Hello, This is our first post on the site so am a little unsure where to post this. I hope this thread is OK. My husband and I wanted to find a place where we could discuss our concerns and amazement at some of the antics of some of the so called IMMOBILIERS or agents in France. We understood that the activities of these people were strictly regulated. It seems there are strict regulation but only a handful of people follow these rules. We lived partly in Bergerac and were putting our holiday home up for sale a few months ago. It is only a small place but represented a substantial investment for us. We have had it for almost 20 years but are getting a bit too creaky and tired to make full use of it anymore. We looked around for an agent and using the net very quickly found a site (I shall not name it of course) local to Bergerac so it seemed the logical company to use.. The site was produced well and it seemed to us that the person who owned it was highly professional. How looks can deceive. The woman on the site presented a plausible figure. She claimed to have considerable experience and knowledge of the area. Her French was very good indeed ans on first sight she seemed OK. Within 10 minutes of meeting this person she had begun to tell us how me must not trust ANY French Estate Agents, in particular she mentioned 3 in the area, basically slandering them. She then told us to be very wary of various Notiers and to only use the ONE she specified. My husband has spent 40 years negotiating and dealing with people and his alarm bells immediately began to ring..... I wanted her out of my house and did not even offer her a cup of tea.. Ahe really was utterly nasty. This was an exceptionally unpleasant person. Not satisfied with the attack on (what I later discovered were) people with whom she had a working relationship she then began to bad-mouth other English Agents. Her attacks were exceptionally vitriolic and plainly there has been a considerable amount if fighting in the area over house selling. The woman valued our house at 110,000 Euros. We were amazed as we felt, although small, the property is very well presented in a lovely area. When this person left we decided to make a few investigations. We have been back and fore to Bergerac from our home in Kent for many, many years and know many people in Bergerac. As soon as we began to ask questions the truth began to emerge. She is known by several French Estate Agents as the English Witch... They maintain a relationship with her because, although they know she rips them off and bad-mouths themm she does bring them business they otherwise would not have. They also ALL assured me her 'Agency' days are numbered. Now don't get me wrong..... This person never specifically claimed to be an IMMOBILIER, nor did she claim to be RICS or indeed have any single qualification pertaining to the valuing and sale of houses in the UK OR in France. She just presents herself in such a way that prospective sellers will think she has. I guess if you go to a hospital and see a man in a white coat with a stethescope around his neck you may well presume him to be a Doctor..... you may be wronmg of course and they can claim not to have presented themselves as such! She has one qualification, she speaks French and to be fair she does so rather well. How is it that someone like this can operate WITHOUT A PERMIT as an agent for selling houses? She is entirely unprofessional and is damaging the good name of other Brits in the business. I would be most intersested to hear of any one else's experience at the hands of so called Estate Agents here in the Dordogne. I am compiling a dossier which I shall present to the appropriate authorities over there. Not just on agencies in Bergerac, on all. If your message has names etc please don't post it on the public site, this is why I have avoided specifics about the woman's agency. Finally .... the good news is that we asked for a second valuation and this also was from a British company based in the Gironde, oddly enough run by a woman who also speaks escellent French.... But this time she was licenced.. They sold our house for 245,000 Euros within 2 months. They WERE licienced, they WERE qualified and they did not spend 80% of thier time slagging off the French or other agents (Though they had good cause to I suspect). These unscrupulous and unskilled cowboys (cowgirls) could have cost us a fortune... sure I would only have paid her 'Special' Rate of 2% but I would have lost considerably more....! My advice. ALWAYS ASK IF THE PERSON WITH WHOM YOU ARE DEALING IS LICIENCED. ASK TO SEE PROOF. It is not easy to get a licience in France and by having one the person WILLL be qualified. DO NOT accept that the person works for or with others who have a Licience. Why pay for an extra link in the chain!? Mary Davies
