Guide to Selling Property in France

Estate Agents in France

Welcome to our guide to using an estate agent to sell French property.

The operation of estate agencies in France is highly regulated, like most other things in France.

Unfortunately, however, that does not necessarily mean you are guaranteed a high quality service, or that the fees will be reasonable. For these reasons you need to choose with care.

In the following pages we consider different aspects of the whole process, as follows:

1. Choosing an Estate Agent
2. Carte Professionnelle
3. Mandat de Vente
4. Property Valuation
5. Property Description
6. Fee/Commission
7. Code of Conduct

1. Choosing an Estate Agent

Your decision on which estate agent to use is going to be influenced by many factors, including;

• The level of their fees;
• Your French language competency;
• The proximity of their offices to your property;
• Their availability to your enquiries;
• Their experience in the profession;
• Their proposed marketing strategy;
• Their estimate of the value of your property;
• The level of diligence and drive they show;
• The quality and reach of their website;
• The additional services/expertise they are able to offer;
• The quality of the description of properties;
• Their reputation.

The type, size, age and condition of property you want to sell are also going to be important factors, for some properties may only have an appeal to a particular market.

Properties located in areas popular with international buyers will clearly benefit from being marketed through an estate agent with a strong position in this market, whilst in other areas you may merely need to use a local agent.

There are also now a number of national estage agent chains who are likely to be able to give you strong exposure to the French market. However, their fees also tend to be higher than small independent agents, and the latter may also have a better understanding of your market, and may be able to give you a more personal service.

Of course, there is no reason why you should not select a mix from all three types of agents – international, national chain, and local independent, and this may well be the optimum approach to particularly if your property may appeal to several different markets.

Rarely would you be best advised to give an agent exclusive selling rights over your property (even though you may only engage one to sell it), simply because this would mean that if you were able to sell it privately a fee would still be payable to the agent.

Next: Carte Professionelle

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