We Do the Best We Can to Make Your Dreams Come True

I know it’s really tough not to forge ahead to realize your dreams of living in France or buying property here, but I would urge you to get your ducks in a row before you go off “half-cocked.”

What does that mean? It means not visiting the various property websites looking at properties to rent or purchase without knowing what your budget truly is, where ultimately you want to settle in France and what your timing is. If what you’re doing is just educating yourself just to see what the offerings are, then fine, have fun, but the minute you contact an agency, you’ve gotten ahead of yourself.

Why? Remember that there is no Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in France.

What is MLS.com®? “MLS.com® is a free MLS search to find real estate listings for sale by Realtors® and other realty professionals that are members of your local MLS Multiple Listing Service. MLS.com® also features foreclosures, new construction, international properties and real estate classes. Find homes for sale, new homes and resale homes, new construction, acreage, lots, land, commercial properties and investment properties. MLS.com is independently owned and operated and is not affiliated with any of the over 900 local MLS systems. On MLS.com you can list your properties and reach our global audience.”

In effect, when a property goes on the market in the U.S. via the MLS, it’s available to everyone at the same moment. Every agent has access to it and they assume they will share their commissions with the selling agency if their client buys a property that is not their listing. It’s a very open/sharing method that works really well for the buyers/renters and the agents. The buyers/renters can work with one agent they trust and the agent is virtually guaranteed a deal regardless.

Not so in France. It’s every agent/agency for himself. They don’t see the benefit of sharing information, at least in most parts of the country. And they don’t want to work with buyers/renters who are not serious or ready to make a commitment as it’s a waste of their time. Add to that the difficulty for them of dealing with a foreign buyer/renter who isn’t fluent in French, isn’t familiar with their systems or laws and clients who will depend on their agent to hold their hand through the process. So, the minute you contact an agent, you better be serious and ready to move on it or else you’ll get the cold shoulder.

When you are ready to make the move to buy or rent, you’re better off having us introduce you to the agents to be able to protect you in the process. When we contact them, they automatically know we have a serious client who can afford the property. They also know that we’re going to do the heavy lifting by representing the client in a professional way so that the process goes smoother. They have a lot less work to do and it will all be easier, faster and simpler. In effect, they love us.

When our client does benefit from a commission share (on a purchase), we credit that amount back to the client, so that the cost of our services becomes negligible. This almost never happens in Paris (the agencies universally agreed to deny it), but happens in Nice and the rest of France about half the time. If you have contacted the agency yourself without our introduction, that commission share is no longer possible. So, you don’t want to make the first move unless you’re prepared to go it alone—otherwise, you want to let us do that on your behalf.

There’s no one central portal for properties like the MLS, either. There are a few sites that represent a lot of properties on the market, but the agencies pay for those listings, so they only list the properties they can’t easily/quickly sell or rent otherwise. That means the cream of the crop are not being promoted at all and are in their back pocket or on the inside track. It’s a question of “who you know” in order to find the best properties. Again, that’s where we can make a difference.

Our agents are on the ground talking to the agencies regularly. They come to us when they have a property they think suits our market—the North American buyer or renter who wants something special. They know our clients want classic/traditional properties in central locations that satisfy their North American needs—elevators, light and views, vibrant neighborhood, etc.

There’s something else we do that no one else does that is very important, too. We advise. If you just want someone to follow your instructions, then we’re not the agency you want to work with. What you want may not actually be the best for you and we’re not afraid to tell you so. We know the difference. We know that you might think it would be cool to live in a small, charming village in the Occitanie where you once stayed and fell in love, but we’d question how practical that is in reality. And we’re going to point out all the pitfalls so that you make the best decisions that affect your future.

Sure, there are other agencies that can help the North American buyer/renter, but they are just “yes men” so they can make their profit, but we don’t operate that way. Our bottom line has nothing to do with money. Our bottom line is how what we do is the best we can do for you to make your dreams come true. That’s what we do. And that’s a whole lot more than just real estate.

It all starts with a consultation, either with me or one of my trusted staff. To learn more, visit our website.

A la prochaine…