Client's Question: "Why is it that French estate agents refuse to give me the address of a property I am interested in, surely it saves everyone time if I can look up a property on Google Earth, and either include it or exclude it from my selection?"

          I am often asked this question, and it is a constant source of frustration for British house hunters who are accustomed to seeing the address of a property as well as directions to it on estate agent details in the U.K. But the two markets are quite different, and when you buy a property in France, you aren’t in the U.K! There are, however, good reasons for their reluctance to divulge this information.

          Firstly, the majority of property transactions that take place in France are between private individuals, with no agency involvement whatsoever. It is very common for a French purchaser to see a property advertised by an agent, to approach the agent for further details, and then to bypass the agent and go directly to the vendor, thus cutting the agent out of the deal. Agents therefore needed to protect themselves against this kind of activity, and that is why when you visit a property with an agent you will be asked to sign a ‘Bon de Visite’, which acknowledges the agent’s involvement in the deal.

          However, it isn’t all about the agency commission. Given that the majority of houses pass through private hands, those French vendors who choose to sell through an agent, often do so because they do not want to deal directly with potential buyers, they prefer an intermediary to do that for them. The agent therefore has a duty of confidentiality to the vendor, who would understandably be furious if an agent breached that trust and gave their details out directly to casual enquirers.

          There are two solutions to this:

• Firstly be prepared to sign a ‘bon de visite’ with either the agent or their English partners, which acknowledges that you are a client of said agent, and that should a sale arise the agent will be able to claim their commission.
• Secondly, (and this is where we as a professional English based intermediary can help), tell the agent exactly what your location requirements are (proximity to towns/schools etc), and what your concerns might be for the immediate environment of the property itself (proximity of neighbours, farms, power lines etc).

          We at Clé France have a very close relationship with our French partner agents, and the last thing anybody wants to do is waste time taking clients to see properties that will not suit them! We will often know the properties personally, but in cases where we don’t, we can talk to the agents who will entrust us with the information you need to make an informed decision as to whether to view or not.

Blog submitted by: Sharon at Cle France.