For property owners in the Canton of Zurich
The sale price is not what counts. What you keep at the end is.
The listing shows one price. Your bank account will show another. In between sit the property gains tax, the bank, the notary – and decisions you only make once. We calculate all of it with you, in writing, before you sign anything. And if the honest answer is «don’t sell yet» – that is exactly what we will tell you.
The valuation is not the right first step for everyone.
Where do you stand?
No sale starts with an estate agent. It starts with a question.
Choose yours. You will get an answer first – not a sales pitch.
The calculation hardly anyone shows
Two agents, two prices – and the lower one was worth more in the end.
This is how it usually goes: two agents visit. One says 1.25 million, the other 1.35 – and the higher number wins the mandate. Sounds logical. It is often the more expensive decision, because the number on paper is not the amount that lands in your account.
An example from our home market: a single-family house, owned by the same family for 22 years. On a gain of CHF 480,000, the property gains tax alone comes to around CHF 90,700 – in the canton of Zurich this can be calculated to the franc. Add the bank’s fee for repaying the mortgage early, the notary, the fee. And the one question that can change everything: does the proceeds flow into a new home? Then the tax can be deferred.
We calculate this chain first – every position itemised, in writing. Then we talk about the price.
Where the difference comes from
Three things we do differently – and why they pay off.
A typical situation
«We will never agree on our parents' house.»
Three siblings, an empty family home, and every conversation ends at the price – that is how a sale out of an inheritance begins more often than you would think. The way out is almost always the same: a neutral valuation as common ground, a written plan for everyone, and only then the market.
Canton of Zurich
Taxes, prices and buyers differ in every municipality.
We work across the whole canton – and look at each municipality on its own: tax rate, market situation, and who is buying there right now.
Estate agents in Zurich
How do I find the right estate agent in Zurich?
You recognise the right estate agent in Zurich by how they arrive at their figure, not the highest estimate. You cannot check a figure that nobody explains. A reliable estimate is a range, not a wishful number, based on comparable properties in your area. Seeing the kitchen, bathrooms, heating and wiring on site makes it more precise.
Ask every agent three questions: «Where does your figure come from?» «Will you show me every offer, including the low ones?» «When is your fee due?» Our answers: comparable properties and about 45 minutes on site, every offer immediately, our fee only at the notary (Immosmile GmbH, as of October 2026).
What this means for you: invite two or three agents to your kitchen table, or to your parents'. Beforehand, you can read how a sale with us works. At the table, ask everyone the same questions and compare the reasoning, not the highest figure.
Feel free to ask us the three questions first. You get the reasoning behind our figure in writing, along with what you keep.
Taxes when selling a house
What taxes do I pay when I sell my house in Zurich?
When you sell a house in the Canton of Zurich, you pay property gains tax (Grundstückgewinnsteuer): a tax on the profit, not the price. The canton abolished transfer tax (Handänderungssteuer), a tax on the change of ownership, in 2005. Put simply, profit is what you get today minus what you once paid. Documented investments that add value reduce this profit.
From five full years of ownership, the tax falls each year. After twenty years it is halved and falls no further (§ 225 Zurich Tax Act, as of October 2026). For example: owned for 22 years, CHF 480,000 profit with receipts, CHF 90,700 tax. Without receipts for CHF 120,000, the tax is CHF 114,700.
What this means for you: the receipts are worth CHF 24,000 here. That is money for your next home or your children. Keep the old purchase contract and the invoices for an extension or converted loft. Run your own numbers with the property gains tax calculator.
Worked example under § 225 of the Zurich Tax Act (Steuergesetz des Kantons Zürich), before deducting selling costs, not a tax assessment. Rate bands, the reduction and fees are explained on the page Selling in the Canton of Zurich. General information, not tax or legal advice for your individual case.
Your questions
Before you invite anyone to your kitchen table.
Is a valuation worth it if I do not want to sell yet?
Yes, especially then. You see in writing what you would keep if you sold today, and then decide in your own time.
The valuation with net calculation is free and without obligation, and the report is yours. If waiting or keeping adds up better, the report says exactly that. To sort out your situation first, alone or with your children, start with the home check for owners, a questionnaire.
What does the valuation with net calculation cost me?
Nothing: the valuation and the first conversation are free. We do not sell your details and do not pass them on to other agents. If you sell with us later, we explain the fee in person and in writing before you sign anything. It only falls due with the notarised deed (Beurkundung), when the contract is signed at the notary.
Can I sell my house in Zurich privately?
Yes: a notary is mandatory, not an agent. Article 216 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (Obligationenrecht) requires a notarised sale contract, as of October 2026. Price, listing, viewings and negotiation then fall to you.
If you already have a buyer, say a neighbour, you need no agent: only a notary and a figure both sides believe. Our valuation provides the written reasoning for it, free here too, and the report is yours.
What do I need to consider when selling a house in Zurich?
Three things, before you talk about price. First: find the receipts for work that added value. They lower property gains tax, the tax on your profit.
Second: ask your bank when your mortgage expires. Repay a fixed-rate mortgage early, and the bank may charge a fee: the early repayment charge (Vorfälligkeitsentschädigung).
Third: check who must sign at the notary. For an inherited house, all heirs must sign, in person or by power of attorney.
Is Immosmile the same company as Immosmile in Germany?
No, Immosmile GmbH is a Swiss company. It is not connected to companies of the same name in Germany, such as those in Chemnitz or Nuremberg.
The company was founded in June 2022, and its office is at Bahnhofplatz 1, 8001 Zurich. You speak directly with the managing director, Dominik Devaja. You can read more about who is behind Immosmile.
On Google
What people we have worked with write.
Quoted word for word in the original German – omissions are marked «…».
Assessing the property
«Gemeinsam mit meinen Eltern waren wir auf der Suche nach einer passenden Immobilie und wurden dabei von ImmoSmile sehr professionell begleitet. Besonders bei der Erstbeurteilung und Einschätzung der Immobilie war die Beratung für uns sehr hilfreich. Die Kommunikation war zuverlässig, verständlich und man merkt sofort, dass ein sehr tiefes Know how im Bereich Immobilienbewertung vorhanden ist. …» Support until signing
«Von A-Z sehr zu empfehlen! Wir wurden bis hin zur Vertragsunterzeichnung stets professionell und unkompliziert begleitet. Die Kommunikation war immer sehr schnell und das gesamte Team ging auch die Extrameile um unseren komplexeren Ansprüchen gerecht zu werden. …» Inherited house sold
«… Sie haben mein geerbtes Haus erfolgreich verkauft und ich muss sagen, das hat sich wirklich gelohnt. …» Your direct line
You have a question? Call me.
You speak directly with the person who would handle your sale. No call centre, no hand-offs – and if you need half an hour, we take the half hour.
Dominik Devaja, managing director · Bahnhofplatz 1, 8001 Zurich – right by the main station
