Property purchase & broker behavior: Is this normal?

I only know it this way, that banks want to see an extract from the land register and often also an extract from the register of encumbrances. Without a land register extract, it usually doesn't work at all... Now the question is whether it is a larger real estate agency and if the previous interested parties were handled by another agent who also has the documents. Experienced all that already.. That the agent does not have the soil report ready, I find that more normal. What rather surprises me: why is there already a building permit for a semi-detached house? Did someone buy the plot, submit the building application, and then for whatever reason decided not to build? I would at least ask about the reason. Whether the agent is telling the truth is another question.

According to the real estate agent, we are not bound to Heinz von Heiden and nothing about that will be in the purchase contract.

I think that's great and I'm happy for you and the parents. Really awesome.

The guy from Heinz von Heiden/Consultant said we were bound to him?!?

They just claim that; with naive buyers they get away with it. It's the usual procedure in this business.

What also surprises me is that the real estate agent has neither a land registry excerpt nor information about an existing soil survey so far.

From my point of view, a soil survey is not their job if there are enough interested parties willing to buy the plot even without a soil survey. We also had to request the land registry excerpt ourselves first. I don't know if both are unusual or due to the market situation.

We will definitely get other offers regarding the house. Since we are not bound now anyway.

First buy the plot. :-) Good decision. I'm happy for you.

What surprises me more: why is there already a building permit for a semi-detached house?

Because someone bought the land at a significantly lower price, created building rights with a building permit, and is now cashing in on the complete package – that's why the land is so expensive. Actually common in commercial project development.

Because someone bought the property at a significantly lower price, created building rights with a building permit, and is now cashing in on the total package - that's why the property is so expensive. Actually common in commercial project development.

According to the realtor, the house was first inherited, then sold, and the buyer decided not to build after all, since he also has other properties and does not want to invest now.
As plausible as that may be.

What surprises me less is the soil report, than the land register excerpt.
So, what surprises me is not even that they don't have it, but that they don't know whether they have one.
So if there are/were interested parties, then you would know that, right?!?

You either haven't dealt much with real estate agents yet or have been lucky so far and caught one of the few capable and motivated ones.

I have dealt with them more or less intensively about 15 times. Exactly once I had a capable one who really made an effort.

You have to keep in mind that they don't have to demonstrate any expertise or skills. Actually, anyone who has applied for the [Maklererlaubnis] can call themselves a real estate agent. They only check whether you have a criminal record or have gone through insolvency proceedings. That's it. And you often notice that.

You either haven’t had much to do with real estate agents yet or you’ve been lucky so far and caught one of the few capable and motivated ones.

Actually, I’ve dealt with exactly 2 real estate agents so far. And if I remember correctly, you are of course right: back then they couldn’t do much. Besides telling me that the kitchen is the kitchen, the bathroom is the bathroom... etc... I just thought that with such "large" amounts there would be a bit more information than: "This is the property. Oh, the tree... yeah, I have to ask. Yes, about the land register extract... I have to ask..." But maybe that was too naive of me – I’m learning this right now :D I do, however, also doubt the many supposedly interested buyers when this information has never had to be provided. Because then you would at least know that the other interested parties also had to obtain this information themselves.