Easyhome can act for an expatriate seller under a sale mandate, handling the estimation, marketing, viewings and negotiation. For the actual signatures, a power of attorney (procuration) is normally given, often to a clerk at the notary’s office, so the compromis and the deed are signed in your name without you travelling.
It helps to separate two different kinds of authority. The first is the estate agency mandate (mandat de vente): the contract by which you instruct Easyhome to market and sell your property, negotiate offers and coordinate the transaction. This is the everyday authority Easyhome operates under for every seller, and it works identically whether you live in Namur or overseas.
The second is the power of attorney (procuration) for signing binding documents. Belgian practice is precise here: the definitive transfer is a notarial deed, and to sign it in your absence you grant a specific power of attorney authorising a named person to sign for you. In cross-border sales, sellers very often give this power of attorney to a clerk (collaborateur) at the notary’s office, which keeps the signing neutral and inside the legal chain. The same approach can cover the preliminary sale agreement. A counter-intuitive but useful nuance: the agent who markets your property and the person who signs the deed for you are usually not the same, precisely so the roles stay clean and impartial.
Formalities matter. A power of attorney executed abroad may need to be notarised locally and, depending on the country, carry an apostille or be established before a Belgian consulate to be valid for a Belgian deed. Getting this drafted early avoids a delay at completion. Easyhome, having handled many expatriate sales across its 7 Walloon offices, coordinates with the notary so the right form of procuration is prepared in good time.
The result is a clean division of labour: Easyhome does the local selling work under its mandate, and a properly drafted power of attorney takes care of the signatures, so an expatriate seller can complete without a single trip back to Belgium.
At a glance
| Authority | What it covers | Who holds it |
|---|---|---|
| Sale mandate (mandat) | Marketing, viewings, negotiation, coordination | Easyhome |
| Power of attorney (compromis) | Signing the preliminary sale agreement | Trusted representative or notary’s clerk |
| Power of attorney (deed) | Signing the notarial deed in your name | Often a clerk at the notary’s office |
| Formalities abroad | Notarisation, apostille or consular signature | Arranged before completion |
| Your role | Decisions and approvals from a distance | The expatriate seller |