Independent mortgage advisor: usually free for you, because the lending bank pays the commission
It is the question we are asked most often. Here is who pays whom, what that means for our advisory service, and how you can tell that we can afford to advise you against a purchase. Working with an independent mortgage advisor means no single bank's product is pushed by default.
What does an independent mortgage advisor cost me?
As a rule, it costs you nothing: the lending bank in Germany usually pays a commission, and if no financing comes about you owe nothing. Where no bank pays, we agree our fee with you beforehand, in writing and by amount. What you do pay goes to third parties: transfer tax, notary, land registry and a valuation.
Mortgage advisors in Germany: Who pays the brokerage commission?
As a rule, you pay no fee for the brokerage, because the lending bank pays a brokerage commission that is already included in the terms. If a bank does not pay a commission, we agree the remuneration with you in writing beforehand.
What do you pay for the brokerage? As a rule, nothing: advice, bank comparison, preparation of the documents and support through to disbursement are free of any fee. In Germany, the lending bank usually pays a brokerage commission; it is already included in the terms you receive through us — so you pay no more than if you concluded the loan directly with the same bank.
If no financing comes about, you will not incur any costs either. Not every bank pays a commission. If it does not, we agree the remuneration with you beforehand — in writing and stating the amount, before you commit. Document checklist.
We recommend the bank that takes on the case — not the one that pays best: The range between commission rates is small; the risk of a financing that is not sustainable is large.
Our business is constellations that do not fit every lending guideline — not creditworthiness or equity; for them, only a few lenders are even an option, so there is no choice by commission, but the bank that takes on the case, or none. And if a financing is not sustainable, we say so, even though we then earn nothing.
You pay the purchase costs to the tax office, the notary and the land registry: To third parties: land transfer tax to the tax office, the notary and the land registry, and where applicable estate agent’s commission and valuation. These purchase costs cannot be financed and must come from your own funds — this is where financings fail at the planning stage, not at the interest rate. Calculate purchase costs.
Perini brokers under Section 34i of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO), with access to over 650 banks: Perini Finance & Property — Olga Nikushkina holds the licence under Section 34i GewO (property loan brokerage) and Section 34c GewO; access to over 650 banks, from major banks and regional institutions to lenders without a branch network. A bank checks your case against its own set of rules; we know the banks whose lending guidelines treat residence abroad, foreign-currency income, self-employment or fixed-term contracts as a standard case. Foreign-currency income: which bank takes it into account.
We then bear the effort ourselves — that is the price for taking on cases that others do not want to work on.
Important: The bank’s commission is already included in the terms you receive through us. You therefore do not pay more than if you concluded the loan directly with the same bank — in practice usually less, because we choose from a larger pool.
Do you recommend whichever bank pays you best?
No. Commission rates across lenders differ only slightly, our business is cases only a handful of lenders take, and there is no choosing by commission: there is the bank that takes the case, or none.
The spread is small, the risk is not. Commission rates across lenders differ only slightly. A financing that does not hold costs us the case — and the reputation.
Cases not every lender takes are our business. We do not live on the financing any bank will take, but on constellations where only a handful of lenders qualify at all.
There is no choosing by commission — there is the bank that takes the case, or none. We also say no. If a financing does not hold, we earn nothing and tell you anyway.
What do the Section 34i and 34c licences cover, and what do we deliberately not offer?
Olga Nikushkina holds both licences; together they would also cover modernisation loans without a land charge. We deliberately do not advertise those: our target market is high-value mortgages on existing properties.
Nevertheless, we deliberately do not advertise this. Our target market is high-value mortgages on existing properties, not small-scale renovation loans (Renovierungsdarlehen). This is not a question of authorisation, but of specialisation: those who focus on a specific type of case know the relevant banks better than those who try to do everything at once. We are capable, but choose not to — because we are specialised.
If, however, you are looking for a standard instalment loan (for example, for a small-scale home improvement or refinancing), we would refer you to our comparison tool partner — see Compare home improvement loans.
What do you actually pay, and to whom?
Third parties, not us: property transfer tax to the tax office, notary and land registry fees, and an estate agent commission if any. These purchase costs are generally not financeable.
Property transfer tax — Paid to: Tax office (rate set by each federal state); When: after notarisation. Notary and land registry — Paid to: Notary, local court; When: after notarisation. Estate agent commission (if any) — Paid to: Estate agent; When: on the purchase contract. Valuation / survey — Paid to: Bank or surveyor; When: during underwriting. Arranging the mortgage — Paid to: usually the bank — otherwise agreed in advance; When: —.
These purchase costs are generally not financeable and must come from your own funds. That is where most financings fail in the planning stage — not on the interest rate.
When should you ask about the fee?
Whenever you like: at the start, before sharing any documents, or later, once an offer is on the table. The answer does not change with the timing.
Asking early never counts against you in how carefully a case is handled, and it does not slow anything down; if anything, clarity on cost upfront tends to speed up the rest of the conversation, because it removes one recurring source of hesitation before it can build up.
Why not go straight to the bank?
Because a bank has just one offer: its own. It assesses your case against its own set of rules and says yes or no. We assess it against the rules of many different institutions — and know from our day-to-day work which of them would even consider a situation like yours.
Access to over 650 banks — from major banks and regional institutions to those that do not operate a branch network. Specialising in cases that not every bank will accept — residence abroad, income in foreign currency, self-employment, fixed-term contracts. A single point of contact — from the initial assessment of your financial situation right through to the payout.
And the uncomfortable truth is this: if your application goes smoothly – with a good income, a permanent contract, German property and German tax liability – then you’ll probably get on just fine with your usual bank. We’re here for everyone else.
What do you owe if no financing comes about?
If no financing comes about, you owe nothing.
If no financing comes about, you owe nothing. You pay third parties such as the tax office and the notary.
Frequently asked questions
Buying a house without an estate agent: Is a commission still payable on the mortgage?
You generally do not pay anything for the arrangement of a mortgage; the commission is usually paid by the lending bank. Not every bank pays this commission; if a bank does not pay it, we will agree the remuneration with you in writing beforehand, specifying the amount. An estate agent’s fee on the purchase is separate from this; it forms part of the purchase costs payable to third parties.
So do you recommend whichever bank pays best?
No — commission rates across lenders differ only slightly, and a financing that does not hold costs us the case and the reputation. Our business is the constellations where only a handful of lenders qualify at all: there is the bank that takes the case, or none. And we also say no.
What happens if the bank does not pay a commission for arranging the mortgage?
Not every bank pays a commission. If a bank does not pay a commission, we will agree the remuneration with you in advance, in writing and specifying the exact amount, before you commit to anything.
What do I actually pay — and to whom?
Third parties, not us: property transfer tax to the tax office, notary and land registry, estate agent commission where applicable, and a valuation during underwriting. These purchase costs are not financeable and must come from your own funds — that is where most financings fail in the planning stage.
Do I pay more through a mortgage advisor than if I approached the bank directly?
No. The bank's commission is already contained in the terms you receive through us. You do not pay more than if you approached the same bank directly, in practice usually less, because we select from a far wider field.
Any questions on this topic?
A first consultation is free and without obligation — the commission is, as a rule, paid by the bank. We tell you what this means for your own financing.
Related pages
Calculate the purchase costs for your case
Calculate purchase costs when buying a house: land transfer tax by federal state, notary fees, land registry fees and estate agent’s fees — free of charge, with the total cost of your purchase at a glance.
Document checklist
Checklist for non-residents: all documents relating to your personal details, income and the property for the mortgage — including an apostille, translation and country-specific information.
Foreign-currency income: which bank takes this into account?
Foreign-currency loans (Fremdwährungsdarlehen) or euro loans for those on salaries in CHF, USD or GBP: how banks calculate the discount and how many banks are available for each currency.
Editorially responsible: Olga Nikushkina — owner, §34i GewO (German mortgage brokerage), adviser register D-W-132-ZUCB-95. Specialised in German property financing with an international dimension: non-residents, foreign-currency income, cross-border workers, expats. Siegfried Perini is entered in the German intermediary register under this licence as a person directly involved in brokerage and advice (§ 11a GewO), active in real estate since 1992. Not legal or tax advice.
