
Do you want to sell a house in Spain on your own without using an estate agent to save on fees? Selling a property in Spain without an estate agent is possible but before you go for it, you should know that the process involves a significant investment of time, which requires following a long list of procedures and that, on occasions, it can be much more expensive. In this article we inform you of all the work and steps you should follow if you want to sell a property in Spain between individuals, without the help of an estate agent.
Selling a property in Spain without an estate agent: step by step guide
The fees of an estate agent will depend a lot on the market (geographical area, type of property, etc.) and the value of your home. Normally, estate agents in Spain charge a percentage of the final sale price of the property, i.e. if the property sells for 400,000 euros, the estate agent's fee will be a percentage of that value previously discussed and signed with you.
This should never be a big concern, since, as long as you are in the hands of great professionals, you will be able to sell your home sooner and, therefore, you will avoid future decreases in the value of your home: bear in mind that, if the market trend is for the price of your home to fall, every day you spend without selling it will be money you lose.
If you decide to sell your property in Spain without the help of an agent, these are some of the steps you will need to follow. If you sell your property with an agent, they will take care of this.
- Market study: you will have to set a realistic price for the property. On idealista you can make an estimate of the value of your property by clicking here. You then need to obtain the necessary documents: nota simple, energy certificate, title deeds, etc.
- Publish an eye-catching listing on the internet on property websites such as idealista.
- Filter buyers: Answer and respond to all the calls or e-mails you receive and filter the buyers to avoid visits from people who are not interested.
- Organise visits to the property
- Negotiate the purchase price: most interested parties will make low offers and it is important to have good negotiating skills and to know the market.
- Formalise a reservation: the buyer gives an amount as a guarantee of his interest in the property. The amount usually ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 euros.
- Sign a deposit: both parties assume responsibility for completing the sale within the agreed period. At this point, the buyer pays an amount that usually represents 10% of the sale price of the house.
- Agree on the notary and the date of the signing
- Go to the signing
- Pay the taxes corresponding to the operation.
Procedures for selling a flat from one individual to another in 2023
To sell a property on your own in Spain, the first thing you should consider is the time you have or are willing to invest in the operation. Selling a property is neither simple nor quick. As the seller, you will want to make as much money as possible, but the buyer will also want to buy as cheaply as possible.
Viewings take time and will take longer the more interest the prospective buyer has in the property. Before deciding to sell the property to a private individual without the help of an estate agent, you should consider how much time it will take to show the property and whether, by planning your commitments, you will be able to do so.
For example, if you can ask for time off work or if a member of the family can show it when you cannot. Otherwise, the financial advantage of selling the property on your own may be turned against you.
To sum up, if you sell your house yourself and don't want to use an agency, you will have to:
- Upload the property listing to idealista
- Take quality photos and videos
- Answer all e-mails, chat messages and phone calls quickly and at any time (buyers often do not know if you are working or doing other tasks and your house will be published on the internet 24 hours a day).
- Be physically present at the house to be able to show it and arrange viewings (approximately 30-45 minutes each)
- Be able to receive any offers and negotiate the final sale price
- Handle all the legal and paperwork necessary for the sale
- Be financially informed about the whole process in order not to make any mistakes.
When you hand over the management of the sale to a real estate agency, they will be in charge of all these tasks, such as taking photos of the property (they usually hire or have specialised photographers) or uploading the listing to idealista. If you do without the real estate agency, you will have to take care of it yourself.

Selling a flat without a real estate agency, at what price should I sell my house?
To sell your flat to another individual, you must first carry out a market study, as this will provide information on whether it is a good time to sell, at what price to do so and how far to negotiate.
In addition, carrying out an analysis will allow you to find out if prices in your area are rising, if the type of your flat is in high demand, the evolution of prices, etc. The previous study is fundamental for a sale and purchase transaction between private individuals.
Every month idealista prepares a report on property prices for sale in Spain, a very useful tool for finding out how sales and purchases are going in the country.
What documents must the seller of a house present?
Before selling a flat between private individuals in 2023, a series of procedures must be carried out to obtain the necessary documents for the transaction.
- National ID card or residence card
- Energy certificate: to be able to sell your house you need to have the energy certificate in force, without it the notary will reject the operation.
- Cédula de habitabilidad or licence of first occupation.
- Nota simple del registro de la propiedad (simple note from the land registry)
- Receipt of the last payment of property tax (IBI)
- Certificate of completion of the building work
- Certificate of freedom from debts
- Title deeds
- Technical Building Inspection Certificate (ITE)
- Deposit contract
- Last utility bills paid