A valuation from an estate agent always costs 0 kr., and you are not committing to anything. The only time you pay is for a formal valuation by a certified valuer (valuarvurdering), typically for a division of property (bodeling), an inheritance or a court case. That type costs 3.500 to 8.000 kr. for a private home, depending on the type of home and the purpose. If the valuation is for a division of property or an estate settlement in Copenhagen, the price is typically 5.000 to 12.000 kr.
“Free” covers only the valuation itself. If you choose to sell afterwards, you pay the usual fee to the estate agent, exactly as with any other sale. The valuation itself is free, but the sale is not.
Why an estate agent’s valuation costs nothing
An estate agent’s valuation costs nothing because the visit is the industry’s most important sales meeting. It is where you and the estate agent find out whether a sale is in sight, which is why the estate agent typically spends 1 to 2 hours on the visit and the calculation.
The time is split into three parts. First, 30 to 60 minutes of preparation, in which the estate agent looks at BBR (the Danish building register), previous sales and comparable sales. Then 30 to 60 minutes for the visit to the home itself. Finally, 30 to 90 minutes of follow-up work on the written valuation and a sales budget, so you can see what a sale would really cost you. Travel comes on top and varies with distance.
The sums add up because the estate agent earns a fee on a completed sale; see Brikk’s current prices. That income is what makes the valuation free. The estate agent does not charge for the meeting, but is betting that it will lead to being hired to sell.
In practice, then, a free home valuation is paid for by the sellers who say yes to selling. If you say no, you pay nothing, and the estate agent has put in the hours at their own expense. For you, there is no risk in booking a valuation, whatever you decide afterwards.
What do you get from a free estate agent valuation?
When you get a free home valuation, it is based on actual sales in your area, not a guess or a round number. Here is what you actually get out of the visit.
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The valuation is based on actual sales of comparable homes in the neighbourhood within the last 6 to 12 months, not average prices from statistics.
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The estate agent goes through the home on site and assesses its condition, energy label, recent renovations and the current demand in that part of the market. The visit itself typically lasts ½ to 1 hour.
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Ask for a written valuation with the reasoning behind it and examples of three homes sold in the last six months. They must be homes that have sold, not homes that are still for sale. Also ask what their asking prices were.
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Have your BBR extract, energy label, permits for extensions and receipts for major renovations ready. Without documentation, the estate agent calculates cautiously and arrives at a lower valuation.
The last point is often overlooked. The estate agent can only count what can be documented. A new bathroom without a receipt or a year does not count in the same way as one that can be traced back through the paperwork. Get the folders out, even if it feels like a lot.
Some estate agents give you the figure straight away; others come back to you in writing a few days later. Ask what lies behind it if you are only shown a single amount.
The price of a home valuation goes hand in hand with its accuracy
The price is zero, so it is tempting to take the first and easiest figure that pops up on your screen. But two free valuations can be hundreds of thousands of kroner apart, and accuracy decides what you actually get for your money. Here are the three methods side by side.
| Method | Price and time | Accuracy | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free estate agent valuation | 0 kr.; a visit of ½ to 1 hour | Typically within ±5 to 7% of the actual sale price, and accurate in 80% of cases | Requires you to have documentation of the home’s condition and renovations to hand |
| Online AVM calculator | Free; takes a minute | The margin of error is ±20 to 30% | On a home worth 3 million kr., that can mean a deviation of up to 900.000 kr., because the calculator does not know the home’s condition |
| Official property valuation | Free; instant | Typically deviates ±18 to 22% from market value, according to Realkreditrådet (the Danish mortgage banks’ association) | Vurderingsstyrelsen (the Danish property valuation agency) aims for 80% of market value as the tax base, not the market value itself |
The last row of the table explains why the three figures cannot be used interchangeably. A home’s condition alone can make a difference of ±15 to 25% between homes with identical key figures. An in-person estate agent valuation picks up that difference, but an algorithm cannot see it.
Price of a certified valuation: when do you pay?
The valuation you typically pay for is the certified valuation (valuarvurdering). It is used in particular by housing cooperatives (andelsboligforeninger) and must be carried out by an approved valuer. The valuer assesses the cooperative’s property as a rental property, in other words what an investor would pay for it. That is not the same as adding up the prices of the individual owner-occupied flats, and the value as a rental property is normally lower.
A certified valuation typically costs 12.000 to 25.000 kr. plus VAT, depending on the size and complexity of the cooperative. For a small cooperative with fewer than 20 shares and no commercial units, the price level is 15.000 to 25.000 kr. excluding VAT. Larger cooperatives and cooperatives with commercial leases push the price up, because the work on rental income, running costs and market rent becomes more extensive.
The certified valuation is valid for 42 months. This was changed from 18 months on 15 April 2024, so the valuation can now be used for up to three financial years. The valuation is a professional estimate, not a guarantee that the property can be sold at the valued price. The level of interest rates and investors’ required returns affect the value. If interest rates rise, the calculated value typically falls.
What does a house valuation cost? Book your free valuation with Brikk
For the vast majority of homeowners, a house valuation costs 0 kr. when it is carried out by an estate agent. You only pay if you need a formal certified valuation for a division of property, an inheritance or a court case.
You don’t need to be thinking of selling to book one. You can get a free estate agent valuation if you are considering remortgaging, are in the middle of a divorce, need to establish the value in connection with an inheritance, or are simply curious about what your house is worth today. The estate agent will come out whatever the reason.
Compare three valuations, but hold off on signing
To get the most accurate picture, it is a good idea to book three independent valuations within the same week. That way, they all work with the same market and the same sales figures, and the figures become genuinely comparable. Otherwise, you risk comparing a valuation from a rising market with one from a falling market.
Don’t just look at the amount. Ask about the reasoning behind the figure, too. That is where the differences between the valuations become clear, and the reasoning often tells you what you can actually use the valuation for.
Don’t sign an agency agreement (formidlingsaftale) on the same day as the estate agent’s visit. It typically ties you in for six months, and you need time to think before you commit your sale to a fixed agreement. See the visit as a free, no-obligation insight into your home’s value.
You can get a free home valuation through Brikk if you want to know your home’s value without committing to anything. You then get an informed figure to weigh up, whether or not a sale is on the cards.
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