In the WISO broadcast of the 25. In March, four real estate agents were tested in the "WISO Trick" series. The procedure followed the usual patterns: an elderly lady was wired with a microphone, in an adjoining room listened to an expert. Lockobjekt was an approximately 50 years old Okal-prefabricated house in the Berlin area in a dilapidated condition. The heating and most trades were at least 40 years old, the swimming pool no longer functional and the facade was made of asbestos.

Due to the considerable renovation and demolition costs, the expert estimated the house at € 123.000, -. This determined price consisted of the land value minus the demolition costs and the disposal of the contaminated parts of the building. Viewed from afar and without knowing the details, the determined price seems to be absolutely real.

In order to check the competence of the brokers, the fictitious saleswoman should ask additional questions about the land register, the heating, the asbestos façade, etc.

The first broker, by his own admission a newcomers (but with experience) was not even able to interpret the land register entry correctly, had no idea of ​​asbestos and it was not known that, according to the Energy Saving Ordinance, the replacement of a 40 years old heater is mandatory. He estimated the selling price just on approx.

€ 400.000, - but at least someone in his office seemed to know a little bit and a few days later the price was corrected to € 165.000, -.

The next candidate represented a global brokerage firm (who might that be?) And also shone with incompetence. A real screamer was his advice to make an asbestos removal but rather with a protective mask, but also his assessment of the selling price was based on adventurous assumptions. Thus, the cost of a fictitious new building was simply added to the land value and came out with a retail price of € 457.000, -.

Broker number 3 knew at least that prefabricated houses from the 70er and 80er years might be contaminated with pollutants and then declared the house as uninhabitable. Nevertheless, it determined a selling price of € 419.000, - by incorrectly calculating land and gross floor space and not making any deductions.

The last broker came through a broker comparison portal. The best realtors are supposed to be listed there, but in truth they pay the portal for getting potential sellers mediated. Most sellers and buyers are not offered quality here, in our case, however, it is almost criminal. On the demand of the saleswoman, whether information about asbestos would have to be made, replied the "broker", if they did not know, they could also conceal it and he would not include this information in his exposé. The fact that false or incomplete information on damages and defects can lead to the reversal of the purchase and possibly claims for damages seems to have been unaware of the Lord, since it is almost no longer apparent that he classified the property as a solid house and him the company "Okal" was completely unknown.

 

For any reputable real estate agent, the result of the WISO test must be devastating. Professional incompetence coupled with thoroughly overdrawn valuations (out of ignorance or to get the job) and criminal energy really do not give a good picture of the industry. One may criticize the selection of subjects and mock the fact that just Berlin has become a shark tank, in which whether the shortage of real estate and the high buyer commissions disproportionately rickety mediators. But this criticism misses the core. Why is there a three-year training to (m) real estate clerk / merchant and various trainings, if someone buys a trade license for a few euros, completed an 14-day "training" at an IHK and thus formally obtained the same qualification and may call real estate agents ? To this end, the policy has been silent for decades and any attempt to regulate the profession and introduce a mandatory admission blocks.

Below is the link to the WISO test:

 

https://www.zdf.de/verbraucher/wiso/haus-verkaufen-marktwert-durch-makler-kostenlos-ermitteln-100.html  (Link valid until 20.03.2020)