How to sell a flat in Prague: the process from valuation to closing

The most common regret of first-time sellers in Prague is not the price. It is the timing: a buyer found, a reservation signed, and then three weeks lost because the owners' association had not issued a statement or the energy certificate did not exist. The sale itself is not difficult. It is a chain of small documents, each with its own lead time.

This guide sets out the chain in order, who does what at each link, and which parts you can start before you list the flat.

Step one: know what the flat is worth

Set the price after looking at comparable flats, not after hearing what the neighbour thinks. A broker's market estimate is free to ask for, an online estimate is quick, and an appraiser's report is formal and paid. Our guide to valuing your flat before selling compares them. For a free first indication, the valuation service at odhad.homerealestate.cz (in Czech) is one option.

Overpricing costs time. A flat that sits unsold for weeks starts to look stale and invites lower offers than a fairly priced one would have attracted on day one.

Step two: documents you will need

Collect these before you list.

• Cadastre extract (list vlastnictví). Viewing it online is free, and an official extract is available for a fee. Our guide to reading a property extract explains what the entries mean.
• Energy performance certificate (průkaz energetické náročnosti budovy, PENB). Under the Energy Management Act (zákon č. 406/2000 Sb.) a seller shows it to the buyer and hands it over, and the energy class belongs in the advert. For a single flat in a block, the energy bills for the last three years can stand in for it (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Industry and Trade). Ask the owners' association first: it often has a certificate for the whole building.
• Statements from the owners' association (společenství vlastníků jednotek): service charges, reserve-fund contributions, any debts, planned repairs.
• Floor plan and proof of the unit's description, so that the contract matches the cadastre.
• Mortgage details, if there is a loan on the flat. See our explainer on selling a flat with a mortgage.

If the flat is jointly owned by spouses, both must take part in the sale. The paperwork to prove who owns what should be ready early.

Step three: broker or no broker

Selling alone saves a commission and costs time. Selling through a broker costs a fee and saves effort, and the quality of brokers varies. Commission is not set by law. It is agreed in the broker contract, and you should read the clauses on exclusivity, duration and what happens if you find your own buyer. Our explainer on real estate agents and fees covers the questions to ask.

Whichever route, make sure the advert matches the documents. A floor area or room count that differs from the cadastre will surface at the contract stage and slow things down.

Step four: viewings and negotiation

Photographs and an honest description do more work than any clever wording. Keep the flat clean and bright and answer questions about the building directly. Buyers will ask about service charges, the reserve fund and neighbours, and a seller who has the answers to hand looks like a seller with nothing to hide. Our piece on preparing a flat for sale suggests what is worth doing before viewings.

Negotiation usually covers price, the date of handover and what stays in the flat. Put the agreed points in writing before the reservation.

Step five: the reservation

A reservation agreement (rezervační smlouva) takes the flat off the market for a fixed period, usually against a deposit paid by the buyer. As seller you want the period to be short enough to keep the sale moving and the conditions clear: what the buyer must do, by when, and what happens to the deposit if the buyer withdraws. Our article on reservation agreements and escrow explains the usual terms.

Step six: the contract

The sale is concluded by a written purchase contract (kupní smlouva). It identifies the parties, describes the unit and the share of common parts, states the price and sets out how it is paid. Signatures are usually officially verified. A lawyer drafts or reviews it, and our guide to key contract clauses lists the points.

Step seven: escrow

Neither party wants to go first. The buyer does not want to pay before ownership changes, and the seller does not want to hand over the keys before the money is secure. Escrow solves this: the price is held by a notary, lawyer or bank and released after the cadastre has registered the transfer. Our piece on notaries, lawyers and escrow describes the options.

Step eight: registration and handover

Either party files the application for entry (návrh na vklad) with the cadastral office. Ownership passes on entry, effective from the day the application was received, and the office cannot enter it before a 20-day protective period after notifying the owners has run. The fee for the application is CZK 2,000 (as of 2026; check ČÚZK).

Then comes the handover. Agree the date, read the meters together, list what is left in the flat and sign a handover protocol. Move the energy, gas, water and internet contracts to the buyer the same day.

How long does it take?

Expect the sale to take weeks to months from listing to money, depending on the market, the buyer's financing and the registry's workload. A cash buyer can be quick. A buyer who needs a mortgage depends on the bank's valuation and approval. Do not promise a date to anyone before the bank has agreed the schedule.

Tax and what you keep

A private seller is exempt from income tax on the sale if the flat was held for 10 years (5 years if acquired before 2021), or if the seller lived there for 2 years immediately before the sale; a shorter residence can still qualify if the money goes into your own housing by the end of the tax year following the year you received it, and you notify the tax office (as of 2026; check Finanční správa). Otherwise the gain is taxable. The full list of selling costs is in what it costs to sell a flat in Prague. The rules are set out in our explainer on the tax on income from property sale; check the current rule with the Financial Administration (as of 2026). To estimate what you might keep after costs, you can use the property sale calculator on Hypoteky.com, which is a model, not advice.

Where sales slow down

Four delays recur. Missing documents top the list, as the opening of this guide suggests. The buyer's financing comes next: a bank valuation that undershoots the price, or a loan approval that arrives late, can move the date of the whole chain. The lien on a mortgaged flat needs the lender's consent, and banks work to their own timetable. Co-owners or spouses who must sign but are abroad or unreachable add days or weeks. A seller who spots which of the four applies can start working on it before it blocks the sale.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a lawyer to sell a flat?

The law does not require one, but the contract and the escrow are legally sensitive documents, and most sellers use a lawyer or a broker's legal service.

How long does a sale take?

It varies with the market, the documents and the buyer's financing. Agree realistic dates in the contract rather than rely on a general estimate.

When do I become free of the flat?

The ownership passes when the cadastre enters the transfer. The handover of keys usually follows once the price is secured in escrow.

Who pays the cadastre fee?

The contract decides. The fee is CZK 2,000 per application (as of 2026; check ČÚZK).

Is the sale taxed?

Not if the 10-year (or 5-year) time test or the 2-year residence test is met. Otherwise the gain is taxable (as of 2026; check Finanční správa). Sellers living abroad should read our non-resident guide.

Start this week

Order the cadastre extract, ask the owners' association for its statements, and check whether you have an energy certificate. These three documents are the usual cause of delay, and none of them requires a buyer. If you live outside Czechia, read selling a flat in Prague as a non-resident before you list.

This is a general explainer, not legal, tax or mortgage advice.