Selling

Our diverse and multilingual team provide a unique service dedicated to the sale of your property. Here are our promises:

Reliable estimation

An accurate value estation is the main selling point for a property. The selling process in France can take anywhere from 3 months to 5 years based on a correct valuation and the current market relevance. With that said, it is extremely important that before putting your property for sale, you decide how long you would like it to be on the market for; this will allow you to find the right price point. The French property market is quite conservative with regards to discounts and negotiation. Most often, if a property is correctly priced, the negotiation will be less than 5%. Anything more than this usually means that a property is badly priced. These are estimations for sale duration for accurately priced properties:

<500 000 euros - 3 - 4 months

500 - 950 000 euros - up to 6 months

1 - 2.5 million euros - 1½ years

2.5 - 5 million euros - 1 year

5 million euros + - variable depending on area and demand

CONTRACT

In France, there are 2 types of property contract, or mandat, which give the Real Estate agency the right to advertise and subsequently sell your property.

The 'Mandat Exclusif' is a contract which gives a sole agency the right to advertise and sell your property. This contract gives you a sole interlocutor who is dedicated to presentation, advertising, visits, feedback, interest, and closing of the property. Working with a sole agency does not limit the clients available, as agencies can collaborate under this type of contract at no additional cost to the client.

The 'Mandat Simple' is the most commonly signed contract. This contract can be signed with as many different agencies as you choose. This type of contract is good if you do not wish to tie yourself to a sole agency, however this can make the process complicated as you have many different contacts for visits, feedback, interest, and keys. Advertising for a 'mandat simple' is often more limited than that of a 'mandat exclusif'.

DOCUMENTATION

When you sign a contract with an agency, French law dictates that you must provide the following documentation to prove ownership and provide future buyers with all relevant information:

Proof of identity: a French ID card, or a passport
Proof of ownership: title deeds or an attestation of sale
Diagnostics: the diagnostics survey is a set of reports on the electricity, gas, presence of lead and asbestos, surface area, energy efficiency, and natural and technological risks. The diagnostics are paid for by the seller. If you do not have these yet, your agency can put you in touch with trusted experts
If the property is part of a condominium, the minutes of the last 3 building meetings or ‘Procès Verbal de l’Assemblée Générale’ which document any works carried out or foreseen, and any ongoing legal proceedings
The property tax, ‘taxe foncière’

Since the introduction of the Loi ALUR in March 2014, the following documents are also required:

The condominium rules, or ‘règlement de copropriété’, and any modifications
The annual running costs of the condominium and the share of the property concerned, and any provisional running costs. Any sums due for the last two instances of works carried out in the condominium
The financial situation of the condominium or ‘pré-état daté’
The number of lots in the concerned condominium

N.B. If you are not in possession of some of these documents, a representative of FPRE can obtain these on your behalf.

Presentation

For exclusive properties, we offer a photo shoot with our expert photographer.

If your property requires some modernisation or re-touching, we can also provide a home staging service to make it more appealing to potential buyers.

Marketing

Our innovative marketing team advertise properties to both a French and international audience and with numerous luxury partners on print, digital marketing and social networks.

Qualified clients

All potential clients are screened and finance checks are carried out to ensure qualified buyers.

Follow-up

We will keep you up-to-date with the interest and visits of your property. Your own dedicated agent works with you, the seller, to complete the sale within your preferred time frame and at the right price.

Legal and financial

All sales are drawn up and officiated by a notary or 'notaire', who is a government official. If you do not already have a notary, we can recommend one of our preferred, multilingual partners.

We also have a qualified legal team and finance experts who can assist you with tax calculations and impartial, confidential advice related to the sale of your property.

Fees and taxes

Agency fees are included in the sale price.

The diagnostics are a legal obligation and are paid for by the seller.

Habitation tax (taxe d’habitation) is paid for by whomever occupies the property on the 1st of January.

The property tax (taxe foncière) and any condominium fees are split between the seller and the buyer on a pro-rata basis.

All notary fees are paid for by the buyer.

If you are selling a secondary residence, you may be subject to Capital Gains Tax. Contact our legal team and finance experts for more information and calculations.