In this month's issue I offer a few tips on how to get the most out of your French estate agent, based largely on my experience of working for two years as a negotiator in one of my region's largest independent agencies, catering mainly for British and Irish clients, and subsequently as an independent property searcher and adviser.
France has around 15,000 estate agents (double the UK figure) and entry qualifications and controls are rigorous. French agents are much more hands-on, for example always accompanying the client on property visits, often over a wide geographical area. They are also much more involved in preparing the package of documents that will be passed to the Notaire in the event of a sale.
I also describe a typical day in the life of an agency, based on my experience in a busy office in Collioure, attempting to juggle phone calls, emails, visitors to the office, sales visits with clients and meeting property owners with a view to taking-on a mandate to sell their property. We invariably worked a six or even seven day week, and lunch was usually a sandwich consumed on the run between appointments. Perhaps not the relaxed Mediterranean way of life some readers might imagine!
French Property News is available on subscription or on sale in newsagents. http://www.french-property-news.com/