An English Guide to ImmobilienScout24
ImmobilienScout24 is Germany’s largest online real estate platform. It is entirely in German. This guide is designed to help you successfully navigate ImmobilienScout24 in English.
When moving to Germany, it is of course essential that you find yourself a home! While there are some great short-term accommodation options to get you started in Germany, the success of your move is largely dependent on finding long-term, affordable accommodation.
As in most countries, you will need to scour for suitable long-term accommodation on property listing websites. Leading the way in Germany is ImmobilienScout24!
Below, we will:
✔️ Detail how to find suitable properties on ImmobilienScout24.
✔️ Provide relevant housing terminology to help you with your search.
✔️ Provide some additional tips for successfully securing a rental property on ImmobilienScout24.
How to search ImmobilienScout24 in English
You can access the ImmobilienScout24 homepage here.
Once on the homepage, you are shown a search bar where you can specify the type of property you are searching for in Germany. Search fields include location, property type, price, size, etc. We have detailed the relevant fields in the image below:
Below, is an example of what a search may look like if you were looking to rent a 70 m2 apartment in Hamburg with a budget of at least €1100:
For these particular search parameters, there are 106 relevant properties, Once you hit the search button (106 Treffer), you will be shown an overview of these search results:
If a particular property takes your liking, then click on the listing to read more about the property. We have included an extensive list of German housing terminology below to help you understand the different property listings on ImmobilienScout24 in English.
Once you have reviewed the individual listing and like what you see, the next step is to make an enquiry with the landlord or property owner. On ImmobilienScout24, you just need to click on the ‘Nachricht’ button, after which you can write a message to the property owner.
A common grievance amongst ImmobilienScout24 users is that they do not receive responses to their enquiries from property owners. To increase your chances of a response, you should include as much detail as possible when contacting a property owner on ImmobilienScout24. In particular, we recommend that you provide:
Clear contact details so that you are easily contactable.
Details of where you are from and your life situation (e.g. employee or student).
Details of what paperwork you can provide as part of your application (e.g. work contract, payslips, savings).
❗ Top tip! If the landlord or property owner provides a phone number in their ImmobilienScout24 listing, consider giving them a call. This is a much more direct route and will help you stick out and start building a rapport (especially as your written enquiry risks being lost among 100s of interested parties).
English terminology for understanding ImmobilienScout24
As shown above, performing a basic search on ImmobilienScout24 is fairly straightforward. However, understanding the German search results is a more difficult matter. How many rooms are there? What is the monthly rent? Is the property furnished? What is the deposit?
To help you decipher the listings on ImmobilienScout24, we have put together an extensive list of German housing terminology:
Mieten – Rent
Kaufen – Buy
Wohnung – Apartment
Haus – House
Wohnen auf Zeit – Temporary accommodation
WG Zimmer – Room in a shared flat
Wohngemeinschaft (WG) – Shared flat
Wohnfläche – Living space
Zimmer (Zi.) – Room
Schlafzimmer – Bedroom
Küche – Kitchen
Einbauküche – Fitted kitchen
Bad / Badezimmer – Bathroom
Balkon – Balcony
Keller – Basement
1-Zimmerwohnung – Studio flat
2-Zimmerwohnung – Apartment with 2 rooms (either 1 bedroom and 1 lounge or 2 bedrooms and no lounge)
Kaution – Deposit
Grundrisse – Floor plan
Bezugsfrei ab – Available from
Ab sofort – Available immediately
Altbau – Old building
Neubau – New build
Baujahr – Year of construction
Dachgeschoss – Top floor
Erdgeschoss – Ground floor
Etage – Floor / Storey
Miete – Rental amount
Kaltmiete – Basic rent (not including utilities)
Nebenkosten – Utilities
Warmmiete – Basic rent + utilities
Heizkosten – Heating costs
Möbliert – Furnished
Unmöbliert – Not furnished
Haustiere – Pets
Stellplatz – Parking space
Garage – Garage
Zentralheizung (ZH) – Central heating
Aufzug – Elevator
Top tips for using ImmobilienScout24
You now have the framework for searching ImmobilienScout24 and also some basic terminology for understanding the property listings. Next on the list is actually enquiring to be considered for properties. Here are some useful tips for increasing your chances of success on ImmoScout24:
✅ Be persistent. Especially in major German cities, competition for quality long-term apartments can be fierce. With this in mind, you may need to apply for 10+ listings a day on ImmobilienScout24 and even then it can take some time to land a suitable property.
✅ Create a free profile on ImmoScout24 – this allows you to save your search settings and be notified when new listings appear that match your search criteria.
✅ Provide plenty of detail. Prospective landlords receive a high volume of enquiries. Make sure you include plenty of detail about yourself when reaching out to them, including your employment situation and what documents you can provide to support your application.
✅ Move fast. New listings are added every day and apartments are often snapped up in a matter of days. If possible, be prepared to attend apartment viewings right away.
✅ Focus your search. Read listings carefully to ensure you are a suitable candidate for an apartment as the listing often specifies the type of applicant they are looking for. Do not waste time on listings that you are not suited to. For example, if you have a dog and the apartment does not allow pets, do not apply.
Should I sign up for ImmobilienScout Plus?
While we do not have personal experience of ImmobilienScout24’s premium service (MieterPlus+), the general consensus online is that this can be beneficial to your search. With ImmoScout Plus, you will:
Appear at the top of landlords’ mailboxes when making enquiries.
Be shown exclusive listings before they are advertised to regular users.
Receive a SCHUFA credit report that is continually updated.
Receive tenancy law advice.
Be able to create a high-quality application portfolio.
At just €29.99 a month, ImmobilienScout Plus is worth a try, especially if you are living in one of Germany’s more competitive cities such as Berlin or Munich. As mentioned above, it will give you some key benefits that may just help you land your dream apartment in Germany.
We hope you have found this English guide to ImmobilienScout24 helpful. For further tips on securing long-term accommodation in Germany, including guidance on apartment viewings and application paperwork, see our German Apartment Hunting Guide.