Minke knows Rotterdam and its surrounding areas like the back of her hand. After all, she’s a Rotterdammer born and bred and has years of experience as an estate agent and valuer throughout the region. As a real estate expert, she can evaluate any property on the market quickly and accurately.

All you have to do is decide whether a particular property is your ‘dream home’. If so, Minke will accompany you on a second viewing to determine whether it meets all your requirements, what its current value is and how to arrange financing.

Follow this link to Minke Makelaardij’s reviews on the Funda website to find out what clients are saying about Minke.

You can enlist the services of a buying agent to help you find your dream home. Or perhaps you’ve already spotted a property and are about to make the biggest buying decision of your life. Either way, Minke will help make the process as smooth as possible.

Minke knows how to negotiate a better deal for you because she’s familiar with all the options in advance, for example everything you need to know about civil law notary rates and mortgage advisers.

She’ll save you a lot of time and money because she’ll also narrow down the number of viewings and do much of the legwork for you.

And because Minke informs you fully about everything you need to know, she can steer you around all the pitfalls that would otherwise cost you an arm and a leg.

No, the seller isn’t obliged to sell the property to you. The Dutch Supreme Court has ruled that the asking price should be viewed merely as an invitation to make a bid. Even if you bid the asking price, the seller may decide to reject your bid or make a counter-bid directly or through their selling agent.

Yes, this is allowed. The seller determines the price they want to sell their property for in consultation with their estate agent. You can negotiate your price, but the seller ultimately decides. That’s why it’s important to determine the property’s correct value with Minke in advance.

Yes, the seller is allowed to raise or lower their asking price. What’s more, you also have the right as a prospective buyer to lower your bid during negotiations. Your previous bids are void once the seller issues a counter-bid.

No, this isn’t the case. The seller determines in consultation with their selling agent who they want to negotiate with.

Yes, this is also allowed. Sometimes, there are so many bidders offering the asking price, or thereabouts, that it’s difficult for the seller to determine who’s the most suitable buyer.

In such a case, the seller may decide to alter the bidding procedure (if recommended to do so by their selling agent), for example by setting up a registration procedure [Dutch: inschrijvingsprocedure]. This involves giving all bidders a fair and equal opportunity to submit a bid.

Minke has a lot of experience in this area and can advise you and respond quickly and expertly.

Minke has a lot of experience with fixer-uppers and also knows where to find them.

Fixer-uppers involve making a detailed estimate of the renovation costs, as well as your financing options. Minke knows everything you’ll need to take into consideration.

If you don’t know your way around Rotterdam that well, Minke can take you on a guided tour through its neighbourhoods. But if you already know more or less where you want to live, then she can help you evaluate the properties you’ve found on Funda.

The selling agent represents the seller’s interests and advises them throughout the sales process. This is why they cannot and may not simultaneously represent your interests.

If you need advice, then it’s advisable to enlist Minke’s services as a buying agent. That way you know someone has your interests at heart.

Yes, for sure! First impressions are important, and if you really like a property, just let Minke know and she’ll accompany you on a second viewing.

Afterwards, she’ll tell you all your options and determine how best to proceed.

Yes, but not that many. Virtually every seller benefits from having as many potential buyers find their property on Funda in order to get the highest possible price. There may, however, be a reason why a property is put up for sale before being placed on Funda.

Because Minke maintains excellent business relations with her fellow estate agents, she can react quickly on your behalf to get you to the front of the queue on such occasions.

Yes, this is allowed. Negotiations don’t necessarily result in a sale. What’s more, the seller probably wants to gauge whether there’s broader interest for their property. And it’s also permissible for the seller to enter into negotiations with more than one prospective buyer at the same time. However, NVM estate agents are obliged to make this known to all parties involved.

Often, selling agents will inform you that the seller has already received a bid or is already in negotiations. As a prospective buyer, you’re allowed to make a bid, but the selling agent will only enter into negotiations with you once ongoing negotiations have come to an end.

The estate agent isn’t allowed to provide any information about bid amounts, as this could elicit a bidding war.

Minke provides her services for a fixed brokerage fee of € 4.200,- for property purchase prices up to € 400.000,-.

For properties over € 400.000,- (askingprice) I charge the same fixed fee of € 4.200,- plus a 0,5% brokerage fee over the amount above € 500.000,- (askingprice). If I succeed in negotiating a purchase price below the asking price, then I calculate the surcharge with respect to the purchase price.

After your first meeting, Minke will provide a quotation with absolutely no strings attached. It’s then up to you whether you enlist her services or not.

An NVM estate agent may never represent both parties to a transaction. This would constitute a conflict of interests. Compare this to two individuals involved in a legal dispute who both hire the same lawyer! This applies to estate agents, too.

The selling agent represents the seller’s interests, which is why it’s impossible for them to advise you impartially about purchasing a property. And vice versa.

If you end up enlisting the services of an estate agent to help you buy or sell a property, then you refer to them as either the ‘buying agent’ or ‘selling agent’ respectively.  As a buying agent, Minke has your best interests at heart.

Once you and the seller are in agreement about the main points, the selling agent then drafts a purchase agreement [Dutch: koopovereenkomst]. Only once both parties have signed the purchase agreement is the sale effected.

An important issue for consideration is the question of ‘resolutive conditions’ [Dutch: ontbindende voorwaarden]. If you want to include such conditions in the purchase agreement, then you have to make these known during negotiations. As a buyer, you’re not automatically entitled to include a resolutive condition.

Both you and the seller must agree to any additional provisions and resolutive conditions before the selling agent drafts the purchase agreement. The sale is only effected once this has been signed by both parties. This is referred to as a ‘requirement to lay something down in writing’ [Dutch: schriftelijkheidsvereiste].

Your statutory three-day cool off period also commences once you and the seller have both signed, and you’ve received, a copy of the purchase agreement. During the cool-off period, you’re entitled to cancel the purchase. Once the three days have passed, the sale is definitive, unless resolutive conditions apply.

Purchasing costs payable by the buyer [Dutch: kosten koper (k.k.)] include transfer tax (currently 2%) and the civil law notary’s fees.

Other possible costs payable by you as the buyer may include any mortgage advice/assistance, structural survey and buying agent costs.

It’s common practice to take out a mortgage to finance the purchase of a property. You should start investigating your options with a reputable mortgage adviser early on.

Minke can recommend several independent parties who besides mortgage advice can help you with pension accrual and wealth creation. One less concern!