Referral partnership for estate agents: how the cooperation works
We don't sell property, insurance or investment products. So there is no competition between us — instead, we take on the part of the deal where transactions most often fail.
What does the referral partnership cover?
The partner makes the introduction and we handle the mortgage brokerage in full, so you hand off the case and keep your client. We work under a §34i GewO licence, registered under D-W-132-ZUCB-95. Brokerage is free for the client and as a rule paid by the lending bank; the partner's share is agreed in writing and success-based.
Who does what in a referral partnership?
In the referral partnership you make the introduction, we arrange the financing, and your client stays your client.
What does the partnership offer estate agents, developers and insurance brokers? You refer, we arrange the financing, your client stays your client. We sell no property, insurance or investment products, so there is no competition — we take on the part of the deal where transactions most often fail: the buyer whose bank goes quiet or declines. German property as an investment.
Does a referral require a licence? No. You make the introduction — nothing more. You do not advise on the financing, collect documents or pass on rates; in that form the referral remains licence-free for you, and the brokerage and its responsibility sit entirely with us, set out in the agreement. The document checklist.
What does it cost your client — and how are you paid? Nothing for your client — the brokerage is free for them and as a rule paid by the lending bank. For you as a partner the arrangement is agreed individually and in writing: success-based, payable on completion, no payment for clicks or forwarded contacts without a project.
Who is behind it? Perini Finance & Property — licensed under §34i GewO plus §34c GewO, registered under D-W-132-ZUCB-95, licence holder Olga Nikushkina, 650+ banks compared. We know the banks whose lending rules cover the cases that fall through a standard branch process: international income, cross-border commuters, self-employed, doctors, investors, subsidies. Cross-border commuters.
Who works with us as a financing partner?
We work with estate agents, property developers and insurance brokers with Section 34d but without Section 34i whose deals depend on the financing. They establish the contact; brokerage and responsibility lie with Perini Finance & Property.
- The buyer is set, the bank isn't (Estate agents): Reservation is done, notary appointment is planned — and the buyer's bank goes quiet or declines. We take the case on exactly where it stands.
- Licensed under §34d, not §34i (Insurance brokers): Your client mentions a house purchase, and you're not licensed to arrange the financing. Instead of losing the contact to a bank, you hand it over to a named partner.
- What we take on: We specialise in the cases that fall through in a standard branch-bank process. On top of that comes the bank comparison: beyond the usual platform connections, we maintain direct contacts with lenders not listed on comparison portals at all — regional institutions and specialist lenders you won't find without that connection.
Who is the partnership intended for? For estate agents, property developers and insurance brokers (Section 34d without Section 34i) whose deals depend on the financing: the buyer is in place, but the buyer's own bank declines or does not respond — we take over the case in whatever state it is in. We do not sell property, insurance or investment products; there is no competition between us. Investment from abroad.
What does it cost your clients — and what do you get? For your client, the brokerage is free of charge; it is usually paid for by the financing bank. We agree your share as a partner individually and in writing — by agreement, success-based, due on completion; no remuneration for clicks or forwarded contact details without a real project. You only establish the contact — the referral does not require a licence on your part; brokerage and responsibility lie with us.
Who takes on the financing? Perini Finance & Property — licence under Section 34i of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO) (additionally Section 34c), broker register D-W-132-ZUCB-95, over 650 banks compared, including regional institutions and specialist lenders not listed on comparison portals. We know the banks whose lending policy treats foreign income, the self-employed, doctors, investors or a loan-to-value ratio just above the target as standard cases. Financing for the self-employed.
Why do financings fall through at the first bank? Rarely because the client could not afford the property — but because the case does not fit the grid. There are three reasons for a ‘no’: creditworthiness, equity – or the lending policy. Nobody can change the first two. The third is our area of expertise. That is why it pays to involve us early rather than as a last attempt.
How does working with a property finance broker work? The partner establishes the contact; the property finance broker handles the brokerage in full. For estate agents, property developers and insurance brokers, this means: you hand over the case and keep your client. Perini Finance & Property works under the licence pursuant to Section 34i of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO), registered in the broker register under D-W-132-ZUCB-95. We specialise in mortgages, including KfW loans, that fail in the standard process of a high-street bank.
These include non-residents for tax purposes, Germans abroad, expats, cross-border commuters and the self-employed, mortgages for doctors and investors, as well as commercial and property developer financing. For the client, the brokerage remains free of charge; it is usually paid for by the financing bank. We do not broker property ourselves and do not approach your clients on our own behalf. The partner's share is agreed in writing and on a success basis.
As long as the partner only establishes the contact and does not advise on the financing themselves, their own activity does not require a licence. A feasibility assessment is given before the client expects a commitment.
Estate agents whose buyer's purchase depends on the bank, property developers who have buyers checked in advance, and insurance brokers with Section 34d but without Section 34i.
Buyer financing as a sales risk (property developers & project developers): A buyer whose financing falls through costs you a construction phase and your schedule. We check your prospective buyers in advance and support them through to disbursement — in line with the instalments under the Estate Agents and Property Developers Ordinance (MaBV). Property development finance →
Do you also finance buyers of real estate in Germany who live abroad?
Yes. International income, Germans abroad, expats and cross-border commuters are among our specialisms — exactly the cases that fall through in a standard branch-bank process.
For you as an agent, a buyer with income or residence abroad is no reason to lose the sale of real estate in Germany. We know the banks whose lending rules treat foreign income as a regular case. Germans abroad →
What usually causes the problem before we step in: Declines rarely happen because a client can't afford the property. They happen because a case doesn't fit a template: income earned abroad that a bank won't assess. A purchase structure that differs from the bank's own valuation. A loan-to-value ratio just above a rate threshold. A subsidy that has to be applied for alongside the loan, with a deadline nobody tracked.
These are processing issues, not creditworthiness issues. Whoever knows them places the case differently with another lender — and gets an approval where there was a decline before. That's exactly why it pays to bring us in early rather than as a last resort.
Equally honest: we decline cases too. If a case doesn't work, you'll hear that from us early and with a reason — worth more for your planning than a maybe that costs you three weeks.
Do you also take on property development finance and commercial property finance projects?
Yes. As well as buyer financing, we arrange commercial and property development financing, as well as acquisition and portfolio financing.
For property developers and project developers, this means having a single point of contact for both sides: for project financing and for the buyers who need to finance their units. Commercial property financing → · Property developer financing →
What we offer: Assessment before making a commitment to your client: Key details are sufficient. You’ll find out whether the case can be handled – and, if so, in what structure – before your client builds up any expectations.
A dedicated contact person: No helpline, no changing points of contact. You know who is handling your case, and you can get in touch with the same person again.
Resources to make your life easier: checklists and calculators, including our Mortgage calculator, which you can pass on to your customers. Go to the checklists →
Proof for your sellers: A financing certificate provides the seller with proof that your buyer is financially sound. Financing certificate →
What do you get from us?
You get an assessment based on key figures, one fixed point of contact, checklists and calculators in German and English, a financing certificate on request and a success-based fee payable on completion.
- Assessment before you promise your client anything: Key figures are enough. You'll know whether and how the case can be structured before your client builds expectations.
- Materials that save you work: Checklists and calculators you can pass on to your clients, available in German and English. Calculators & tools →
- Financing certificate for your sellers: On request, we issue a financing certificate — a feasibility assessment of the buyer's financing, not a bank commitment and not a guarantee — useful whenever a reservation depends on a documented financing check.
- Referral partner: how are estate agents and insurance brokers paid? As a referral partner you receive a success-based fee. We agree it individually and in writing; it is payable on completion.
Nothing changes for your client: the brokerage is free of charge for them and as a rule paid by the lending bank. How exactly that works is explained on the fee page.
For you as a partner, we agree the arrangement individually and in writing — by agreement, success-based, payable on completion. No payment for clicks, none for forwarded contacts without an actual project. We deliberately name no percentage here, because the right structure depends on the type of case and effort involved.
Important for your own licensing position: you make the introduction — nothing more. You don't advise on the financing, don't collect documents and don't pass on rates. In that form, the referral remains licence-free for you; the brokerage itself, and the responsibility for it, sits entirely with us. We set this out explicitly in the agreement.
How are estate agents and insurance brokers remunerated as property tipsters (Tipgeber Immobilien)?
As a tipster, you will receive performance-related remuneration. We will agree the details on a case-by-case basis in writing, and payment will be due upon completion.
Arranging mortgage finance without a licence under Section 34i: What is an insurance intermediary permitted to do? They may put you in touch with a lender, but may not provide advice on financing. We handle the advice, documentation and meetings with the bank under our licence pursuant to Section 34i.
As long as you are merely putting people in touch with one another, your activities do not require a licence. However, as soon as someone collects documents, passes on terms and conditions or recommends products, the situation changes. We set out this boundary in writing in the agreement — your client mentions buying a house, and instead of losing the lead to a bank, you refer them to a designated partner.
Client protection and follow-up commission: Will the client remain your client? Yes. Your client is covered by client protection. If they take out another loan with us at a later date, you will receive a follow-up commission. We set out the details in the written agreement.
We will handle the case you refer to us and will not promote any further services or our own offers to your client. We do not act as estate agents and will therefore not be in competition with you at a later date.
Referral commission and tax: A referral commission is taxable income. Anyone who provides a tip only occasionally must declare it as miscellaneous income (Section 22(3) of the Income Tax Act). Amounts up to €256 per year are tax-free. Above that amount, the entire sum is taxable, as €256 is a threshold and not a tax-free allowance. Anyone who provides tips regularly is carrying out a commercial activity. Whether VAT is then payable depends on the nature of the activity and the small business scheme (Section 19 of the German VAT Act (UStG)). You should clarify this with your tax adviser; we do not provide tax advice.
Authorisation and supervision: Licence as a mortgage broker pursuant to Section 34i of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO), and additionally Section 34c of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO); Registered in the Register of Brokers under D-W-132-ZUCB-95, available for public inspection; Professional indemnity insurance (Berufshaftpflichtversicherung) with Allianz Deutschland AG; Owner and licence holder: Olga Nikushkina.
For mortgages in Spain, we work via perini.es/kooperation; in Portugal, we work via a licensed broker there — this is relevant if your client is buying abroad or already owns a property there. We also offer mortgages in Italy, France and Austria (Financing property abroad).
What we do not handle: No property sales, no property acquisition, no approaching your customers on our own behalf; no consumer loans and no refinancing not related to property; No cases without a specific project — we do not process pure mailing lists; no financing in return for advance payment or a processing fee (Bearbeitungsgebühr) from the client.
What may an insurance broker do without a §34i licence?
You may make the introduction, but not advise on the financing. Advice, documents and bank talks are handled by us under our §34i licence.
Client protection and follow-up commission: does the client stay your client? Yes. Your client is protected. If they finance with us again later, you receive a follow-up commission. The details are set out in the written agreement.
For financing in Spain we operate via perini.es/partners, in Portugal via a broker licensed there — relevant whenever your client is buying, or already owns property, abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Will you approach my client directly afterwards?
No. We handle the case you give us and neither advertise further services nor our own offers to your client in that context. We don't sell property, so we're never in competition with you afterwards either.
Do I need my own licence to refer a client?
As long as you only make the introduction and don't advise on the financing yourself, the activity remains licence-free. Once someone starts collecting documents, passing on rates or recommending products, it looks different. We set that boundary out in writing in the agreement.
What does the cooperation cost me?
Nothing. There's no joining fee, no minimum volume and no exclusivity. You can send us one case and none for years afterwards without any consequence.
Do you also handle bridging finance, new-build finance and equity release loans for my partners' clients?
Yes. We apply for bridging finance, new-build finance and equity release loans just as we do for classic property financing, individually or combined. For temporary financing in Germany and Austria, the range is amounts of up to €4 million and terms of up to 4 years. How we prepare the case is explained in the wiki on the initial consultation (DE).
How fast do I get an initial response?
You'll get a feasibility assessment after we've reviewed the key figures, usually the same or the following business day. How long the bank takes after that depends on the lender and how complete the documents are.
My client already has a decline. Is that a dead end?
Not necessarily. A decline is one lender's decision on a particular way of presenting the case, not a verdict on the market. It matters that we know who has already applied — multiple applications at different banks worsen the starting position.
Do I receive a follow-up commission as a referral partner?
Yes, if your client finances with us again later. The details are set out in the written agreement.
Do I have to pay tax on the referral commission?
Yes. A referral commission is taxable income; please discuss the details with your tax adviser.
Can we speak with the client together?
Gladly, and in many cases that's the fastest route. You stay visibly the agent for the property — we act as your financing partner, not in your place.
How do I become a referral partner of a mortgage broker in Germany?
Write to us using the form, by WhatsApp or email, call us, or book a call.
We get back to you the same or the next business day.
Send us the key figures via WhatsApp — property, purchase price, loan amount range, income situation and residence of the client — or book a 30-minute call directly. You'll get an assessment back before your client builds an expectation.
Or by phone: +49 2151 3293344 · by email: siegfried@perini-financeandproperty.com
Related: our bank comparison · FAQ · case reports from completed deals
Related pages
German property as an investment
Buy-to-let mortgage in Germany while living abroad: rental income counts only in part, loan-to-value typically 60–100%, about 6–10 active banks.
Financing for the self-employed
Mortgages for the self-employed and freelancers: what figures banks want to see, how they assess profits, and which documents matter.
Developer financing →
Developer financing and project financing: What investors require in terms of equity, pre-sales and structure — with practical examples, independent of banks.
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.
