Updated November 2026
Selling an apartment in Latvia: with an agent or yourself?
Both routes have their place. This comparison helps you decide and shows what you have to do in Latvia if you sell yourself.
- Six questions
- Who does what
- A plan for selling yourself
By the TopMakleri.lv editorial team
Yourself
You keep the commission
The work and risk are yours
With an agent
Time and nerves saved
You agree the fee yourself
In short
- Yourself
Selling yourself saves the commission, but all the work and responsibility, from the listing to the Land Register, is yours.
- With an agent
An agent saves time and protects you from mistakes; good negotiation often earns back the commission.
- Which one
Yourself: if you have time, experience or a buyer already. With an agent: for the best price with the least effort.
Yourself
Selling yourself saves the commission
The biggest advantage is the commission you save, which in Latvia is usually a few per cent of the price, plus VAT. In return you take on all the work: pricing, photos, listings on ss.lv and city24.lv, calls, viewings, negotiation and documents. It takes time and nerve.
The notary and Land Register costs are the same either way: the buyer usually pays the 1.5% state duty, and having the signatures on the corroboration request certified starts at about €57 with VAT. What you keep from the sale is covered in the guide to the cost of selling an apartment.
- Plus: You keep the commission
- Plus: You deal with the buyer directly and decide every step
- Minus: Calls and viewings in the evenings and at weekends too
- Minus: Price, negotiation, earnest money and contracts are your responsibility
With an agent
An agent saves time and mistakes
An experienced real estate agent prices correctly, markets professionally and negotiates in your interest. Good negotiation often earns back the commission, and you avoid costly mistakes in the earnest-money agreement, the purchase contract and the Land Register papers.
In Latvia an agent may only work if entered in the register of real estate transaction intermediaries, and the agency agreement must be in writing.
- Plus: Pricing, marketing and viewings are done by the agent
- Plus: An experienced person negotiates in your interest
- Minus: A commission whose size you agree yourself
- Minus: Agents vary a lot, so choose carefully
When each one fits
- Yourself: if you have time, experience with property deals and perhaps a buyer already in mind.
- With an agent: if you want the best price with the least effort, live elsewhere, or the property is harder to sell.
The decision does not have to be final: you can start on your own and bring in an agent if no buyers come. Either way, it pays to know your home’s price first, which you can see on the home valuation page.
Which suits you?
Six short questions, an answer straight away.
How much time do you have for the sale over the coming months?
Who does what
Selling yourself, all nine tasks are yours. With an agent, the agent does 5 of them and you do 4 together; the decisions stay with you.
- You
- Agent
- Together
1Pricing
Selling yourself: YouYou compare transaction prices in the area and listings of similar homes.
With an agent: TogetherThe agent proposes a price based on the market; you decide the final price.
2Photos and description
Selling yourself: YouYou photograph the home and write the description.
With an agent: AgentThe agent arranges the photos and writes the listing.
3Listings on portals
Selling yourself: YouYou post the listing on ss.lv and city24.lv and keep it fresh.
With an agent: AgentThe agent publishes the listing and keeps it up.
4Calls and enquiries
Selling yourself: YouYou answer calls and messages, in the evenings and at weekends too.
With an agent: AgentThe agent answers enquiries and finds out who is a serious buyer.
5Viewings
Selling yourself: YouYou agree the times and show the home yourself.
With an agent: AgentThe agent arranges the viewings and is there.
6Negotiation
Selling yourself: YouYou negotiate the price and terms with the buyer directly.
With an agent: TogetherThe agent negotiates; you accept or reject every offer.
7Earnest-money agreement
Selling yourself: YouYou draw up the agreement and agree the amount of earnest money (rokasnauda) and the deadline.
With an agent: AgentThe agent prepares the agreement; you sign it with the buyer.
8Purchase contract and notary
Selling yourself: YouYou prepare the contract and the corroboration request and book the notary.
With an agent: TogetherThe agent prepares the papers and deals with the notary; you sign.
9Payment, Land Register and handover
Selling yourself: YouYou agree safe payment, follow the Land Register entry and hand over the keys with a handover act.
With an agent: TogetherThe agent helps with the payment arrangement and the act; you hand over the keys.
Exactly what the agent does for you is set by the written agency agreement. Ask before you sign, as the guide to choosing an agent recommends. All the stages of a sale in order are in the apartment selling guide.
Selling yourself: what to plan for
If you sell yourself, every stage is on you. Budget time for each:
Without an agent
How to complete the deal without an agent
In Latvia a flat purchase contract does not have to be made before a notary. There are three options:
Simple written contract
A simple written contract you draw up yourselves; a notary certifies both parties' signatures on the corroboration request and files it with the Land Register (from about €57 with VAT).
Notarised signatures
A written contract with notarised signatures: as above, but the notary also certifies the signatures on the contract itself.
Notarial deed
A notarial deed: the notary drafts and executes the contract (0.5% of the price, at least €140, plus 21% VAT).
Payment and the Land Register
Either way, a private person's signatures on the corroboration request must be certified by a notary (or an orphans' court); this can also be done remotely. The buyer's money is safer in a notary deposit (0.3%, at least €80, plus VAT) or a bank escrow account, paid out to the seller once the buyer is entered in the Land Register. The owner is whoever is entered in the Land Register, not whoever signed the contract.
Income tax on the sale
If you sell at a gain, 25.5% personal income tax is due on it unless you are exempt, for example if you have owned the property for more than 5 years and it was your declared residence for at least 12 consecutive months. With or without an agent, the rules are the same.
Tax and costs in detail →Find the most active agents in your area
If you lean towards an agent, enter the property address. You will see who sells in your area and can contact them if you wish. You agree the commission directly with the agent.
Frequently asked questions
Does an agent pay for itself?
Often yes: better pricing and negotiation cover the commission, plus you save a lot of time and avoid mistakes in the contracts.
Do I need a notary if I sell myself?
In Latvia the purchase contract does not have to be a notarial deed; it can be a simple written contract. But a private person's signatures on the corroboration request to the Land Register must be certified by a notary or an orphans' court, so in practice you will visit a notary. A notarial deed costs 0.5% of the price, at least €140, plus 21% VAT.
How much is a real estate agent’s commission?
There is no official rate: the seller and the agent agree the commission between themselves and write it into the written contract. It is often a few per cent of the price, and a VAT-registered agent adds VAT. Ask several agents for a proposal and compare what the fee includes.
How do I get paid safely without an agent?
The safest way is to hold the buyer's money in a notary deposit or a bank escrow account, paid out to the seller once the buyer's ownership is entered in the Land Register. A notary deposit costs 0.3% of the amount, at least €80, plus VAT; banks set their own fees.
Can I start on my own and bring in an agent later?
Yes. If you have already published a listing yourself, tell the agent before signing and agree how to handle buyers who have already contacted you.
What do I still have to do when selling with an agent?
You give the agent the details and documents needed, decide on the price and the offers, and sign the contracts. The agent does most of the day-to-day work.
Sources
- Land Register Act (likumi.lv)
- Civil Law: obligations (earnest money, Art. 1725–1731)
- Cabinet Regulation No. 737 (notary fees)
- Land Register (zemesgramata.lv)
This is general information, not legal or tax advice; for exact terms rely on your bank, notary and official sources.
Read also
- How to choose a real estate agent in LatviaA practical guide to choosing a real estate agent to sell your home in Latvia: the intermediaries register, local experience, questions for the meeting, a written contract and the commission.
- How to sell an apartment in Latvia, step by stepSelling an apartment in Latvia step by step: documents, price, listings on ss.lv and city24.lv, earnest money, the purchase contract, the notary, the Land Register and handover.
- The costs and tax of selling an apartment in LatviaWhat selling an apartment in Latvia costs: the agent's commission and VAT, the notary, the Land Register state duty, repaying the loan and 25.5% personal income tax. With a calculator.
- How to value your homeHow to find the realistic market value of your apartment or house in Latvia: registered sale prices and asking prices, the factors that move the price, cadastral value and property tax, and an agent’s or valuer’s opinion.
- What is a property valuation report and when do you need oneA property valuation report is a certified valuer’s document on a property’s market value. When a bank requires one in Latvia, what it costs, how long it holds and how to check a valuer in the LĪVA register.
- Rent it out or sell?How to decide between letting and selling an apartment in Latvia: rental yield, costs and empty months, the 10% tax on rent and the 25.5% capital gains tax, and when each option wins.
- What to check when buying an apartment in Latvia
- How to negotiate the property price in Latvia
- First-time home buyer's guide in Latvia
- Getting ready for a mortgage in Latvia
- How to rent out an apartment in Latvia
- The residential lease in Latvia: what it must contain
- Tenant not paying rent in Latvia: what to do
- Real estate tax and cadastral value in Latvia