What ben-s.nl does

ben-s.nl (legal name: ben-s.nl & partners Makelaardij) is a privately held, full-service residential real estate brokerage operating from a single office at Suikerlaan 25, Groningen, Netherlands. Founded on the basis of Ben Schuitema's 2000 appointment as a sworn broker (Beëdigd makelaar), the firm has accumulated over 25 years of operating history in the Groningse woningmarkt and reports 78 homes sold and 59 homes purchased for clients in the trailing twelve months, per NVM data.

The firm's service offering centers on two core lines: Verkoopmakelaar (sales brokerage) and Aankoopmakelaar (purchase brokerage), supplemented by taxaties (valuations), a Startersdeal bundle combining purchase brokerage with mortgage advice for first-time buyers, and referral arrangements with partner Scherp Financieel Advies for mortgage brokerage. There is no proprietary technology platform; the technology stack is limited to a multilingual website (Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian), WhatsApp/phone/email intake channels, Funda listings (the dominant Dutch property portal), and standard SEO content covering 19+ Groningen neighborhoods. The firm carries NVM certification and holds a 9.4/10 Funda review and a 4.9/5 Google Reviews score.

Commercially, the firm operates a sales-led go-to-market with publicly disclosed fixed all-in tariffs ranging from €3,125 to €5,299 for sales (tiered by transaction price) and €3,250 including BTW for purchase brokerage under a No Cure, No Pay model. The 13-person team includes two NVM Register Makelaar co-directors (Ben Schuitema and Niels van Diepenbeek), one additional director (Tom Fransen), brokers, internal support, and marketing staff. Distribution is exclusively domestic and concentrated in Groningen city and surrounding municipalities; properties above €400,000 are referred to partner Boekholt. No external institutional funding, parent company, or subsidiaries are identified in the source material.

Name

ben-s.nl

Legal name

ben-s.nl & partners Makelaardij

Website

https://ben-s.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ben-s.nl is a full-service residential real estate brokerage in Groningen, Netherlands, offering sales, purchase, and valuation services plus a Startersdeal bundle and mortgage referrals. It serves first-time buyers, sellers, and investors with transparent fixed pricing and No Cure No Pay acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Groningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Verkoopmakelaardiensten (Sales brokerage): Revenue from selling residential properties on behalf of clients. Fees are charged as fixed all-in tariffs based on the transaction price of the property, ranging from €3,125 to €5,299. Alternatively, clients can choose their own commission rate post-sale.
2. Aankoopmakelaardiensten (Acquisition brokerage): Revenue from assisting buyers in finding and purchasing residential properties. Standard rate is €3,250 including BTW under a 'No Cure, No Pay' model. The Startersdeal package ranges from €4,500 to €5,500 depending on property value.
3. Taxaties (Valuations): The company offers property valuations as a free service for sales clients, and as a paid service for general inquiries. These serve as an entry point to the sales brokerage service.
4. Partner referrals — Scherp Financieel Advies: The company refers clients for mortgage and financial advice to Scherp Financieel Advies, which operates from the same location and network. Revenue is generated through referral arrangements with this partner.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ben-s.nl is a full-service NVM-certified real estate brokerage operating in Groningen, Netherlands. The company provides purchase brokerage (aankoopmakelaar) and sales brokerage (verkoopmakelaar) for residential properties, plus property valuations and a bundled starter package. Services are offered on transparent fixed all-in tariffs and a No Cure, No Pay basis for buyers.

Product overview

ben-s.nl is a full-service real estate brokerage operating in Groningen, Netherlands, with over 25 years of experience. The company offers two core services: Aankoopmakelaar (purchase brokerage) and Verkoopmakelaar (sales brokerage), supplemented by specialized offerings including the Startersdeal package for first-time buyers, property appraisals (taxaties), and mortgage services through partner Scherp Financieel Advies. All services are delivered with a focus on personal service, local market expertise, and transparent pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aankoopmakelaar (Purchase Brokerage) Purchase brokerage service for home buyers in Groningen, including property search, viewing accompaniment, identification of hidden defects, sharp negotiation, and contract guidance. Operated on a No Cure, No Pay basis with unlimited viewings at a fixed fee of €3,250 including BTW.
• Verkoopmakelaar (Sales Brokerage) Full-service residential sales brokerage including free property valuation, personalized sales plan, professional photography, styling, Funda and social media promotion, negotiation, and legal paperwork. Fees charged as tiered fixed all-in tariffs from €3,125 to €5,299 based on transaction price, or client-defined commission.
• Startersdeal (Starter Package) Bundled package for first-time homebuyers combining purchase brokerage, mortgage advice, and unlimited viewings at fixed rates ranging from €4,500 to €5,500 depending on property value. Includes discounts on technical inspections and mortgage advice.
• Taxaties (Property Valuations) Professional property valuation services to determine market value based on location, condition, recent comparable sales, and current market conditions. Offered free to sales brokerage clients and on a paid basis for general inquiries.
• Hypotheek (Mortgage Services via Partner) Independent mortgage advice and brokerage delivered through partner Scherp Financieel Advies. Provides access to virtually all Dutch banks and lenders with a focus on maximizing borrowing potential for clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78 homes sold in the last 12 months
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scherp Financieel AdviescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScherp Financieel Advies is an independent mortgage and financial advisory firm operating from the same network as ben-s.nl. The companies work closely together, with ben-s.nl referring clients for mortgage advice. Scherp claims to unlock higher loan amounts than clients expect due to deep local market knowledge. They work with virtually all Dutch banks and lenders. Scherp has over 14 years of experience in financial services.
• Scherp VerzekeringenminorOthersInsurance partner referred to from the ben-s.nl footer links, offering insurance services in Groningen.
• Boekholt NieuwbouwspecialistminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew-build property specialist partner. For sales of properties above €400,000, ben-s.nl refers clients to Boekholt partners. Also appears as Boekholt makelaars Groningen and Boekholt makelaars Assen, covering new-build and higher-value property sales.
• Boekholt makelaars AssenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssen-based real estate broker partner under the Boekholt brand, serving the broader region beyond Groningen.
• NVM (Nederlandse Vereniging van Makelaars)coreOthersNVM is the largest Dutch real estate agent association. ben-s.nl is an NVM-certified broker, displaying the NVM logo. NVM membership requires adherence to professional standards and provides access to the NVM network and property listing systems. The company references NVM data for transaction statistics (59 purchased, 78 sold in last 12 months).
• FundacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFunda.nl is the dominant Dutch online property portal. NVM members list all properties on Funda. ben-s.nl maintains a dedicated Funda profile with reviews, transaction history, and property listings. Funda serves as the primary discovery platform for Dutch property buyers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RE/MAX Nederland: International franchise network with significant Dutch presence. Operates as a broad incumbent in residential real estate brokerage with multi-region scale and brand power exceeding ben-s.nl's local positioning.
• ERA Nederland: Franchise arm of the international ERA network operating across the Netherlands. Offers residential brokerage in multiple regions including Groningen, with broader portfolio, brand recognition, and scale than ben-s.nl.

Emerging players

• Eerlijk Bieden: Online Dutch real estate brokerage using auction-based selling. Emerging player that could disrupt traditional commission-based brokerages in the Dutch market.
• Viduur: Tech-enabled Dutch real estate brokerage that digitizes parts of the buying and selling process. Represents an emerging threat to traditional brokerages like ben-s.nl that lack proprietary technology.

Direct peers

• Riva Makelaars: Regional Dutch real estate brokerage operating in multiple cities. Similar full-service residential brokerage model with comparable pricing structure and target customer base.
• Van der Veen Makelaars: Regional Dutch real estate brokerage with offices in multiple locations. Comparable full-service brokerage model and customer base, often in overlapping regional markets.
• Makelaarsland: Dutch online-enabled real estate brokerage offering fixed-price services nationwide. Directly competes with ben-s.nl on pricing transparency and lower-cost brokerage, but operates at national scale rather than regional.
• Boekholt: Regional Dutch brokerage and ben-s.nl's referral partner, covering new-build and higher-value property sales in Groningen and Assen. Direct peer with similar full-service brokerage model and overlapping customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bensnl1
• Facebookfacebook.com/bens.nl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ben-s.nl