Success stories

How we used our database to sell an apartment building in Zehlendorf off-market in just 72 days

Around a 12-minute read

Jessika B has inherited the apartment building she grew up in. Having spent some time wondering whether she might like to move in herself, she decidesto sell the property, which is in the much sought-after residential area of Zehlendorf.

Jessika now has all sorts of questions she needs answers to: how can she estimate the value of the property? Where’s the best place to advertise the sale of an apartment building? What documents are needed in order to sell the property? How can you catch the attention of investors? Who would be in a position to pay the best price? In order to be able to deal with these challenges as well as she can, she starts looking for professional help.

»I thought I’d pop in and say hello to Mr Semmelrock to see whether we would get on and whether had the makings of a relationship of trust. Our first conversation made it very clear that this was the case. So then there was no question about it: I needed Semmelrock! «

Jessika B

Jessika’s ex-husband, Daniel, helps her with all matters relating to the building. Whether it’s dealing with the tenants or maintaining the property, he’s always there with help and advice. Thus, he was ready to help out when it came to the decision to sell the house. Over the following weeks, Jessika, Daniel, and Semmelrock Immobilienagentur developed a perfect workflow together.

»How often is it that you sell a house? Once in a lifetime! For me, it was fantastic having Mr Semmelrock, a true professional, doing what he’s best at. There was always a purpose to the questions he asked. Nothing was superfluous. It was a real joy just to get cracking and get on with the things that needed doing.«

Daniel B

When it comes to marketing an investment, our aim is to avoid throwing it open to the anonymous masses. Instead, we look for buyers off-market, and do so in an entirely targeted manner. This involves a process which is entirely different to that involved in selling an owner-occupied flat or a detached house. To obtain the best possible outcome, we turn to our very own carefully maintained database.

First of all, the Semmelrock team prepares eight files with meticulous care, filling them with the documentation provided by the owners. The task is to use detailed analysis to clearly communicate the condition of the property, provide a precise estimate of its market value, and to highlight its – as yet hidden – potential.

Through their friendly relationship with their tenants, Jessika and Daniel are well-placed to contribute any additional data and information which might be needed in order to create a complete package of marketing material. During all of these procedures, we take on all the organisational and research-related work on behalf of the owner, support her with our know-how, and always make sure that we are always thinking one step ahead.

»Mr Semmelrock was always very clear about the documents and information he needed from me. He only contacted me when he needed something very specific.«

Jessika B

In the archive of building records, we track down old floor plans and other documents related to the property and discover that the coach house in the rear courtyard of the property housed a blacksmith’s workshop in the middle of the last century. With the arrival of the motorcar, the blacksmith saw the danger to his livelihood and asked the authorities in Berlin for permission to convert the forge into an automobile workshop.

»The entrance doors are so high because the horse-drawn carriages back then had to be able to pass through them into garages. There’s also an inspection pit in every garage. These allowed repairs to be carried out underneath the carriages. Except in the little garage. That had chickens in it. «

Daniel B

Jessika’s grandmother had to flee Königsberg/East Prussia for Berlin, and found her new home at her aunt’s house in Zehlendorf. She was allowed to live in the coach house, and later received the building from her aunt as a gift.

»Our house was the only one on the road not to have been damaged by the wartime bombing. We must have had an awful lot of guardian angels fluttering around the place!«

Jessika B

At that time, the residents of the house were fond of gathering around a small pond which had been created in the front garden. There was a kind of solidarity between the owners and the tenants which continues to characterise the property to the present day. It is for this reason that Jessika is not only keen that the buyers need to to be happy to pay her the asking price, but also that they must be the kind of people who will be sensitive to the needs of the tenants.

Just four weeks after taking on the job, the marketing phase begins. We consult our carefully maintained database in order to find precisely those potential buyers who are most likely to be interested in this property. At all times, the process of selling the property was managed calmly and with a light touch, with the owner remaining as undisturbed as possible with regard to enquiries about viewing appointments . As all the various activities involved go into high gear, Jessika is left undisturbed and at no point are the tenants given any cause for concern.

»For me, it was fantastic that Mr Semmelrock always kept me informed about what was going on, and about which appointments were taking place. Everything was entirely transparent, and I always received the information I needed before it even occurred to me that I needed it.«

Jessika B

Based on our initial selection of 174 potential buyers we draw up a shortlist of 41 who we then talk to. This then results in seven targeted viewings of the property. A personable duo consisting of an investor and a project developer see the exciting potential hidden in this investment. The two professionals are experienced players on the Berlin market and recognise that the exclusive features of this property justify the high asking price.

Jessika is delighted, not only at being able to sell her parents’ property for the asking price at such astonishing speed, but also at the fact that she knows that her tenants are in good hands. Embarking on a happy new chapter in her life, she then uses a portion of the proceeds to buy two freehold apartments for herself and her family.