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The list of real estate companies in Switzerland

By Benjamin Steiner
Reading time: 9 minutes

What are the biggest real estate companies in Switzerland? Find out all about your options for selling or buying real estate in Switzerland.

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Switzerland's real estate market is known for its stability, high demand, and high value. With its high population density, strong economy and high wage levels, Switzerland has some of the highest real estate prices in the world. The real estate industry in Switzerland is highly competitive, with several big real estate companies and countless local agencies vying for market dominance. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the top real estate companies in Switzerland, their market share, and the services they offer. Whether you are an owner looking to sell, or simply interested in the Swiss property market, this article will provide you with valuable insights into the real estate industry in Switzerland. 

 

List of real estate companies in Switzerland

Neho 

Neho is one of the top real estate companies with over 1,000 sales per year throughout all of Switzerland. At Neho, each seller is accompanied by a dedicated real estate agent from their region, from the free and non-binding on-site valuation of their property to the completion of the deed in front of the notary. 

Neho is unique among real estate companies in Switzerland in that it is the only really big real estate company to use a flat-fee pricing instead of a traditional percentage-based commission, potentially saving their customers tens of thousands of Swiss francs when selling their property. 

If you want to sell your home, land, or building, Neho offers an expert valuation free of charge and without obligation. Click on the banner to start your seller’s journey with Neho: 

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Walde Immobilien

Walde Immobilien is a real estate company with a long history, having been in the business for over 35 years. They are active in Zurich and the surrounding areas, including the cantons of Lucerne, Zug, and Aargau. 

 

Immosky

Immosky is a real estate company originally from France. The company was founded in 2003 and now operates throughout several countries in Europe including Switzerland. 

 

Engel & Völkers

Engel & Völkers is an internationally operating real estate company headquartered in Germany. The company was founded in 1977 and now has branch offices and subsidiaries all over the world, including in Switzerland. Engel & Völkers is known especially for their brokerage activity in the luxury segment.  

 

Remax

Remax is a global real estate company founded in 1973 in the United States. The company operates through a network of franchisee-owned and operated offices, with more than 100,000 affiliated agents in over 100 countries and territories worldwide, making it one of the biggest real estate companies in terms of coverage and reach. Remax is known for its business model of providing real estate agents with autonomy and flexibility in running their own businesses under their brand. 

 

RaiffeisenCasa

RaiffeisenCasa is the eponymous bank’s own real estate arm. They are active throughout all of Switzerland, and offer a wide range of services in the area of real estate and financing. 

 

Naef Immobilier

Naef is a real estate company with a long history, having been founded as a family business over 100 years ago. They run several offices in the Lake Geneva region in French-speaking Switzerland. 

 

Betterhomes

Betterhomes is a real estate company based in Zurich. It was founded in 2005 and has since brokered several thousand properties in Switzerland. The company offers services in the areas of real estate sales, rentals, and valuations. 

 

Properti

Properti is a recent start-up founded in 2019. Like many other start-ups in the field, they are hybrid brokers, combining aspects of traditional brokerage with the use of digital tools. However, they still charge a traditional broker’s commission. 

 

Immobifix

Possibly the cheapest offer on the market today comes from Immobifix, the true discounter among real estate companies in Switzerland. Immobifix is active throughout the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

 

The different types of real estate companies

Classic real estate companies

Traditional real estate agencies typically follow a business model where agents work in a physical office, and clients have to visit the office to discuss their real estate needs. The agent serves as the primary point of contact for clients and is responsible for managing all aspects of the transaction, including buyer acquisition. The agent’s personal network also plays a large role in bringing together sellers and buyers. 

Agents in classic real estate companies usually work on a commission basis. A typical broker’s commission in Switzerland is around 3-4 percent of the sale price, which amounts to CHF 30’000-60’000 considering the high property prices in Switzerland. 

 

Fixed-price/flat-fee real estate companies

Flat-fee or fixed-price real estate companies charge a flat fee or fixed price for their services. This model is different from that of traditional real estate agencies, where agents typically receive a percentage of the sale price as their commission. With a fixed-price real estate company, the price for the brokerage service is instead independent of the sale price of the property. With Swiss property prices frequently exceeding 1 or even 2 million Swiss Francs, choosing a fixed-price agency can save tens of thousands of francs in commission fees during the sale of a property. 

Fixed-price real estate companies offer the same services as traditional agencies, but will often have a stronger focus on comprehensive marketing and a high-quality presentation of the property for sale (e.g. HD photos, virtual tours). This way, modern real estate companies can generate more interested parties for each property, which in turn leads to higher sale prices due to increased competition between buyers. 

Neho is the Swiss market leader in the home and apartment sector, selling over 1,000 properties each year across all of Switzerland. They offer a comprehensive brokerage service at a fixed price, starting with a free valuation of the property. 

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Buyer’s commission only 

There are some agencies that advertise their services as totally free of charge for sellers. They do this by only charging a buyer’s commission instead of the usual seller’s commission. For sellers, while this zero-cost offer may initially look attractive, there is one huge issue: an agent mandated by the buyer instead of the seller has no incentive to act in the seller’s best interest, such as obtaining a good price for the property, or providing comprehensive support for the seller during the sale. It is strongly recommended that sellers stay away from free offers and instead mandate an agency that actually has their best interest in mind when selling their property. 

 

The best real estate companies

Choosing the right real estate agency is an important decision when it comes to buying, selling or renting a property. However, which is the best real estate company will depend on your preferences and needs. Below, we will explore which real estate agency comes out on top according to three different criteria. 

 

Real estate agencies with the best local service

Choosing a local agency for the sale of a property can provide several key advantages. First of all, a local agent will have in-depth knowledge of the local real estate market and can provide insights into the current market conditions, including the demand for properties, pricing trends, and the best time to sell. A local agent may also have a network of contacts and connections in the local real estate market. A local agent can provide personalised service and attention, taking the time to understand the specific needs and goals of the seller and tailoring their services to meet those needs. Also, working with a local agent allows for face-to-face interactions, which are essential to building trust and rapport between the seller and agent. 

It is always recommended that you entrust the sale of your property to a local agent. This does not mean that you have to choose a small or local real estate company – in fact, most top real estate companies will employ local agents to support their customers on-site, even if their headquarters may be elsewhere. 

One company that stands out in this respect is Neho. At Neho, each seller is supported by a dedicated local agent, from the free and non-binding on-site valuation to the completion of the deed of sale in front of the notary. Each agent is supported by his or her own sales support specialist, enabling the local agent to dedicate all their time to supporting the seller on-site.

Click on the banner below to start your seller’s journey with Neho: 

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Real estate companies with the best price-quality balance

Choosing for price-quality balance allows you to get the most value for your money. You will then typically want to exclude the most expensive and the cheapest offers from your selection. When it comes to real estate agencies, this means that two types of agencies are out: 

 

  • Cheap discount offers (too low quality, bad service)
  • Traditional brokers (too expensive, not worth the money)

 

This leaves fixed-price real estate companies, which probably offer the best price-quality balance. Choosing a fixed-price real estate agency will have the advantage of saving you tens of thousands of Swiss francs in commission fees, since property prices in Switzerland are so high nowadays. 

 

 

Traditional agency

Neho

Pricing model

3% commission (typical)

Flat fee

commission at CHF 1,000,000 sale price

CHF 30,000

CHF 12,000

commission at CHF 2,000,000 sale price

CHF 60,000

CHF 12,000

 

In terms of services offered, fixed-price real estate companies can offer services that are identical or even superior to those offered by traditional agencies. They will have experienced local agents to support the sellers on their homeselling journey and to manage and negotiate offers with prospective buyers, and they will typically offer a free valuation of the property to be sold. In addition, sellers can benefit from the higher-quality presentation (HD photos, virtual tours for buyers). 

 

Real estate company 

Pricing model

Free valuation

Local agent 

High-quality presentation 

Buyer management

Fixed-price real estate companies

Fixed price

Yes ✔️

Yes ✔️

Yes ✔️

Yes ✔️

Classic real estate companies

% commission

Yes ✔️

Yes ✔️

No ❌

Yes ✔️

Low-cost or zero-cost real estate companies

Very low cost or buyer’s commission only

Yes ✔️

No ❌

No ❌

No ❌

 

The cheapest real estate companies 

There are some real estate companies out there that advertise their services for a very low price or even zero cost for the seller. Let’s have a look at both of these cases: 

  • Low price: Possibly the cheapest real estate company on the market today is Immobifix, who offer a brokerage service at a record low price of CHF 3,580. However, the services offered can’t really be compared to those of more serious agencies, whether those be more premium fixed-price companies or classic commission-type agencies. 
  • Zero cost for the seller: These real estate companies only charge a buyer’s commission instead of the usual seller’s commission. This should be a huge red flag for any seller, since an agent mandated by the buyer instead of the seller ultimately has no incentive to act in the seller’s best interest, such as obtaining a good price for the property, or providing appropriate support for the seller during the sale. 

 

Quick overview: List of real estate companies in Switzerland

  • Neho
  • Walde Immobilien
  • Immosky
  • Engel & Völkers
  • Remax
  • Naef Immobilier
  • Betterhomes
  • AgentSelly
  • Properti
  • Immobifix
Benjamin Steiner
Benjamin Steiner
Marketing Content Specialist

Benjamin holds a master's degree from the University of Zurich and has many years of experience as a writer and editor. At Neho, he researches current events and trends in the real estate industry and translates them into easily understood blog articles.

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Contents
  • List of real estate companies in Switzerland
  • The different types of real estate companies
  • The best real estate companies
  • Quick overview: List of real estate companies in Switzerland

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