Do You Need a Makelaar? Buying a Home in the Netherlands With or Without a Buying Agent

Almost every home for sale in the Netherlands is listed by a makelaar (estate agent), but that agent works for the seller, not for you. Buyers can hire their own agent, an aankoopmakelaar, for a fee of several thousand euros, or handle the purchase themselves. Many Dutch buyers do it alone. For an expat who doesn't know the local market, the contract terms or the language, the answer is less obvious. This guide explains what a buying agent actually does, what it costs in 2026, and what you need to get right if you decide to go without one.

Selling agent and buying agent: who works for whom

In the Netherlands the seller usually hires a selling agent (verkoopmakelaar) who sets the asking price, lists the home on Funda, runs the viewings and negotiates with buyers. The seller pays that agent, usually a percentage of the sale price. Being friendly and helpful to you is part of the job, but their duty is to the seller. Anything you tell them about your budget or how much you love the home can be used in the negotiation.

A buying agent (aankoopmakelaar) works only for you. The codes of conduct of the professional associations, such as the NVM's, are clear on this: an agent represents one side of a sale, not both. If you ask the listing agent to "help you buy", you remain the other party in their negotiation.

Note that makelaar is not a protected title. Anyone can use it. Most agents belong to one of the three professional associations, NVM, VBO or Vastgoedpro, which have codes of conduct, standard consumer terms and a complaints procedure. Many are also listed in the VastgoedCert register, which shows that their training is up to date. Membership is the first thing to check.

What a buying agent does

A full buying package (aankoopbegeleiding) usually covers the whole route from search to key handover:

1. Search and access. Agents see new listings early and sometimes hear about homes before they reach Funda. In a busy market they can also get you a viewing slot more easily.
2. Viewing with a trained eye. They spot moisture, foundation issues, poor renovations and the questions to ask, such as the state of the owners' association (VvE) for an apartment.
3. Checking the documents. Land registry (Kadaster) extract, leasehold (erfpacht) terms, VvE reserves and maintenance plan, the seller's questionnaire, the list of items included, zoning, energy label, and clauses about age, asbestos or living in the home yourself.
4. Valuing the home. They compare recent sales prices, not asking prices, and tell you what the home is realistically worth and how far above the asking price buyers are going.
5. Bidding and negotiating. They make the offer, propose conditions and a transfer date, and know how the selling agent is likely to respond.
6. The purchase agreement. They check the contract (koopovereenkomst), make sure the conditions and deadlines are right, and coordinate with your mortgage adviser and notary.
7. Final inspection. They join you for the eindinspectie just before the transfer to check the home is delivered as agreed.

What it costs in 2026

Three things to keep in mind. First, ask whether quotes include 21% VAT; on a €4,000 fee that is €840. Second, the agent's fee is a purchase cost, like transfer tax, so it is not deductible from your income tax (unlike mortgage advice, the valuation and the notary's fee for the mortgage deed). Third, Dutch mortgages are capped at 100% of the home's value, so the fee comes out of your savings, together with the other buyer's costs (kosten koper). Our guide to renting or buying lists those costs, including transfer tax and NHG.

How competitive is the market in 2026?

How much a buying agent is worth to you depends partly on the market. According to NVM figures for the third quarter of 2026, the average home sold for about €503,000, and nearly two in three homes went for more than the asking price, down from 71% a year earlier. The number of homes for sale rose 24% compared with a year ago, and homes stayed on the market for 31 days on average. Buyers have a little more time and room to negotiate than in recent years, but popular homes in the Randstad, Utrecht and Eindhoven still attract many bidders.

In a market like this, the asking price (vraagprijs) is often a starting point rather than the price. Knowing what similar homes really sold for, and what conditions the seller will accept, is where an agent earns the fee.

Buying without a makelaar: what you take on

Plenty of buyers succeed without an agent, especially second-time buyers who know the area. If you go it alone, you do the agent's work yourself:

• Find out the real value. Look up recent sale prices of comparable homes (the Kadaster sells individual records, and several paid sites show sale prices), and get a valuation from an independent valuer before you bid if you can.
• Investigate the home. In Dutch law the seller must tell you about known defects, but you also have a duty to investigate (onderzoeksplicht). If a problem was visible, or you could have found it by asking or reading the documents, you usually can't claim later. Ask the selling agent for every document and ask follow-up questions in writing.
• Check the risky topics. Foundations (an issue in parts of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zaanstad, Gouda and other cities with wooden piles), leasehold, VvE finances and planned major maintenance, asbestos in older homes, and permits for extensions or a rented-out part of the home.
• Bid in writing and with conditions. Send your offer by email, with the price, your proposed transfer date and the conditions you need (see below). An offer that is accepted on the phone is not yet a sale.
• Read the purchase agreement. The selling agent usually drafts it on a standard model (often the NVM/VBO/Vastgoedpro model). It is in Dutch. Ask for an English translation or have someone you trust read it before you sign.
• Coordinate the rest. Mortgage adviser, valuer, surveyor, notary and deadlines are your job now.

Buyers sometimes worry that selling agents favour bidders who have their own agent. The NVM and VBO have said that excluding buyers without an agent is undesirable and does not fit their consumer terms. In practice, a well-prepared buyer with a written offer and confirmed financing is taken just as seriously.

The legal safeguards every buyer has

Agent or no agent? A quick decision guide

How to choose a buying agent

Talk to two or three agents before you commit. Ask them:

1. Are you a member of NVM, VBO or Vastgoedpro, and listed in the VastgoedCert register?
2. How many purchases did you handle in this area last year?
3. What exactly is included, is the fee fixed, and does it include VAT? What do I pay if I don't buy?
4. Can you work fully in English, including explaining the purchase agreement?
5. Do you also sell homes in this area, and how do you handle a home your own office is selling? (They can't represent you on it.)
6. Can I end the assignment, and what does it cost?

Get the agreement and the fee in writing in an assignment confirmation (opdrachtbevestiging) before the agent starts.

The notary: your safety net either way

Every Dutch home purchase is completed by a civil-law notary (notaris), who checks the land registry, handles the money and records the transfer and the mortgage deeds. As the buyer you normally choose the notary, so pick one who works in English. If you don't understand Dutch well, the notary may ask for an English translation of the deed or an interpreter at the signing. Ask about this when you request quotes.

Official sources and useful links

• Rijksoverheid: buying a home (Dutch)
• Notaris.nl: purchase agreement and transfer (Dutch)
• Notaris.nl: choosing a notary (Dutch)
• NVM: housing market overview, Q2 2026 (Dutch, PDF)
• De Hypotheker: NVM figures for Q3 2026 (Dutch)
• VastgoedCert: register of certified estate agents and valuers (Dutch)

This is general information based on the situation in October 2026. Fees, market conditions and contract models change, and every purchase is different. Before you sign, have the purchase agreement checked by a professional you trust, such as a buying agent, a notary or a lawyer.