What should British buyers expect from their French estate agents?
Two British buyers board the ferry to France, eagerly anticipating the house-hunting they are about to commence. Upon arrival at Calais they go their separate ways to meet their respective French estate agents. A few months later, they meet again, and comparing notes they find that their experiences could not have been more different.
Experience of Mr Badluck:
Mr Badluck meets his agent in front of a village church. The agent does not have proof that he is licensed and insured but assures him that he has sold hundreds of properties before. He also explains that the reason he does not have an office is because he finds it useless. They swiftly move on to visiting the properties and upon choosing one, Mr Badluck is told to sign the compromis de vente and give his agent a cheque for 10% of the French property price. Having done so, Mr Badluck returns to the UK, his agent having told him he will be in touch. A few days later, the money is taken from his account but after one month Mr Badluck has heard nothing. He decides to call his agent on the mobile number he has been given but it has been cancelled, so he tries to send him an email but the email is returned because the mailbox is full. He then tries to go to the French police to make a police report but this also proves futile. The agent's bank account has been closed and the money has disappeared, causing Mr Badluck to lose £10,000.
Experience of Mr Smith:
Mr Smith arrives at the office of his estate agent who welcomes him and provides proof that he is licensed and insured. They then discuss his properties of interest before going to view them together. Eventually, Mr Smith decides to buy a stone house in very good condition, for 100,000 euros. He signs the compromise de vente and within a few days, he receives a copy of this with the signature of the owner of the property in France. Mr Smith then sends a 10% desposit. Two months later, his agent contacts him to organise the appointment for the signature of the final deal of sale, to be witnessed by the notaire. On signing this, Mr Smith pays the remaining price to the notaire and gets the keys to his new home, where he later has a wonderful house warming with his wife and all their friends and family.
Mr Smith was lucky, the estate agency system in France is very different to that in the UK, thus it is important to know what to expect from French estate agents. As with British agents, their main role is to seek out properties to market, show these to interested purchasers and then act as an intermediary between parties to conclude a sale. However, there are certain standards of practice that British buyers should be aware of in order to ensure that their experience, like Mr Smith's, is a happy one.
Welcome in the office
First and foremost, Professional agents should welcome British buyers in their office (provided appointments have been made) and show, upon request, a carte professional from the sous-prefecture, which is a card legally granted to all those who have either met official standards of practice or have considerable experience. Agents should also hold indemnity insurance, and are quite often members of the FNAIM (Federation Nationale des Agents Immobiliers et Mandataires) or the SNPI (Syndicat Nationales Professionals Immobilier).
Time and choices
Professional agents should then dedicate time to refining their client's requirements (confirming the number of bedrooms required for example) and propose a list of 3-5 properties to visit. Once the client has chosen, they should then visit the properties together, with the agent taking care to tell his client of any known problems relating to them (a roof in bad condition for example).
Efficiency and clear explanations
Finally, once clients decide to buy, agents should make sure that the survey related to fungus and lead in the house has been done and then give the compromis de vente to the client to sign, explaining all the terms and conditions and writing down all the charges and additional costs. The 10% deposit can either be given to the agent (if their insurance policy guarantees the return of deposited funds) or sent to the notaire, but either way, the agent should continue to assist the client until the final completion of sale, when the contract is signed in front of the notaire and the keys are handed over.
What should British buyers expect from their French estate agents?