Glossary
Notar
Civil-Law Notary. The neutral, state-appointed lawyer who must certify every German property purchase. The notary drafts the contract, reads it aloud at signing, and executes the land-registry transfer.
The notary is impartial by law — they represent the transaction, not either party. Fees are statutory (GNotKG; with land registry ~2% of the price, buyer pays by convention) and non-negotiable, so there is no premium for a better notary — but there is huge value in one who works in English.
Consumer buyers are entitled to the contract draft 14 days before signing. Non-German speakers sign with a sworn interpreter or a bilingual deed; remote purchases run via notarised power of attorney.