After our latest mail out where I mentioned our project of estate agents working together selling property in the Languedoc and Midi Pyrenees region. I recieved a lot of feedback mainly about people's bad experiences during visits with french estate agencies (immobiliers) and english speaking commercial agents who were representing those agencies. Mostly people wanted to know who we are working with so as not to unwittingly find themselves visiting properties with agents with whom they had already had bad experiences, having requested a visit through someone elses website within our network.
I have to admit I hadn't thought about this possibility until someone brought it up. So I am going to compile a list of our network agents and their website sites so that you will know who you are dealing with and will E mail it to all of you on our mailing list.
A few tips on dealing with French or English Agents on the internet (as anyone can knock up a website and advertise properties for sale in France) Most sites have an 'ABOUT US' button on the site somewhere that should lead you to a page explaining who and what they are....If you haven't heard of them before then it's worth checking them out.
When you go to view a french property that you want to buy do not let either the agent or seller talk you into paying a part of the house price nor the agents commission 'under the table' as this illegal, plus if it is a second home, when you one day want to sell it you will be liable to capital gains tax on the profits. So despite it being illegal there is no advantage to you to pay any of the price nor the commission in cash as you might have to pay capital gains on it in the future.
Do not sign a compromise de vente with an agent or notaire until you have recieved the results of the statutory surveys (expertises) for lead paint, asbestos, termites or insulation.
You may feel pressured to sign before the expertise results because the agent says someone else is interested in the house and if you want it you have to sign quickly...this is usually untrue and even if it were true the other 'interested' people aren't legally permitted to sign before the results are in either.
Beware of bogus agents who claim to work as property finders but are not french registered. They will no doubt ask you for a finders fee in cash as they aren't able to present their bill for a commission to the Notaire. These people are working illegally and if you give them any money you will might find yourself in some legal hot water.
Not wishing to scare anyone unduly, but there was an english couple in the Pyrenees Orientales who thourght that selling houses might supplement their income so they set up a web site called france66.com and they even had the website name painted on the side of their car ( not a very good idea)
They approached several french estate agents in the department and convinced them that they were above board (having been supposedly registered somewhere in the UK ?) and they could introduce prospective buyers.
They had a short but fairly successful run selling property with no carte proffessional, most commissions were paid in cash and they never paid tax or social contributions on those commissions.
They were eventually caught, had all their possessions taken away, weren't allowed to leave the house let alone the country, their bank accounts were frozen and they were convicted of fraud. Then the french authorities did surprise visits (controls) on all of those who had worked with them and everyone who had brought property through them and then more people faced charges. So try and avoid these 'property finders'.
Please don't pay an agent to take you on a visit. I wasn't aware of this practise until one day I had arranged to meet an english couple and show them several properties. I met them at a cafe in the nearest and the first thing they asked was 'how much will it costs us' I didn't understand what they were asking at first and so I asked ' how much will which property cost you ?' but apparently they had spent two days visiting with french agents who charged them 80 and 120 euros to take them around. When nearly every property in France is listed on at least one other agents books why pay ? go with the agent who doesn't charge for visits. I don't actually know of any who do charge but they obviously exist.
If you buy french property through a registered long established agency you will avoid a lot of the kind of problems I have mentioned here. They are there to help you find the right property and take all the hassle out of the buying process, to liase with the buyer and seller and try to make both sides happy with the result.
Tony Clay
Agent Commercial with First Immo, Estagel and Aude.
