Yes. In Belgium every property sale is finalised by a notarial deed, and for an inherited home the notary must also draw up the acte d’hérédité immobilier that transfers ownership to the heirs before any sale can complete (Notaire.be, 2026).
There is no way around the notary when selling real estate in Belgium, and an inheritance adds a second reason for their involvement. The transfer of ownership only becomes legally effective and enforceable against third parties through an authentic deed signed before a notary and registered. This applies to any sale, but with an inheritance the chain of ownership itself first has to be established and recorded, which is the notary’s core function.
The specific document is the acte d’hérédité immobilier, mandatory since 2022. It formally records that the deceased’s property has passed to the named heirs, and it must be registered before the heirs can sell the home to a buyer (Notaire.be, 2026). A useful and often overlooked incentive: registration of this deed is free if it is completed within six months of the death, with standard registration fees applying afterwards (Notaire.be, 2026). Acting promptly therefore saves money as well as time.
The notary does far more than sign. They verify the identity and capacity of every heir, confirm that all co-owners in indivision consent, check any usufruct or reserved rights, calculate and collect the duties, and ensure the sale price is distributed correctly between co-heirs and creditors. Where heirs cannot agree, the notary is also the officer who runs a court-ordered public sale by licitation. In short, the notary guarantees the legal safety of a transaction that involves several parties and a deceased owner.
An estate agent and a notary play complementary, not competing, roles. Easyhome markets the property, secures the best buyer and negotiates the price; the notary secures the legal transfer. Bringing both in early, and coordinating them, is what keeps an inheritance sale from stalling.
At a glance
- A notarial deed is compulsory to complete any Belgian property sale.
- For inherited property, the notary first prepares the acte d’hérédité immobilier (mandatory since 2022) to transfer ownership to the heirs (Notaire.be, 2026).
- Registering that deed is free within six months of death, then normal fees apply (Notaire.be, 2026).
- The notary checks that all co-heirs in indivision consent and that any usufruct is respected.
- The notary calculates duties and splits the price between heirs and creditors.
- In a deadlock, the notary conducts the court-ordered sale by licitation.
- The estate agent (Easyhome) handles valuation, marketing and negotiation alongside the notary.