Buying at an online public auction in Belgium (Biddit)

How a public sale works

The seller’s notary organises everything. They set a starting price (the “mise à prix”), agree a minimum price with the seller and list the property on Biddit. According to notaire.be (24 September 2026), it is recommended to allow at least 4 weeks of presentation of the property before the bidding. The 2020 article mentions viewings lasting up to 5 weeks. This leaves time to visit and read the file.

The bidding always lasts 8 days. Every bid is visible to all visitors to the site, but names are not shown: only the notary knows the bidders. You can bid manually or set a maximum in advance. According to the 2020 notaire.be article, a bid placed in the last 5 minutes extends the auction by 5 minutes, and only those who have already bid during the normal period can still take part.

The notary checks the bidders. They can exclude someone or refuse a bid if they consider that the person is not capable or solvent. Only the notary can award the property, with the seller’s agreement or when the minimum price is reached.

What you must accept before bidding

Before your first bid, you read and accept two texts: Biddit’s general conditions, which apply to all sales, and the special conditions of the property. They are not negotiable. To register, according to the 2020 article, you must be 18, identify yourself with an identity card or Itsme (a foreigner without a Belgian card can obtain access from the notary after a check of their passport) and, if you are married under the statutory or community property regime, your spouse must accept the bid.

The notary prepares the file before the sale, not after a sale agreement. The 2020 article lists among their checks the EPB certificate (PEB), the flood zone and pre-emption rights. In Brussels, the tenant’s right of first refusal also applies to public sales, under the conditions of the ordinance (be.brussels). If the property is rented, see our guide buying a rented property.

Deadlines and payment

The deadlines to remember, according to notaire.be:

• bidding: 8 days;
• signature of the record of sale (procès-verbal d’adjudication): within 10 working days after the bidding, at the notary’s;
• payment of the price: within 6 weeks. According to the 2020 article, ownership passes to the buyer once the price is paid;
• costs: to be paid when the record of sale is signed, and at the latest 5 days after the bidding closes (2020 article).

If the highest bidder refuses to sign, the seller can take legal action and claim damages. The amount varies: Biddit’s general conditions give the details.

Compare with a classic private sale: the sale agreement, then the deed, take “three to four months” according to notaire.be. In a public sale, the procedure is quicker. In return, you have less time to think and to obtain a loan.

Financing: settle it before bidding

This is the most important point. Every bid is “binding”. According to the 2020 article, “not all properties are sold with a condition precedent” of obtaining a loan: you can therefore be bound even if your bank then refuses. The 2025 press release advises checking the terms of your loan with your bank before taking part.

Before you register:

• calculate what you can borrow with our borrowing capacity tool;
• obtain the bank’s agreement in principle for a maximum amount, and set yourself a bidding ceiling lower than or equal to that maximum, costs included;
• reread the special conditions to see whether a condition precedent exists;
• if you are unsure about the right loan offer, see the guide mortgage credit broker.

Since March 2022, Biddit also offers private sales. In that case, you submit an offer online and the sale goes through a sale agreement, with the possibility of including a condition precedent, such as a loan (notaire.be, 2025). This is not how an auction works.

Some figures on Biddit

According to notaire.be (13 March 2025), the platform was launched in 2018 by the Federation of Notaries (Fédération du Notariat). It has had 43,341 properties put up for sale since the start. In 2024, there were 7,963 online sales: 2,243 in Wallonia, 623 in Brussels. On average, a public sale attracts 5 bidders, who together place 39 bids.

Which professional to consult

The notary organising the sale answers your questions on the conditions of the property and on the calculation of costs. A credit broker can help you obtain the bank’s agreement in principle before the auction. A contractor or an architect can visit with you if works are to be expected.