At the real estate agent
Beim Immobilienmakler
- Discuss an advertisement for a house or apartment that you just saw.
- Discuss to buy a new house or apartment.
At the real estate agent: Learn practical German vocabulary for discussing property ads like Wohnung (apartment), Preis (price), and Lage (location), and practice key verbs in Konjunktiv II, such as hätte and würde, to talk about conditions for buying or renting a home.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Übung 1: Conversation exercise
Anleitung:
- Do you rent the appartment or house where you live or did you buy it? (Do you rent the appartment or house where you live or did you buy it?)
- Did you have to renovate your home? How long did that take? (Did you have to renovate your home? How long did that take?)
- Was your home furnished or empty when you moved in? (Was your home furnished or empty when you moved in?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Ich miete meine Wohnung. Aber ich werde bald ein Haus kaufen. I rent my appartment. But I will soon buy a house. |
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Ich habe vor 2 Jahren zusammen mit meinem Partner unser Haus gekauft. I bought our house 2 years ago together with my partner. |
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Wir mussten fast das ganze Haus renovieren. Es hat uns über ein Jahr gedauert. We had to renovate almost the whole house. It took us over a year. |
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Meine Wohnung war frisch renoviert, als ich sie kaufte und einzog. My appartment was freshly renovated when I bought it and moved in. |
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Die Wohnung war vollständig möbliert, als ich eingezogen bin. The appartment was fully furnished when I moved in. |
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Einige Zimmer im Haus waren möbliert, andere nicht. Some rooms in the house were furnished, others weren't. |
| ... |
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Wenn ich mehr Geld ___, würde ich eine Wohnung außerhalb des Stadtviertels kaufen.
(If I had more money ___, I would buy an apartment outside the neighborhood.)2. Der Makler würde uns helfen, wenn wir den Mietvertrag noch nicht ___.
(The realtor would help us if we had not yet ___.)3. Ich würde einen Termin zur Besichtigung machen, wenn ich morgen Zeit ___.
(I would make an appointment for the viewing if I had time ___.)4. Wenn die Wohnung möbliert ____, würden wir schneller einziehen.
(If the apartment were furnished ____, we would move in faster.)Exercise 4: At the Real Estate Agent: Finding a New Home
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Haben - To have
Konjunktiv II Präsens
- ich hätte
- du hättest
- er/sie/es hätte
- wir hätten
- ihr hättet
- sie/Sie hätten
Werden - To become
Konjunktiv II Präsens
- ich würde
- du würdest
- er/sie/es würde
- wir würden
- ihr würdet
- sie/Sie würden
Sein - To be
Konjunktiv II Präsens
- ich wäre
- du wärest
- er/sie/es wäre
- wir wären
- ihr wäret
- sie/Sie wären
Sein - To be
Präsens
- ich bin
- du bist
- er/sie/es ist
- wir sind
- ihr seid
- sie/Sie sind
Machen - To make
Präsens
- ich mache
- du machst
- er/sie/es macht
- wir machen
- ihr macht
- sie/Sie machen
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Haben to have Share Copied!
Konjunktiv II Präsens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) hätte | I would have |
| (du) hättest | you would have |
| (er/sie/es) hätte | he/she/it would have |
| (wir) hätten | we would have |
| (ihr) hättet | you would have |
| (sie) hätten | they would have |
Werden to become Share Copied!
Konjunktiv II Präsens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) würde | I would become |
| (du) würdest | you would become |
| (er/sie/es) würde | he/she/it would become |
| (wir) würden | we would become |
| (ihr) würdet | you would become |
| (sie) würden | they would become |
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At the Real Estate Agent – Lesson Overview
This lesson focuses on practical communication skills related to buying or renting property in German. It is designed for A2 learners and covers typical dialogues you might encounter when discussing apartment ads, asking questions to a real estate agent, and planning a house purchase.
Key Topics Covered
- Discussing apartment ads: e.g., "Hast du die Anzeige für die Wohnung im Stadtzentrum gesehen?" (Have you seen the ad for the apartment in the city center?)
- Questions to the real estate agent: asking about property size, age, pet policies, and facilities like garages or cellars.
- Planning a house purchase: budgeting, scheduling viewings, and choosing locations close to work.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
The lesson includes many useful expressions for property-related discussions, such as:
- die Anzeige – the ad/listing
- das Grundstueck – the plot of land
- der Mietvertrag – the rental contract
- der Makler – the real estate agent
- die Besichtigung – the viewing/inspection
Grammar Highlight: Konjunktiv II (Subjunctive II)
You will practice the Konjunktiv II mood, which expresses hypothetical situations or polite requests, for example:
- Wenn ich mehr Geld hätte, würde ich eine Wohnung kaufen. (If I had more money, I would buy an apartment.)
- Der Makler würde uns helfen, wenn wir den Mietvertrag noch nicht unterschrieben hätten. (The agent would help us if we hadn't signed the lease yet.)
Mini Story for Contextual Practice
The short story "Beim Immobilienmakler: Ein neues Zuhause finden" provides a contextualized example using the Konjunktiv II and property vocabulary, helping you see how these forms function in real-life conversations.
Differences Between English and German in Real Estate Conversations
In German property discussions, it's common to use specific terms like Grundstück for plot or land, which does not translate precisely to "property" but focuses on the land aspect. Also, Konjunktiv II is frequently used to express politeness or hypothetical steps in buying or renting, which in English might be done by conditional tenses or modal verbs. For example:
- Konjunktiv II: "Ich hätte gern einen Termin." (I would like to have an appointment.)
- English equivalent: "I would like to have an appointment." using modal "would."
Useful phrases:
- Wie groß ist das Haus? – How big is the house?
- Gibt es eine Garage? – Is there a garage?
- Sind Haustiere erlaubt? – Are pets allowed?
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