Tax advice for real estate: how to win landlords and investors online

How landlords and investors search for tax advice

Someone who lets a flat or buys an apartment building rarely searches for “tax advice” in general. They search with a specific occasion and often under time pressure: the purchase contract is with the notary, the first rent has come in, a sale is coming up and the question is whether tax will be due. The typical search terms show this clearly: “steuerberater immobilien vermietung” (tax adviser real estate letting), “steuerberater immobilienkauf” (tax adviser property purchase), “steuerberater immobilien kosten” (tax adviser real estate costs) or simply “steuerberater immobilien in der nähe” (tax adviser real estate near me).

For your website this means two things. First, there has to be a page for each of these occasions that answers exactly this question. Second, demand is sporadic: a landlady with two flats needs you every year for her return, but advice on a purchase perhaps only every ten years. If you are not found at the decisive moment, you lose the mandate to the firm that happens to rank first. In the long run you therefore win real estate clients not with a single campaign but with pages that are found all year round.

Pages by occasion instead of one “real estate” page

Many firms list real estate as a keyword in a list of services: “Vermietung und Verpachtung” (letting and leasing) between payroll and reorganisations. That is enough neither for Google nor for people. A separate page per occasion ranks for the matching search, can be forwarded by estate agents as a link and answers the questions that would otherwise fill the initial meeting. How to build a single service page is described in the guide on practice areas on the firm website; which pages a tax firm needs overall is covered in The website for your tax advisory firm.

Each page opens with a sentence that addresses the occasion and ends with a clear next step. Two examples of an opening that matches the search:

• “You let a flat in Vienna and don't know what you can deduct? We prepare your return on income from letting and leasing and tell you in advance what it costs.”
• “You want to sell a let flat and wonder whether the speculation period has already expired? We check this before the notary appointment so there are no surprises afterwards.”

Stay factual. “Real estate specialist” or “expert in property taxation” should only appear where you can prove experience and knowledge, for example through the number of landlords you advise, talks or further training. In Germany § 9(3) BOStB expressly requires this, and in both countries misleading advertising is not allowed. Firms that occupy a niche this clearly benefit in particular; how to find and show a specialisation in general is described in Finding a niche and showing it on the website.

Topics real estate clients search for

Expert articles work particularly well for real estate firms, because the questions are very specific and are asked again every year. It is important to use the terms of your country. An article on the “Spekulationsfrist” (speculation period) helps nobody in Graz, and a text on ImmoESt is not searched for in Berlin. The overview below shows the topics searched for most often in both countries. The figures are as of the publication date of this post; check them before publishing them on your website.

Austria: ImmoESt, letting and leasing, input VAT

In Austria the Immobilienertragsteuer (real estate income tax) is the strongest search topic, because since 2012 it has in principle applied to every private sale of land. A good article explains the 30 % rate, the main residence exemption, the flat-rate calculation for old assets and, importantly for working together, that usually the notary or law firm pays the ImmoESt as part of the self-assessment. Your role as a tax adviser lies before that (checking exemptions, determining acquisition costs) and after it (return, option for standard taxation, losses).

For income from Vermietung und Verpachtung (letting and leasing), clients search for deductible costs, depreciation and the split between land and building. Input VAT is about whether it pays to waive the small business exemption, about the 10 % VAT on residential rents and about the input VAT adjustment if a flat is later sold VAT-free or used privately. These topics are well suited to short, dated articles with a worked example without client data.

Germany: speculation period, depreciation, property tax, 15 % threshold

In Germany sellers mainly search for the Spekulationsfrist (speculation period): under § 23 EStG a private sale is only taxable if no more than ten years lie between acquisition and sale, and not even then if the owners lived in the property themselves in the year of sale and in the two years before. Buyers ask about AfA (depreciation), i.e. how much of the purchase price they can write off each year, and about the 15 % threshold: anyone who spends more than 15 % of the building's acquisition costs (excluding VAT) on renovation in the first three years after purchase cannot deduct these costs immediately but has to depreciate them over the useful life.

The Grundsteuer reform (property tax reform) brought many owners to tax firms, but for you it is often a lot of work for little fee. Use the topic on the website as an entry point, not as a main service: an up-to-date article that explains questions on assessment notices and objections in general terms, and at the end a reference to your ongoing support for landlords.

Prices and enquiries: landlords compare

Private landlords are price-conscious. Many did their return themselves before and wonder whether a firm is worth it. If your website says “fee by agreement”, you get enquiries that disappear after the first quote and calls that only ask about the price. An honest price range filters better.

• Price per property or unit: “Return on letting and leasing for one flat from … euros, each additional unit from … euros.” State what is included and what costs extra (initial set-up, purchase advice, input VAT adjustment).
• Occasion-based advice separately: purchase review or sale advice as a flat fee or by the hour, with an honest range.
• Austria: fees can be agreed freely; state clearly whether prices are gross or net.
• Germany: the StBVV (tax advisers' fee regulation) also applies to returns on letting and leasing. Flat fees and deviating fees require an agreement in text form (§ 4 StBVV); phrase prices on the website as “from” or as an example.

The enquiry form only asks what you need for an assessment: occasion (letting, purchase, sale, inheritance), number and type of properties, location, whether there is already a tax number or returns from previous years, and the desired timing. Purchase and rental contracts only come via the portal after the initial meeting. A list of the documents you need, such as the purchase contract, rental contracts, loan agreement with interest statement, service charge statements and invoices for repairs, saves you and your clients follow-up questions.

Does “online” work for real estate mandates?

Yes, and for landlords often better than for other clients. Someone who lives in Vienna and lets in Graz, or holds a flat in Leipzig from Munich, is not tied to any location. The documents are manageable and easy to send digitally: rental contracts, bank statements, statements from the property manager. Searches like “steuerberater immobilien online” (tax adviser real estate online) are rarer than local ones, but they have a clear intent.

A note on scope: many people with real estate questions actually have a tenancy law problem, such as a rent increase, a notice of termination or a dispute over service charges. For the website this means: clearly define what you do on the tax side, and recommend a law firm for legal questions. How firms position themselves in tenancy law is described in Tenancy law: positioning for landlords or tenants; such a firm is an obvious partner.

Estate agents, property managers, notaries: your referral network

The most common objection from real estate tax advisers is: “My business comes through estate agents and notaries.” That is often true. But this referral, too, ends with a Google search for your name, and then the website has to confirm what the agent said. Website and network are therefore not opposites: the website makes you referable. How this works in general is described in the guide Referrals and network for firms.

Good partners refer you when they know exactly what you stand for. “Does taxes” is a weak referral; “She checks before the notary appointment whether ImmoESt is due on the sale” is a strong one. Give estate agents and property managers links to individual pages rather than the home page, and leave them a business card with a QR code to the matching page; you can use the business card generator for this free of charge.

If you show partnerships on the website, do it so that it remains clear: these are separate businesses with their own services. And ask in the initial meeting or in the form how clients found you. After a few months you will see which estate agent or property manager really refers you and where a coffee to maintain the relationship is worth it.

Common mistakes on websites of real estate tax firms