General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules differ by municipality and region and change over time; have your own situation checked by the notaio or an adviser in Italy (and in the country where you live).
Three property portals come up again and again when you search for a home in Italy: Immobiliare.it, idealista.it and Casa.it. All three let private owners (privati) publish a listing themselves, not only estate agencies. That means you can reach the same buyers an agency reaches, provided your listing is just as good. This guide covers what to prepare, how to build the listing, how to handle enquiries from abroad and what to watch out for.
Before you publish
- The energy certificate (APE). According to ENEA, the Italian energy agency, the APE is required in property advertisements, as well as for the sale itself. Order it before you go online, so you can state the energy class in the listing. See our guide on the documents you need.
- Papers that match the home. Compare the cadastral floor plan with reality. A buyer who discovers differences after an offer will renegotiate or walk away.
- An honest asking price. Look at comparable homes in the same area on the portals, and remember that asking prices are not sale prices. A home priced too high stays online for months, and buyers notice.
- Your contact details. Decide who answers enquiries, in which languages and at what times — especially if you live in another time zone or work during the day.
How each portal works for private sellers
The three portals each have their own route for private owners. Conditions — how many free listings, how long they stay online, paid options for more visibility — are set by the portals and change. Always check the portal's own page before you start.
- Immobiliare.it: has a page for publishing a listing as a private owner or through an agency. You create an account and enter the property type, contract, features, address, description and photos.
- idealista.it: has a section for private owners who want to publish a property for sale. It works in the same way: an account, then the property details, location and photos.
- Casa.it: lets private owners publish after registering for a MyCasa account. According to its FAQ, Casa.it is a listings portal and does not act as an intermediary, so it does not charge a commission on the sale; it offers paid options for more visibility. Two practical points from the same FAQ: verifying a phone number only works for Italian mobile numbers, and you can choose to hide your phone number and be contacted through the contact form instead.
If you live abroad, the Casa.it point is worth noting: with a foreign mobile number you may not be able to complete the phone step, so keep email as your main contact channel, or arrange an Italian number.
Photos: the part buyers look at first
On a portal, the first photo decides whether someone clicks. Take photos on a bright day, with the lights on and the windows clean. Clear away personal items and clutter. Photograph every room from a corner so it looks as large as it really is, and include the outside: the façade, the garden or terrace and the view, if there is one. Outdoor space — a terrace, a garden, a courtyard — is often what buyers look for, so give it several photos. Do not use filters or edits that change what the home looks like: buyers who feel misled at a viewing do not make offers.
Floor plan and surface area
Add a floor plan. The cadastral planimetria is a good starting point, as long as it matches the current state of the home. State the surface area honestly and say what it includes. If you are unsure, ask the technician who checks your cadastral conformity.
The description
Write the description first in Italian, the language Italian buyers search in. Add an English version if you expect foreign buyers. Start with what makes the home special, then the facts: number of rooms and bathrooms, floor and lift for an apartment, heating, outdoor space, parking and the energy class. Mention condominium charges if there are any, and the state of the home honestly: a buyer who knows that the kitchen needs work will still come; a buyer who discovers it at the viewing will not come back.
Handling enquiries from a distance
- Reply quickly and briefly, and use the portal's messaging system or your email for the first contact.
- Ask what the buyer is looking for and whether he has financing before you plan a viewing.
- Arrange viewings in blocks if you travel to Italy, or ask someone you trust nearby to open the door. Never leave keys with someone you do not know.
- Keep a simple list of who asked what and when; it helps when several buyers are interested at the same time.
Watch out for scams
Private sellers are a target for fraud. Be careful with anyone who wants to pay before seeing the home, offers far more than the asking price, asks you to pay a fee to "release" a payment, or presses you to share copies of your passport or deeds before there is any agreement. Keep the conversation on the portal or by email at first. In an Italian sale, the transfer takes place at the notaio, who also checks that payments are traceable. Any money from a buyer should follow the agreements in the signed proposal or preliminary contract, never a stranger's story.
When you have a buyer
A serious buyer will usually make a written purchase proposal. Read it carefully before you accept: once you accept, it becomes a binding preliminary contract. Our guide from compromesso to rogito explains each step up to the deed at the notaio, and our guide on tax for non-resident sellers explains when the gain is taxed.
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