Buy/rent a house or apartment: commission-free private real estate in Frankfurt/Main

Top location for real estate: Frankfurt, the secret capital of Hesse

Frankfurt am Main is one of the top locations for real estate in Germany. Houses and apartments are in high demand and prices are correspondingly high. Alongside Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and Düsseldorf, Frankfurt is perhaps the most expensive city in Germany.

There are many reasons for this, ranging from a strong business and financial location (stock exchange and banks), well-paid jobs and first-class infrastructure (Frankfurt Airport) to a wide range of cultural and leisure activities. However, commission-free private houses and apartments are no exception to the many high-priced properties. There are such properties for sale or rent. In addition, "Mainhatten" is very diverse, which is also reflected in the real estate on offer in the various districts.

Fifth largest city - and with population growth

Frankfurt is the fifth largest German city. As of December 2023, it has around 775,000 inhabitants. Of these, around 30 percent have a migration background. The population has grown moderately but steadily in recent decades. Other surrounding towns such as Darmstadt or Offenbach have seen greater growth. However, this is possibly a consequence of the expensive living space in the Main metropolis.

People prefer to move outside the city and commute to work. With around 700,000 jobs, the city has the highest job density and the highest proportion of commuters in Germany. This takes some pressure off the real estate market, but is a reflection of the expensive rents and high prices per square meter for houses and condominiums in this globally important financial center.

Lots of greenery and leisure activities in the Main metropolis

Frankfurt is a green city that offers many small and large green spaces. The so-called Frankfurt Green Belt surrounds the inner residential area in a ring and extends to the south and east. Hattersheim, Flörsheim, Hochheim, Kelsterbach, Raunheim, Rüsselsheim, Nauheim, Bischofsheim and Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, among others, are connected by the Rhine-Main Regional Park. The banks of the River Main are also attractive.

The city also offers many leisure activities. There are plenty of cultural facilities, pubs, live music and, last but not least, sports and sights. This also includes the cityscape. History is palpable here and yet modern skyscrapers tower into the sky. Frankfurt is a mix of old and new. Formerly a free imperial city and medieval trade fair and trading stronghold, the city is now a stock exchange seat, banking metropolis, home to Germany's largest airport and one of the most important internet hubs. The Main metropolis is also the self-proclaimed "world capital of apple wine" (Ebbelwoi).

Real estate in Frankfurt am Main: breakdown by district

There are 46 city districts, which are numbered consecutively. Some, such as Sachsenhausen, Westend and Nordend, are even subdivided due to their large populations. The areas with the highest population density are

• Nordend Ost (just under 15,000 inhabitants/km²),
• Bornheim (approx. 11,000 inhabitants/km²),
• Nordend West (approx. 10,000 inhabitants/km²).

The lowest density is found in:

• Nieder Erlenbach (approx. 575 inhabitants/km²),
• Sachsenhausen South (approx. 972 inhabitants/km²),
• Harheim (approx. 1,080 inhabitants/km²).

Overall, the north of Frankfurt is somewhat more small-town or even rural in character, while the city center and the surrounding districts are extremely densely populated. Most inhabitants live in the districts of Gallus (44,000) and Bockenheim (43,000), the fewest in the districts of Bahnhofsviertel (3,700) and Berksheim (3,800).

Real estate in Frankfurt: expensive A-locations

As a metropolis, Frankfurt am Main is developing a pull effect. The city and surrounding areas attract people who need living space. But it is expensive. On average (as of June 2024), properties cost around 7,300 euros/m² for condominiums and around 5,500 euros/m² for houses.

However, the top locations are even more expensive. In the north-east of Bockenheim (Diplomatenviertel), houses cost up to €11,500/m², as does Grünburgpark. Nordend West (Holzhausenviertel) is even more expensive. Houses here cost up to 15,500 euros/m², but are comparatively quiet and yet conveniently located.

In contrast, the most expensive locations in the Sachsenhausen district seem almost cheap: "only" around 8,800 euros/m² are being asked for here. Houses on Lerchesberg cost even less. Up to 7,400 euros/m² can be expected here. Dornbusch (more expensive in the Dichterviertel) as well as Westend North and Westend South are already more in the mid-range at around 6,500/m² to 7,500 euros/m². Properties on the Riedberg, on the other hand, cost over 9,000 euros/m².

Condominiums are more expensive on average, but not in the top locations. Prices here are usually somewhat lower. Apartments cost up to 1,500 euros/m² or even 2,000 euros/m² less than houses in the city districts. Exceptions include the Dichterviertel, where both prices are at a similar level.

Prices for privately sold properties are similar. However, these offers often include properties that are offered below the market price. The private sellers offer without an estate agent and thus save on commission costs. In some cases, this gives them more leeway to set the price slightly lower. These commission-free properties, houses and apartments therefore offer a good alternative to save a few percent.

The affordable neighborhoods in Frankfurt am Main

The further out you go, the "cheaper" real estate in Frankfurt am Main becomes. However, prices are also at a high level in the affordable or normal residential areas.

For example, houses cost around 5,000 to 5,500 euros/m² in parts of the Eckenheim, Preungesheim, Oberrad, Hausen and Fritz-Kissel-Siedlung districts. Rödelheim, Gallus, Hellerhofsiedlung, parts of Schwanheim, Griesheim, Seckbach and Enksheim as well as Fechenheim Nord are even more affordable with prices around 4,000 to 4,500 euros/m².

Particularly affordable locations can be found in the districts in the southwest of the city: Sossenheim, Zeilsheim, Nied, Schwanheim. Here, houses sometimes cost less than 4,000 euros/m².

Prices for condominiums are at a similar level. However, they deviate upwards if the location is particularly good. For example, apartments on the banks of the Main cost more than houses. Unlike houses, age and furnishings also play a greater role. It is therefore more likely that a high price will still be due for renovated apartments with upmarket fittings in less attractive locations. As a result of this peculiarity, the average price for apartments is rising and is higher overall than that of houses in some affordable districts.

The rent level in Frankfurt am Main

The level of rents roughly follows the gradient of real estate prices. The prices per square meter for apartments and houses are at a similar level. Houses are sometimes slightly cheaper than apartments in expensive residential areas, while they tend to be more expensive to rent in cheaper locations. One possible reason for this is that the rented houses in the inner city locations are often old or special properties, while modern detached houses can sometimes be found in the affordable outlying areas.

Rents are particularly high in parts of Sachsenhausen, Riedberg, the Diplomatenviertel and the Holzhausenviertel. In some cases, rents here reach 22 to 25 euros per square meter or even a little more. The Europaviertel, parts of the Bahnhofsviertel, Westend North and South, Nordend East and West, Ostend, Lerchsberg and southern Niederrad are also considered particularly expensive. However, there are also a few locations in the districts close to the city center where tenants "only" have to pay around 15 euros/m².

In some of the more affordable districts known by analogy with property prices, rents are 12 euros/m² or even lower. These include in particular Eckenheim, Niederursel, Nied, parts of Schwanheim and Fechenheim.

Apartment hunters can also save some money if they choose privately offered accommodation. As landlords do not act as estate agents, the prices per square meter are sometimes somewhat lower than the average in the respective district.

Real estate in new construction projects in Frankfurt am Main

Although the city created many new apartments up to the beginning of the 2020s, there is still an undersupply. In particular, there is a shortage of affordable properties. The city authorities have identified a need for 90,000 new apartments by 2030, which are to be created through new construction projects.

The plans include creating new building regions to the north-west of Praunheim/Niederursel, near Bonames and on Frankfurter Berg, near Niedererlenbach and Niedereschbach, Am Römerhof, near Bornheim/Seckbach and on the Main in Ostend. However, these construction projects must first go through the planning phase. Nevertheless, it is clear that the metropolis will continue to grow and that some gaps will be filled, especially in the north and east of the city. But even after these new developments, Frankfurt am Main will still be an A-location in Germany and remain interesting for investors.

Brief information on the real estate market in Frankfurt am Main

• Frankfurt is one of the most important cities in an A-location.
• The population has been growing continuously for years.
• The economic power (stock exchange, airport, banks and industry) is great.
• The city's many green spaces make it an attractive place to live.
• The cultural and leisure facilities are positive location factors, as is the infrastructure.
• Real estate prices and rents are comparatively high.
• New construction projects are intended to create affordable living space.

Price comparison for rents and real estate in Frankfurt am Main

With our database, we provide an insight into the actual market development in Frankfurt am Main as a real estate location. We have summarized the latest figures here:

• Real estate prices in the district of Frankfurt
• Rent index Frankfurt district