Prepare the home and documents
Tidy the flat, fix small defects and clean: first impressions affect the price. Get the documents ready early too. Buyers will want to see the Land Register data, the cadastre data and a statement from the building manager about debts. Since 2026 a buyer can be liable for the previous owner’s debts to the building manager for up to three years back, so this statement has become one of the first questions.
Documents you will need
Tick off what you already have.
Set a realistic price
Price decides how fast the flat sells. Too high means a long wait, too low leaves money on the table. Compare with similar flats in your area: the market report and the price map show the median price per m². An experienced local real estate agent helps you arrive at a realistic price too.
See your home's price now
Prices on the map →A price range based on similar homes nearby. No account needed.
For the wider picture, see the market report. How to check an estimate yourself: see the guide to valuing your home.
Sell yourself or with an agent?
A real estate agent takes on pricing, marketing, viewings and negotiating with buyers, helps prepare the documents and helps you avoid costly mistakes. In Latvia agents must be entered in the register of real estate intermediaries, and the contract with an agent is made in writing. Weigh how much time and experience you have yourself.
Selling myself
- +You keep the commission
- –Photos, listings, calls and viewings are yours to do
- –Negotiation and paperwork are your responsibility
Selling with an agent
- +Pricing, marketing and viewings are the agent's job
- +An experienced person negotiates for you
- –A commission you agree yourself
Listings and viewings
Good photos, a clear description with facts and a listing where buyers look (in Latvia mainly ss.lv and city24.lv) bring buyers in. If the building has an energy certificate, the listing must show its indicators. Hold viewings at times that suit buyers.
Photos in daylight
Lights on, curtains open, clutter put away. Wide, bright photos bring more calls.
A description with facts
Floor area, floor, rooms, monthly charges, the year the building was built and renovated. Buyers look for numbers.
Where buyers look
Most buyers search ss.lv and city24.lv. If the building or the flat has an energy certificate, show its indicators.
Viewings together
Several interested buyers at once, for example at an open house, shows the real interest and speeds up decisions.
Earnest money, the contract and the Land Register
Once you have a buyer, you agree on the price, deadlines and the handover date, often in an earnest-money (rokasnauda) agreement. The purchase contract can be a simple written contract or a notarial deed: a notary is not mandatory. But the signatures on the corroboration request to the Land Register must be certified by a notary or the orphans’ court. The price is usually paid through a notary deposit or a bank escrow account, and the seller receives it once the buyer is entered in the Land Register. The Land Register office decides within 10 days. Ownership passes with the Land Register entry.
- a
Agreement and earnest money
You agree on the price, deadlines and the handover date, often in an earnest-money (rokasnauda) agreement. If the deal fails through the buyer's fault, the seller keeps the earnest money; if through the seller's fault, the seller returns it doubled (Civil Law, Article 1730).
- b
The purchase contract
The contract can be a simple written contract or a notarial deed. A notarial deed costs more, but the notary checks the deal and explains it to both sides. Put the payment procedure, the handover deadline and who pays which costs in the contract.
- c
Signatures on the corroboration request
The signatures on the request to enter the buyer in the Land Register are certified by a notary or the orphans' court (bāriņtiesa). A notary can also do this remotely and usually files the request electronically.
- d
Payment via deposit or escrow
The buyer pays the price into a notary deposit or a bank escrow account. If the flat has a loan, the balance is paid to the bank from this money, and the bank consents to deleting the mortgage.
- e
Entry in the Land Register
The buyer pays the state duty and the office fee, and the Land Register office decides within 10 days. Once the buyer is entered as owner, the money is paid out to the seller.
- f
Keys and handover deed
Record the meter readings, the keys and the flat's condition in the handover deed. The parties must notify the building manager of the new owner in writing without delay; transfer the utility contracts too.
What will completing the deal cost?
Drag the sale price and pick the contract type. Includes the notary's fees with 21% VAT (split in half, as usually agreed), the buyer's 1.5% state duty (capped at €50,000) and the €15 office fee.
Contract type
The notary certifies the signatures and files the request with the Land Register. Drafting the contract may cost extra.
If you sell with an agent. Selling yourself? Leave it empty.
Seller pays
€28.44
half of the notary's fees
Buyer pays
€2,293.44
half of the notary, state duty and office fee
Notary's fees in total with VAT: €56.87
Calculate with the loan, tax and commission →How much of the price you keep after the commission, the notary, repaying the loan and tax, you can work out in the guide to the costs of selling.
Common mistakes when selling a flat
Overpricing — the flat sits, and a later price cut makes buyers think something is wrong with it.
Poor presentation — dark phone photos and a thin description cut interest and the final price.
Documents not ready — debts to the manager, the bank's consent not obtained or people still declared at the address delay the deal.
Money before the entry — pass the price through a notary deposit or an escrow account, not the keys against a promise.