Guides to Buying and Selling Property in Zagreb
Practical guides by property type, district, taxes and the steps of a transaction.
Buying or selling a property in Zagreb is rarely a single move. As a rule it is a series of decisions spread over several months, from valuation and document preparation, through taxes and contracts, to the handover of keys. This page brings together all the practical guides prepared by Hermes Nekretnine, based at Vlaška ulica 45, so that at every stage you know what the next step is and what it involves.
The guides are organised by property type, by the direction of the transaction, whether you are buying or selling, and by the individual topics clients most often ask about. All of them draw on hands-on experience and on prices actually achieved across Zagreb districts, rather than on general phrases that apply equally to any city. We quote price per square metre as indicative ranges because it shifts through the year and varies even within the same district, depending on the street, the floor and the condition of the building.
Most of the articles about buying property you will find online are written to fit any city and any country. The trouble is that real decisions are not made at that level. In Zagreb the price and safety of a purchase are shaped by very concrete things: the condition of the building after the 2020 earthquake, proximity to a tram line, land use under the General Urban Plan, whether an apartment is registered as a separate ownership unit and whether the physical situation matches the land registry. Our guides start from exactly these questions, because they are the ones that decide whether a purchase turns out well or becomes a problem.
Each property type has its own logic of price, risk and target audience. A new-build apartment is valued differently from a flat in a 1960s block, and land without a final building permit carries a risk that a house with an occupancy permit does not. For a detailed overview by segment, see:
If you are on the buyer's side, it helps to work through the process before you even start viewings, so you avoid falling for a property that does not suit you financially or legally. We have prepared buying consultation as an overview of the whole path, and for individual categories there is buying apartments, buying houses, buying land and buying commercial properties. If this is your first property, start with the guide Buying your first property in Zagreb, where the process is broken down step by step.
For sellers the priorities are setting the right price and preparing the paperwork before going to market. A property listed too high usually sits longer and then sells below market value anyway, because it has lost its first, most interested audience. Start with property valuation and seller representation, then look at the individual guides: selling apartments, selling houses, selling land and selling commercial properties.
For owners considering letting, the renting property page explains the difference between long-term and short-term rental, how to set the rent by district and what to watch for in the tenancy agreement, including the deposit, rental registration and the split of maintenance costs.
Beyond type and direction of the transaction, we have singled out the topics that come up in almost every client conversation:
Buying an apartment in Zagreb usually goes through the following stages. First the budget and borrowing capacity are established, since that sets the realistic range of properties. Then the district and property type are chosen, followed by viewings. Once you find a property, the land registry status and encumbrances are checked, price and deadlines are agreed and a preliminary contract is signed with a deposit. After that comes financing and the bank valuation, signing the main contract at the notary, filing the transfer tax and registering the new owner. Finally there is the handover with meter readings and the transfer of utilities.
Selling starts with a valuation and a check that the documentation is complete, including the ownership certificate, the energy certificate and, where needed, the ownership division study. Next comes preparing the property for photography and the listing itself, then a period of viewings and negotiation. Once a buyer is agreed, a preliminary contract is signed, and after payment or loan approval, the main contract as well. The seller then tracks the payment, takes part in the handover and, if the property was owned for only a short period, checks any liability for income tax on disposal.
Beyond the price of the property itself, the budget should include real estate transfer tax, notary fees, the cost of the bank valuation, the loan processing fee, any lawyer's fee and the agency commission. For new builds, instead of transfer tax you usually pay VAT that is already included in the price, but then you need to allow for the cost of fitting out the apartment, which can be substantial. We break all of these items down in the guide on property taxes.
The price and character of a property depend above all on the district. For every district where we actively broker, we have made a separate guide covering prices, infrastructure, transport links and specifics:
A combined overview of all districts is on the Real estate by location page, and an overview of all agency services on the Real estate agency services in Zagreb page.
We suggest reading the guides in the order your transaction unfolds. If you are only thinking about buying, start with property type and location, then move on to taxes and financing, and only then to viewings. If you are selling, work the other way round: valuation and documentation first, then advertising. The guides give the general picture, but every property has its own details, so treat them as preparation for a conversation with an agent.
We refresh the guides regularly with new prices and changes in regulations. We quote prices as indicative ranges because they shift through the year.
Yes. Once you have narrowed the choice using the guides, contact us for a specific valuation or a review of the property you are considering.
We currently cover six neighbourhoods in detail, around the office on Vlaška ulica, and we are extending the list to Novi Zagreb, Sesvete and the surrounding settlements.
The guides are free and publicly available. The introductory conversation and an indicative valuation are also free of charge, and a fee is only agreed for actual brokerage.
Yes, all pages are available in Croatian, English, German, Slovenian and Russian.
Continue to the overview of Zagreb districts, agency services or a free property valuation.