Selling a home in Taiwan is rarely hard because the property will not sell. It is hard because you do not know what comes next. The whole map first. A sale runs: appoint an agent (or sell privately) → sign the listing agreement → viewings and offers → sign the sale contract → seal affixing → tax payment → title transfer → handover. From sale contract to handover usually takes 30–45 days; an all-cash buyer can bring it to 20–30 days. Sellers commonly pay an agent fee of up to 4%, with buyer and seller combined capped at 6%. These are common market figures as of August 2026. For the buyer’s side, read Buying a home in Taiwan, step by step.
Before you list: three things to get right
Find the original title deed (所有權狀). It is required for transfer registration. If it is lost, the Land Office (地政事務所) can reissue it, but that needs a public notice period of about 30 days, so start early.
Ask your bank for a loan balance certificate (貸款餘額證明). You do not need to pay off the mortgage first. Confirm the sale price covers the balance; at transfer, the buyer’s funds repay the loan through the escrow (履約保證) account, a third-party account that holds all payments until transfer is complete.
Separate your floor price (底價) from your asking price (開價). The floor is the lowest you would accept; the gap up to the asking price is your negotiating room.
Do not sign a listing because one agency quoted the highest number; “quote high to win the listing” is the oldest trick in the trade. Check same-community sales over the past year in the actual price registry (實價登錄), Taiwan’s public database of transaction prices. See How to price your home.
Our view: Asking price = market price + 3–5% negotiating room. Listings priced more than 10% above market lose about half their viewings, and most end up listed for six months, cut, and sold for less than pricing at market from the start.
Documents and the seal certificate
At listing, a photocopy of the deed is enough. Originals and the registered seal certificate (印鑑證明) are only needed at signing and seal affixing.
| Document | Where | When used |
|---|---|---|
| Original title deed | Your own keeping; Land Office reissue if lost | Seal affixing, transfer |
| ID card plus a second ID | Yours | Identity check at signing |
| Registered seal and seal certificate | Household registration office of your registered district, in person, NT$20 per copy | Seal affixing; must accompany the transfer registration |
| Loan balance certificate | Lending bank | Before signing, to estimate net proceeds |
| House tax and land value tax bills | Tax office or current-year bills | Tax payment and pro-rata split |
The seal certificate comes from the household registration office (戶政事務所) of the district where your household registration (戶籍) is: in person, with ID and registered seal, NT$20 per copy, about 15–30 minutes. Within Taichung any office in the city works, but not another county, and a first-time seal registration must be in person. State the purpose as “real estate registration” (不動產登記). The Land Office only accepts certificates issued within the past year, so apply after signing the sale contract and before seal affixing. Owners abroad go through authentication of a power of attorney at an ROC overseas mission, which takes longer. Details in Documents you need to sell.
For foreign nationals: the seal certificate depends on household registration, which most foreign owners do not have. For owners outside Taiwan the route is a power of attorney and signature specimen authenticated by an ROC overseas mission. Ask our land administration agent (代書), the licensed professional who handles title transfer, to list your documents before you sign.
Exclusive or open listing
An exclusive listing (專任約) gives one agency the sole right to sell for the term; an open listing (一般約) lets you appoint several. The difference is one clause: “the owner may not sell privately or appoint a third party during the term”.
| Exclusive | Open | |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies | One | Several at once |
| Private sale | Not allowed (breach, with a penalty) | Allowed |
| Agency effort | High: advertising, dedicated marketing, priority viewings | Cautious; a race where only the closer is paid |
| Suits | Owners who want it handled and care about sale quality | Owners in no hurry who want to try themselves |
Under an open listing you may sell privately, but if the buyer was introduced by an agency and you close behind its back, you may still owe the fee. Before signing any listing, use the review period of at least 3 days under the Consumer Protection Act, compare the Ministry of the Interior’s model listing contract, and put the floor price and term in writing. More in Exclusive vs open listing.
Our view: Neither type is better in itself. The question is whether this agency deserves an exclusive. We show the valuation and pricing logic first, and only then discuss listing type.
The 8 steps
The first three steps are set by the market, from two weeks to several months. The last five take about 30–45 days.
- Listing valuation. Compare the registry and inspect the home to set the range and strategy.
- Sign the listing agreement. Exclusive or open, 3-day review, floor price, term and fee in writing.
- Viewings and offers. The buyer pays earnest money (斡旋金, a deposit paid with an offer) or signs an offer letter; agreement leads to a signing date.
- Sign the sale contract. The land administration agent attends, the escrow account opens, and the buyer’s signing payment (about 10% of the price) goes in.
- Seal affixing (用印). Seals and documents are exchanged, the seller attaches the seal certificate, and tax returns are filed.
- Tax payment (完稅). The seller pays land value increment tax (土地增值稅), the buyer pays deed tax, and the buyer’s mortgage is signed off.
- Title transfer. The Land Office registers the new owner; the buyer’s funds clear your mortgage through escrow.
- Handover. Inspection, utilities settled, and escrow releases the balance to you.
| Stage | Time | Seller’s task |
|---|---|---|
| Signing → seal affixing | 7–14 days | Seal certificate, deed and documents |
| Seal affixing → tax payment | 14–30 days | Pay land value increment tax |
| Tax payment → transfer and handover | 7–15 days | Mortgage release, agree handover date |
If the buyer’s bank is slow to release funds, the total can stretch to 2–3 months, so write stage deadlines into the contract. Insist on escrow throughout: the fee is about 0.06% of the price, split, and the balance is guaranteed once transfer completes. See Escrow explained. An inherited property must complete inheritance registration and estate tax first, see Selling an inherited property. A tenanted property needs vacant possession settled before signing.
Costs: know your net figure
A sale at NT$10,000,000 does not put NT$10,000,000 in your account.
| Cost | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Agent fee | Seller commonly up to 4% (combined cap 6%) | Paid only on completion; see Agency fees |
| Land value increment tax | Generally 20–40% progressive; 10% owner-occupier rate | Check eligibility before signing |
| Consolidated housing and land income tax (房地合一稅) | 15–45% by holding period | Under 2 years 45%, 2–5 years 35%, 5–10 years 20%, over 10 years 15%; NT$4,000,000 owner-occupier exemption |
| Land administration agent fees | A few thousand NT$ | Mortgage release; the buyer usually pays the transfer fee |
| Escrow fee | 0.06%, split | On NT$15,000,000 each side pays NT$4,500 |
Tax is the big variable: one holding-period bracket can double the rate. The interactive calculator is on our Chinese page (https://www.fshouse.com.tw/page/about/index.aspx?kind=800); the formulas are in Selling taxes and net proceeds and Consolidated housing and land income tax. If you are selling to buy again, the net figure becomes your next down payment, and you may qualify for the repurchase tax refund.
Our view: “What percentage is your fee?” is the wrong question. Ask “after tax, how much do I actually receive?”. A 0.5% fee difference is tens of thousands; a tax mistake is hundreds of thousands. If an agency cannot give you a net-proceeds estimate before you sign, change agency.
FAQ
Can I sell privately under an open listing?
Yes, and you may appoint other agencies. Only an exclusive listing forbids it, though a buyer introduced by an agency may still trigger its fee.
How long until it sells?
It depends on pricing. In Taichung, homes priced close to the registry commonly sell within 1–3 months.
How long does the transfer take?
About 30–45 days from sale contract to handover. Cash buyers can cut this to 20–30 days; a delayed mortgage can extend it to 2–3 months.
Can I sell without an agent?
Yes, but negotiation, contracts and payment security fall on you. At minimum engage a land administration agent and use escrow.
Do I have to pay off my mortgage first?
No. The buyer’s funds repay it through escrow at transfer. Just get a balance certificate and confirm the price covers it.
Conclusion
Only two of the eight steps need your decision: the price and the listing type. The rest should be tracked by the agency and the land administration agent. Fusheng Realty has three licensed land administration agents in-house and uses escrow on every sale. Contact us for a valuation and a net-proceeds estimate before you list.