Each country guide says where to list in that market, and notes where a dominant national portal restricts private listings.
Can you sell a property from abroad?
Yes, though the steps differ by country. Remote sellers usually deal with signing the deed from a distance, sometimes through a power of attorney, plus any non-resident withholding tax and moving the proceeds across borders. The mandatory transfer step, the notary or lawyer where one is required, still applies. The relevant country guide explains how that market handles a sale by an owner who lives elsewhere.