How to use Hypofriend's Property Radar to find your dream home

Finding the right property can be a time-consuming process. Thankfully, the Property Radar by Hypofriend can save you a lot of time. It aggregates property listings from Germany's largest search platforms - Immoscout24, Immowelt, Kleinanzeigen and Ohne Makler - to provide you with over 90 percent of the market in one go.   

Search for your new home with Hypofriend! 

It also integrates properties directly from project developers like Bonava and WvM, and agents like NextEstate. This way customers get listings faster and sometimes exclusively.

How to search for your dream property with Hypofriend

Ready to find your dream home with the Property Radar by Hypofriend? Here’s how it works in five easy steps! 

1. Choose your search area

First things first, you need to create a free account with Hypofriend and complete the necessary steps to register. 

Then you can choose a search area. Think about the areas or neighbourhoods you want to live in and explore the surroundings. If you are able to, talk to people who already live there to find out more about the quality of life in your desired district, for instance thinking about public transport connections, shops, schools and other amenities. 

2. Get clear about your needs and budget

Next you need to do a reality check. Explore the supply of properties in your chosen area, observe how far in kilometres they are from the city centre or district you have chosen, and take note of the square footage range displayed in the Property Radar. You should also calculate your budget using Hypofriend’s affordability calculator, the most accurate one in the industry. This way you know how realistic your search is going to be, in terms of both property size and price. 

3. Filter your results

To view only the properties that match your criteria, adjust the filters that matter to you: 

• Eliminate rented properties unless you are looking for an investment property
• Set the radius of your search (if you are looking in Berlin, you can also search by district)
• Specify the property type (apartment, house or plot of land)
• Select your preferred property size and number of rooms
• Search by price per square metre, if you are looking for a bargain
• Exclude properties for which you have to pay a commission, if you wish
• Narrow down your search by viewing only properties with high energy efficiency ratings

Select your must-have features such as building type (new build or period property), location (e.g. top floor or ground floor), or access to balcony or garden 

You will then get a list of properties that match your criteria, and you can save all of your favourites in just a few clicks. 

To make sure you don’t miss any offers, you can also turn on alerts, meaning you will receive an email notification every time a new property is listed that matches your criteria. You can always update your criteria at a later date. 

4. Look at the floor plan 

Before viewing a property, take a closer look at the floor plan (Grundriss) to get a quick overview of the property, and check how many square metres you have. Which way does the property face in relation to the sun? Is the balcony well located? At this stage, you should focus on things you can’t change that make a difference - like windows, or the location of staircases and doors - not things you can change, like the colour of the walls or the kitchen cabinets. 

5. Start viewings

When you’re ready to start actually viewing properties, you should visit not only apartments and homes you like, but also those that don’t convince you right away. This will help you get a better idea of the market in the area you’re looking in. This helps you to better define what you are and are not looking for, and also sets you up well for negotiating a price when you do find “the” property. 

As a final tip: in your Hypofriend account, you can also check the value of the properties that have attracted your interest, and compare this with the price on offer. 

It pays to get expert advice when house-hunting in Germany!

When you feel like you are ready to buy your first property, or if you have any questions that you would like to have answered by an expert, the mortgage advisors at Hypofriend will be happy to help you!

Not only can they answer all your questions and clear up any doubts, but they can also give you insight into valuation, provide you with a financing certificate, and also offer other advice to give you a leg up compared to other buyers. 

Kick off your search today with the Hypofriend Property Radar.