Selling off-market in Luxembourg: how it works

Step 1: how do you set the right price without testing the market in public?

With signed sales, not listings. This is the rule that makes or breaks a discreet sale. Over the twelve months to the end of June 2026, existing apartments in Luxembourg were listed at an average of €9,437 per m² but sold at €7,712 per m², an 18 % gap according to the Observatoire de l'Habitat and STATEC (gouvernement.lu). The two samples are not identical, but the message is clear: a listing is not a price.

In a classic sale, an overpriced home is corrected in full view, cut after cut. Asking prices were still 5.0 % lower year on year in the second quarter of 2026, according to Immotop (Chronicle.lu). Off-market, there is no public history to erase, but there is no crowd of buyers to push the price up either. The starting price has to be right from day one.

In practice, the valuation starts from the signed prices in your commune and size band, then is adjusted after a visit: floor, parking, energy class, condition, co-ownership. For a house, where there is no official price per m², you reason in total price: a national median of €870,000 and an average of €1,372,796 in the canton of Luxembourg.

Step 2: what does an off-market mandate contain?

A written sales mandate, as for a classic sale, plus a confidentiality clause. In Luxembourg, an agency mandate falls under civil law: exclusivity, duration and fees are set by contract. No specific statute imposes a duration for exclusivity, so read that clause before you sign. Your agent must hold a business permit, professional liability insurance and a fixed place of business in Luxembourg (guichet.lu). Check it, it is public.

The off-market mandate also states what will be shown, to whom and in what form: no listing on portals, no photos online, a property file handed only to identified buyers, often after they sign a non-disclosure agreement. On fees, Luxembourg custom is 3 %, freely negotiable, plus 17 % VAT (Autorité de la concurrence). At Secretimmo, we charge 3 % for a public exclusive mandate and 5 % for an off-market sale (2 % with a partner agency). The difference pays for different work: going out to find buyers one by one rather than waiting for them to call.

Step 3: how is the list of qualified buyers built?

By filtering before showing. A qualified list is not a file of curious onlookers, it is a handful of buyers whose budget, financing and timing are known. It is fed by search mandates signed by buyers, by the network of partner agencies and by the agent's direct contacts.

Every buyer goes through three filters. The first is the project: size, commune, a budget that fits your price. The second is financing: deposit, a bank's agreement in principle or proof of funds. With 20 to 25 year fixed rates around 3.69 % in August 2026 according to the BCL, borrowing capacity is quick to calculate, and it gets checked. The third is compliance: estate agents are subject to anti-money-laundering obligations and must know who is buying and with what money.

Off-market, your property is never shown to anyone who has not first proved they can buy it.

Want to know what price your property could reach without a public listing? Get my free valuation →

Solvent buyers exist. Luxembourg had 690,959 inhabitants on 1 January 2026, 46.6 % of them foreign nationals, and has the highest median wealth per adult in the world according to UBS, €336,498 (IndexBox). The job is to find them without shouting from the rooftops.

Step 4: how do discreet viewings work?

By appointment, one buyer at a time, with the agent. No open house, no sign on the façade, no neighbours counting cars. Before the viewing, the buyer has received a detailed file: floor plans, surface area, service charges, energy performance certificate and, for an apartment, the minutes of the co-owners' meetings. They come to check, not to discover.

You do not have to be there. Many sellers prefer not to be, and it often works better: buyers ask the agent their real questions. After each viewing, you get precise feedback, positive or not, and the price is discussed on concrete points. If two buyers are interested, competition is still possible, just behind closed doors.

Step 5: what do you sign at the compromis?

The compromis de vente records the agreement: the property, the price, the date of the deed and the conditions precedent, usually the buyer obtaining a loan. Once signed by both parties, it is binding. That is why it is prepared carefully: proof of title, easements, the co-ownership's situation, the energy certificate, any mortgage to be released.

Off-market, the compromis often comes faster, because the buyer has already been vetted upstream. The time between compromis and deed depends mainly on the buyer's bank and the notary: in practice, count on a few weeks to a few months, and have it set out in writing. A confidentiality clause can be included, but it only covers the private phase. What follows goes through a public officer.

Step 6: what happens at the notary?

The authentic deed, signed before a notary, transfers ownership. At that moment the buyer pays registration and transcription duties, 7 % in total (6 % + 1 %) (Just Arrived), and can claim the Bëllegen Akt, a tax credit of €40,000 per person for a main residence. The notary checks the titles, receives the price and pays it to you, minus any loan to be repaid.

The deed is then transcribed at the Publicité foncière (land registry). That is where discretion ends: the Civil Code obliges the registry offices to deliver a copy of transcribed deeds to anyone who requests it (Luther). Off-market protects the marketing, not the deed.

On the seller's side, for a second home or a rental property, the holding period matters: up to 5 years, the gain is taxed at the full rate; beyond that, at half the global rate, after an allowance of €50,000 per person every 10 years. Have your notary or tax adviser calculate your net price before you sign the mandate.

How do you start your off-market sale?

With the price. Without a valuation based on real sales, none of the following steps holds. Use the free estimator at secretimmo.lu/valuation: you get a price range in two minutes. We then refine it on site and present your property to the buyers in our network whose project matches, before any advertising. The valuation is free if a mandate is signed within a week, otherwise it costs €600 excl. VAT.

And if no buyer comes forward at the right price, nothing is lost: your property was never exposed, and you can still choose a public sale, with a file already prepared.

This article draws on Le Logement en chiffres no. 20 (Observatoire de l'Habitat and STATEC), guichet.lu, the 2023 inquiry by the Autorité de la concurrence and data published by Immotop, Chronicle.lu, Just Arrived and the law firm Luther. The figures, timelines and practices described are indicative and do not replace the advice of your notary or tax adviser.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an off-market sale take in Luxembourg?

No official statistic measures time on market in Luxembourg. Everything depends on the starting price and the depth of the buyer network. Between compromis and notarial deed, count in practice on a few weeks to a few months, mainly depending on the buyer's financing.

How much does an off-market sale cost?

Luxembourg custom is a 3 % fee, freely negotiable, plus 17 % VAT. At Secretimmo, an off-market sale costs 5 % (2 % with a partner agency), against 3 % for a public exclusive mandate. The 7 % registration and transcription duties are paid by the buyer.

Who can view my property off-market?

Only identified buyers whose project, budget and financing have been checked, often after signing a non-disclosure agreement. The agent, who is subject to anti-money-laundering obligations, also checks where the funds come from.

Does the sale price stay secret after an off-market sale?

No. The notarial deed is transcribed at the Publicité foncière, and the Civil Code obliges the offices to deliver a copy to anyone who asks. Off-market protects the marketing phase, not the final deed.

Can I switch to a public sale if off-market does not work?

Yes. Since your property was never exposed, it has no history of price cuts. You can move to a public sale with a file already prepared and a price already tested on real buyers.