Selling Without an Agency in Geneva: Steps, Real Savings, Notary and Risks

An owner is entitled to sell their property in Geneva without an agency: no law requires the use of a broker, and only the deed of sale signed before a notary, called a notarial deed, is mandatory (art. 216 para. 1 CO).

This article covers the seven steps the seller carries out alone, the real savings once tax and costs are deducted, the situations in Geneva that can block a sale, and the warranty for defects on the property. It then covers the promise of sale, the property gains tax, what happens to the mortgage, and the choice between selling alone, getting partial support, or entrusting the sale to an agency.

How do you sell without an agency in Geneva in 7 steps?

Selling without an agency in Geneva happens in 7 steps, from valuing the price to signing the deed at the notary's office, the only step required by law (art. 216 CO).

The timeline below lines up the seven steps in order and groups them into two phases: the search for the buyer, from valuation to negotiation, then the visit to the notary's office.

On average, it takes four months to find a buyer, according to UBS, then at least a few weeks, often a few months, until the deed is signed, according to the Geneva Chamber of Notaries. Each step sets out the task the seller takes on personally, along with the documents and risks that fall to them.

1. Estimate the sale price

Estimating the sale price without a broker means cross-checking an online hedonic valuation with, for an atypical property, the opinion of an independent expert.

The free hedonic valuation offered by the portals compares the property with similar recent sales in the region (UBS), without seeing its actual condition. The certified expert (SIV, SVIT) visits the property in person and charges between 2,500 and 3,000 francs for a standard villa, according to the rate published by Foncimo SA.

A price set too high extends the marketing period beyond the average four months. A price set too low causes an outright loss. In a development zone, the resale price cannot exceed the maximum set by the cantonal office for housing and land-use planning (OCLPF).

2. Gather the documents for the sales file

Gathering the documents for the sales file means putting together 8 documents, 3 of which are specific to condominium ownership (PPE).

• Land register extract: issued for 50 francs by the State of Geneva, it reveals easements and liens.
• Plans and floor areas: taken from the building permit file, they are used for the property's valuation.
• Renovation permits: issued by the construction authorizations office (OAC), they rule out a requirement to restore the property (art. 1 and 129 LCI).
• Electrical safety report: drawn up by an inspector, required if the last inspection is more than five years old (OIBT, annex item 3).
• Invoices for work carried out: value-adding work reduces the taxable gain (art. 82 LCP).
• Condominium regulations (PPE): provided by the administrator, they set out how the common areas may be used (art. 712g CC).
• Meeting minutes (PPE): they reveal the work that has been approved.
• Renovation fund and charges (PPE): the general meeting decides on its creation (art. 712m CC).

Geneva's cantonal energy law does not require any CECB energy certificate for the sale.

3. Publish the listing on property portals

Publish the listing on the Swiss property portals used by French-speaking Swiss buyers, first and foremost Homegate, ImmoScout24, Newhome and Anibis.

Newhome, the cantonal banks' website, publishes up to two listings free of charge for a registered private individual. Homegate charges private individuals by the week of publication, based on the location and type of property.

Fill in every field that buyers use as a filter: price, living area, number of rooms, municipality, type of property. Add photos of each room taken in daylight and a dimensioned floor plan.

4. Organize viewings

Organize viewings in three stages: qualify each candidate, host the viewing yourself, then log their visit.

Before the viewing, ask them about their budget and the state of their financing. Keep a dated log of visitors and of the intermediary who introduces them to you.

Give a written refusal to any broker who claims to "have a buyer". A brokerage contract can validly be formed tacitly (art. 1 para. 2 CO). The broker can then claim their fee if their introduction leads to the sale.

5. Check the buyer's financing

Check the buyer's financing before taking the property off the market, by requiring a written financing confirmation from their bank.

Check the down payment: the Swiss Bankers Association's guidelines (December 2023) require at least 10% in equity, excluding the 2nd pillar. Geneva banks finance, in practice, at most 80% of the value, according to the Banque Cantonale de Genève.

Note the buyer's nationality and place of residence: a foreign national domiciled outside Switzerland can only buy under a cantonal authorization (art. 2 and 5 LFAIE). Without this authorization, the sale has no legal effect (art. 26 LFAIE).

6. Negotiate purchase offers

Negotiate purchase offers by comparing them against a net floor price set before the property is listed, never against the amount offered alone.

Calculate this floor price after deducting the gains tax and the mortgage repayment. Three criteria distinguish between two close offers.

• The strength of the financing, confirmed in writing.
• The signing date and the date of taking possession.
• The conditions attached, such as the loan being granted or the sale of the buyer's own home.

A written offer, an email or a handshake does not bind the parties on a piece of real estate without a notarial deed (art. 216 para. 1 CO). A notarized promise of sale locks in the agreement before the deed.

7. Sign the deed of sale at the notary's office

Sign the deed of sale at the notary's office: this is the only step required by law, since the sale of real estate is only valid if executed as a notarial deed (art. 216 para. 1 CO).

The notary protects the seller: they draft the deed and file the application for registration with the land register. The buyer only becomes the owner once this registration is complete (art. 656 para. 1 CC).

At signing, require the buyer's bank's irrevocable promise of payment, by which the lender undertakes to pay the price (UBS, July 2024), then hand over the keys on the date set out in the deed.

In Geneva, custom leaves the choice of notary to the buyer, who bears the registration duty (art. 163 para. 1 LDE).

How much do you save by selling without an agency in Geneva?

Selling without an agency in Geneva saves the brokerage commission, i.e. 2 to 3% of the price according to common practice reported by Homegate in 2022, or 2.162 to 3.243% including the 8.1% VAT.

The table below uses a budget of 4,688 francs for the seller acting alone: 12 weeks of listing at 249 francs (ImmoScout24's maximum weekly rate), photos at 800 francs and an electrical inspection at 900 francs. These last two amounts, chosen conservatively, exceed the rates advertised in French-speaking Switzerland, of 400 to 650 francs for photos and 250 to 400 francs for the OIBT electrical inspection.

Sale price	Commission avoided (VAT included)	Costs for the seller alone	Savings before tax
800,000 francs	17,296 to 25,944 francs	4,688 francs	12,608 to 21,256 francs
1,100,000 francs	23,782 to 35,673 francs	4,688 francs	19,094 to 30,985 francs
2,200,000 francs	47,564 to 71,346 francs	4,688 francs	42,876 to 66,658 francs

The row at 1,100,000 francs corresponds to around 100 m² at the median price for existing apartments (10,853 francs per m², OCSTAT, 2024), and the row at 2,200,000 francs to the median for single-family houses (2.19 million francs).

The net saving is lower than the gross commission, because a commission paid is deducted from the price when calculating the gain subject to the property gains tax (IBGI), under art. 82 para. 6 and 8 LCP.

On an apartment sold for 1,100,000 francs after 9 years, taxed at 15% (art. 84 LCP) on a gain higher than the commission, the 35,673 francs avoided, less the 4,688 francs of costs for the seller acting alone, deductible as disposal costs (art. 82 para. 8 LCP), leave an additional gain of 30,985 francs, taxed at 4,648 francs. The net saving amounts to 26,337 francs.

Time remains the unquantified cost: the listing, inquiries, viewings and the appointment at the notary's office all rest on the seller alone.

What are the risks of selling without an agency in Geneva?

The risks of selling without an agency in Geneva number five, all borne by the seller alone.

• A poorly set price: an unsold property or one sold below its value.
• An unfinanced buyer: a sale that falls through at the notary's office.
• An overlooked blocking situation: a sale suspended or cancelled.
• An unlimited warranty for defects: the buyer can bring a claim for five years.
• An unbalanced negotiation: concessions made to a buyer who has an advisor.

Which situations block a sale without an agency in Geneva?

The situations that block or constrain a sale without an agency in Geneva number six and should be checked before publishing the listing.

The flow below sets out the six questions in the same order: each positive answer points to the step to take, and six negative answers mean that none of these situations delays the listing.

• A signed brokerage mandate: the broker earns their fee as soon as their introduction or negotiation leads to the sale (art. 413 para. 1 CO). Re-read the mandate's duration, exclusivity and termination terms.
• A rented apartment subject to the law on the demolition, alteration and renovation of residential buildings (LDTR): selling an apartment that has until now been rented out, in a category affected by housing shortage, requires an authorization (art. 39 para. 1 LDTR). Apply for it before signing: the department grants it in particular for an apartment placed under condominium (PPE) status from the time it was built (para. 4).
• A home in a development zone: its price remains controlled for 10 years from the occupants' average move-in date (art. 5 para. 3 LGZD). Get the maximum resale price from the OCLPF.
• A right of pre-emption: the State and the municipality have the right to acquire, on the terms of the deed, a parcel of land in a development zone that can be used for housing (art. 3 and 5 LGL). Check the land register extract, which lists this right and any annotated contractual pre-emption agreement.
• The family home: a spouse may only sell it with the express consent of their spouse, even if they are its sole owner (art. 169 para. 1 CC). Have the spouse take part in the deed.
• An ongoing lease: the lease passes to the buyer along with the property (art. 261 para. 1 CO). Disclose it from the listing onward.

How do you limit your warranty for defects on the property?

To limit their warranty for defects on the property, the seller includes a warranty exclusion clause in the notarial deed, valid as long as they have not fraudulently concealed a defect (art. 199 CO).

Failing this, the seller is liable to the buyer for defects that eliminate or significantly reduce the value or usefulness of the property, even if the seller was unaware of them (art. 197 CO). The buyer must report a hidden defect within 60 days of discovering it, and their claim is time-barred after five years from the transfer of ownership (art. 219a para. 1 and 3 CO, in the version in force as of January 1, 2026).

The exclusion does not apply to any defect that was known and kept quiet: a seller who repaints a damp stain without mentioning it remains liable for it despite the clause. The seller is not liable for defects the buyer knew about at the time of the sale (art. 200 para. 1 CO).

What the law says (art. 199 CO): "Any clause that excludes or restricts the warranty is void if the seller has fraudulently concealed the defects of the thing from the buyer."

List in writing the defects you are aware of and have them included in the deed. Two typical defects to disclose: a recurring water infiltration in the basement and an electrical installation that does not comply according to the last inspection.

Do you have to sign a promise of sale before a notary?

Yes, any promise relating to the sale of real estate must be signed before a notary, because the Code of Obligations only recognizes it in notarial form (art. 216 para. 2 CO).

A simple agreement drawn up without a notary is void, and neither party can demand its performance. The notarial deed protects the seller when the buyer is waiting for their mortgage loan or an authorization, set as conditions precedent.

According to the Geneva Chamber of Notaries, the buyer pays a customary deposit of around 10% of the price upon signing.

According to the same Chamber, the promise of sale costs around 0.5% of the price. This cost combines the notary's fee, at one-third of the scale for the deed of sale (art. 12 REmNot), the land register fees and a registration duty of 1 per mille of the market value (art. 50 LDE).

What tax do you pay on the gain from a sale in Geneva?

The tax paid on the gain from a sale in Geneva is the property gains tax (IBGI), at a rate that decreases based on the holding period (art. 80 and 84 LCP).

The rate decreases in holding-period brackets, from 50% before 2 years to 10% between 10 and 25 years, then 2% from 25 years onward: the tax never disappears entirely.

The chart below shows the seven rate brackets, from 50% for a property held for less than 2 years down to the floor of 2% from 25 years onward.

The purchase price and the impenses, namely the acquisition and sale costs and value-adding work, are deducted from the sale price to calculate the property gain (art. 82 LCP).

The tax is refunded to a seller who, within 5 years, reinvests the proceeds of their owner-occupied home in a home of the same nature (art. 85 LCP). At the signing of the deed, the seller deposits with the notary the portion of the profit due as tax (art. 86A LCP).

What should you do with your mortgage when selling?

Before selling, ask your bank for the exit cost of your mortgage, then set the sale date based on that amount.

A fixed-rate mortgage paid off before its term triggers an early repayment penalty, equal to the interest-rate gap over the remaining term. According to UBS (June 2025), it reaches 15,000 francs for 500,000 francs at 2% paid off 3 years early and reinvested at 1%. A SARON mortgage is terminated according to the contract's notice period, 13 months at UBS.

The seller has two ways to avoid this penalty: the buyer taking over their mortgage (provided the bank agrees; art. 176 CO), or transferring it to their next home. Outside of a takeover, the price pays off the seller's debt at the signing of the deed. The bank returns the mortgage note to the seller, transferred to the buyer or to the benefit of the bank financing the buyer's purchase.

An early withdrawal from the 2nd pillar must be repaid on the sale (art. 30d para. 1 LPP), unless the seller places that amount in a vested benefits account with a view to reinvesting it in a home within 2 years (art. 30d para. 4 LPP).

Selling with or without an agency: which should you choose?

Whether to sell with or without an agency comes down to how much time the seller can devote to the sale and their ability to handle viewings and negotiation on their own.

The table compares the three options on five criteria.

Criterion	Selling alone	À la carte support	Agency
Cost	Listings, no commission	Price per service (valuation, photos, viewings)	Typically: 2 to 3% of the price, plus 8.1% VAT
Seller's time	High	Medium	Low
Viewings and negotiation	By the seller	Viewings delegated, negotiation by the seller	By the broker
Legal risk	Clauses negotiated alone, notarial deed (art. 216 CO)	One-off advice on clauses	Commission owed if the broker causes the sale (art. 413 CO)
Suited profile	Buyer already found, seller present	Standard property, seller with little availability	Seller far away, atypical property

Selling alone suits an owner who has already found the buyer, a neighbor or tenant, and a seller present in Geneva selling a standard apartment. The steps, from the valuation to the land register, are the same for selling a property with or without an agency in Geneva.