Apartments are the engine of the Frankfurt property market. In 2025, the city’s valuation board recorded roughly 2,360 resales of existing apartments and around 1,800 new-build sales, both up on the year before (Gutachterausschuss Frankfurt). Demand is steady and prices are holding or rising, which is good news for sellers, but selling a flat comes with rules a house sale never involves.
Two things shape almost every apartment sale in Frankfurt: the owners’-association paperwork, and whether you sell with tenants in place or vacant. Get both right and the rest of the process is straightforward. This guide shows how.
| In short
● The apartment market is active: around 2,360 existing and 1,800 new flats sold in 2025. ● Apartment sellers need extra documents: the Teilungserklärung, owners’ meeting minutes and reserve details. ● Selling vacant usually achieves a higher price; selling tenanted appeals to investors. ● Price it accurately using local comparables, and highlight the features that lift it. |
An active market, split into two halves
It helps to see the apartment market as two sub-markets. New-build flats sell at a premium, around €7,840 per square metre in 2025, up roughly 6% on the year, and four in five of them sold were under 80 square metres. Existing apartments sit lower, near a €5,585 per square metre average asking price, with newer stock firming and older stock a little softer. Knowing which half your flat belongs to is the first step to pricing it well.
| THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER
In 2025 the Gutachterausschuss recorded around 2,360 resales of existing apartments and about 1,800 new-build sales in Frankfurt. New-build prices rose about 6% to €7,840/m²; existing-apartment prices rose around 1.6% for newer stock while older stock eased. Asking prices range widely, from roughly €2,700 to over €10,900 per m² depending on district and condition (immowelt). Source: Gutachterausschuss Frankfurt; immowelt. |
The documents only apartment sellers need
A house sale needs the usual papers. An apartment sale needs more, because you are selling a share of a jointly owned building. Buyers and their banks will ask for:
- Teilungserklärung (declaration of division) — defines what you own and the rules of the community.
- Minutes of recent owners’ meetings — reveal planned works, disputes and the health of the community.
- The business plan and reserve — the monthly service charge (Hausgeld) and how much is in the maintenance reserve.
- The standard documents — Energieausweis, Grundbuchauszug, floor plans and a living-space calculation.
A well-run building with a solid reserve is a selling point in itself. Upcoming major works or disputes are better disclosed early, since they surface during due diligence anyway, and surprises late in a sale cost trust and money.
The Energieausweis, for instance, offers insights into a building’s energy performance, reflecting its construction quality and potential for sustainable living. Similarly, details of planned works can highlight a commitment to maintaining or upgrading the building’s structural integrity and aesthetic, ensuring its long-term architectural relevance and value.
Tenanted or vacant? The decision that moves your price
This is the choice that most affects your result. The two decisions that most affect how you Wohnung verkaufen Frankfurt (sell an apartment in Frankfurt) are the paperwork and whether you sell with tenants in place or vacant.
- Vacant appeals to owner-occupiers, who can move straight in, and generally achieves a higher price.
- Tenanted appeals to investors, who value the ready rental income, but typically pay somewhat less, and the existing tenancy transfers to the buyer.
Which is right depends on your situation: the existing tenancy agreement, the current rent against market levels, and how quickly you need to sell. There is no universally better option, only the one that fits your circumstances, so weigh it deliberately before you list.
Pricing per square metre
Apartment prices are quoted per square metre, and in Frankfurt that figure swings enormously by district, floor, condition and energy rating. Anchor your price to recent comparable sales in your own area rather than a city average, and make the features that lift the figure obvious in the listing: a balcony, a lift, a parking space, a renovated bathroom or a quiet aspect. Be equally honest about anything that holds it down, such as a ground-floor flat on a busy street, because buyers price those in regardless.
Beyond mere valuation, these elements speak to the apartment’s design quality and its potential for enhancing daily life. Thoughtful layouts, access to natural light, and the integration of outdoor spaces like balconies are key architectural considerations that significantly influence desirability and perceived value. Even the choice of materials in a renovated bathroom contributes to the overall aesthetic and functional appeal of the living space.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my apartment with tenants still in it?
Yes. A tenanted apartment is sold mainly to investors, and the existing tenancy transfers to the buyer. It usually fetches a little less than a vacant flat, which appeals to owner-occupiers. The right choice depends on your tenancy terms and goals.
Which documents do I need to sell an apartment?
On top of the usual papers (Energieausweis, Grundbuchauszug, floor plans), you need the Teilungserklärung, recent owners’ meeting minutes, the business plan, and details of the service charge and maintenance reserve. Gather them early, as some take weeks to obtain.
What is my apartment worth per square metre?
It depends heavily on district and condition. Existing apartments averaged around €5,585/m² in asking terms in 2026, but the real range runs from roughly €2,700 to over €10,900/m². A local valuation on comparable sales is far more reliable than any average.
The bottom line
Selling an apartment in Frankfurt rewards preparation. Assemble the owners’-association documents early, decide deliberately between a tenanted and a vacant sale, and price it accurately using real local evidence. In an active market with steady demand, a well-prepared flat sells smoothly and for the price it deserves.
Dornbusch Immobilien
Dornbusch Immobilien is a real estate agency based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, specializing in property valuations and the sale of residential properties throughout Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region.
Dornbusch Immobilien
Am Dornbusch 1
60320 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Phone: +49 69 91314151
Website: www.dornbusch-immobilien.de
