Purchasing real estate in Austria takes places mostly like in any other European country, that is either making the full payment immediately, or using a loan from a financial institution. Such a loan is commonly referred to as mortgage, or ‘hausbauukredit’. The loan can be requested by either a company, for commercial purposes, or by individuals, for residential purposes. In either case, it is highly advisable that a mortgage agency – ‘kreditvermittlung’ – be contacted and have some sort of mortgage comparison (‘Kreditvergleich’) performed, in order to be able to choose one of the most convenient loans available, which will meet the needs of the person or entity that has to pay the debt.