Search private homes for sale
On this page, we concentrate on finding a house for sale by the owner (FSOB). This is getting more and more popular in France (almost half of the houses are sold without intermediary). Not surprisingly so, considering the normal agency fees of 5% up to 9%. Even if the seller is usually the one paying the real estate agent, these extra fees will considerably shrink your negotiation margin.
Search on the spot
Apart from browsing extensively through Zorro Immo and the other real estate sites, the best way to find a home in France might be to simply go and look around. Just start in the region that has taken your fancy and visit some of the villages there. An excellent starting point is the town hall (Mairie or Hôtel de Ville). Especially in the smaller towns they know exactly which homes are or will presently be for sale. And they will be most glad to point you in the right direction, as a service to their selling constituents. Who in their turn will be quite happy to talk to you, since you were send by the mayor!
Chatting over a pint
When the Mairie is closed, do not waver. Just drop by the local pub and take your time to get a conversation going. Once you’ve warmed the locals to your presence with a couple of rounds, just ask something like: "Je cherche la vieille ferme, qui est à vendre. Savez-vous où elle est?" Of course they don’t know where the old farm for sale is located, since you’ve just made it up. But they do know about a small house that might be up for sale soon. Down by the river. Or perhaps you were referring to the decrepit old water mill in the woods? Before you can say ‘mortgage’ you will be brought up to speed with all the real estate in the area that has ever been for sale, is now for sale and might be for sale in the future.
The regional press
Another way to find private sellers is in the local and regional newspapers. They all have a section ‘Immobilier’ among the classifieds. If an ad does not mention the name of a Real Estate Agent, or it has ‘part à part’, ‘agences s’abstenir’ or just a phone number, is probably a private seller, wanting to do business with a buyer personally.
Estate agents
Looking for a house in France, you will inevitably also visit some estate agents. They advertise their main offer in the window and will gladly show you their complete portfolio. If you do want to pass through these 'agences immobilières', you should realise that each one of them has only a limited view on the market. They can only offer you houses they have been commissioned to sell. This means that to get a view of the total offer, you would have to visit all the agencies in the region. What's more, owners will commission two, five or even more agencies with the sale, so there is quite a lot of overlap, with sometimes even different asking prices. Of course more and more agencies have an internet site, so you can browse around and compare prices before actually stepping into their offices.
Business ethics
As the agents are working on commission base, they will not readily give you the sellers name and address. Afraid as they are you might sneak behind their back to try and buy without paying commission. This will mainly be a legal problem for the seller, because he has signed a contract promising to pay a percentage if the house is sold to someone brought in by the agent. You as a buyer do not have such a contract. We still advise you to honour your moral deal with the agent and play it straight. If he (or she) has done the job of finding you a suitable house and selling it to you, he deserves to get paid.
Note: of course all this does not concern all estate agents in all of France. Some will let you visit the house and contact the owner without being present. And some will honestly try to get the best possible result for both parties, even if on short term this will cost them money. Just keep your eyes open and be aware of where everyone stands.
Notary public
All notaries in France sell real estate. Some even concentrate on this activity as a main business. They advertise in the regional papers and in their special magazine, plus on the site www.immonot.com. If you find a house through the notary, he will charge a finders fee (frais de négociation), just like the estate agent. This will be about 3.5% on top of the inevitable legal fees of 8-10% that you (as a buyer) always have to pay on the transaction (please keep this in mind when you are looking for a house within your budget range).
The notary sometimes has houses for sale out of an inheritance, where the family just wants to cash in quickly. Also, the notary is less commercially inclined than the estate agent. This means you can sometime find a bargain here. So whatever you do, always also visit the offices of the notaries in your favourite region. Just make an appointment or talk to the secretary to explain your wishes. One never knows!
