Working as an agent commercial

[overmonnow]

Hello,

Well, the speculative CV approach seems to be working...  I have secured a number of interviews with immobiliers as a self-employed agent commercial.

Obviously it is up to me to research the self-employed aspect of working in France, but does anyone have any general observations about life as an agent commercial in France?

Thanks, Alistair

[Val_2]

Work hard to get yourself a good reputation and not be another one of the many rogues working out there waiting to fleece unsuspecting brit property buyers as then no one will touch you because you have a bad name. Be prepared to help people from start to finish and not just take their money and disappear like a lot do, there is more to purchasing a property than just opening the front door, i.e. helping to get utilities running and offering a sort of after care advice scheme.

[letrangere]

Val, your comments make a lot of sense.  However, I think the other side of the coin is that increasingly many new arrival Brits require extensive "hand holding" and find it very difficult to ever let go.  And unless the company has an agreed set of rates for specific services, it could happen that the hard working agent gets lumbered indefinitely sorting out all manner of issues way beyond his expected scope of responsibility.  Will be interesting to hear what those already working in this capacity have to say.  M

[Later]

I offer an indefinite hand-holding service in my business (not real estate and not in France).  Initially I did a lot of hand-holding and it took a lot of my time.  Then I realised I was addressing the same problems for different people over-and-over again.  I put together a set of frequently asked questions and answers and since then, customer satisfaction has remained high, but I hardly do any hand holding past the initial stage.

[LesLauriers]

Work very long hours, cover lots of kilometers, pay out for loads of fuel, buy lots of maps, keep receipts for everything, ask lots of questions, trust no one but let everyone know you trust them, expect to be insulted by everyone when you mention that your an estate agent.

Pay 46% of income in social charges and then pay your income tax. On an income after expenses of 20,000€ pa expect 8000€ net before tax in year 3, (figures from chamber of commerce).

Expect phone calls at all hours from worried clients who have just read another book and have some concerns. Quiz the vendors to make sure they do have a CU and that they have not signed an exclusive agreement with other vendors which will take half your commission, make sure that they have agreement from all of the owners to sell! If you can avoid dealing with clients referred from UK agencies, do so, otherwise 50% of the commission goes to them.

Be aware that it is a cut throat industry and other agents will attempt to steal your vendors and or buyers. Never sign anyone up on an exclusive agreement - it is bad for the vendor and will do little for your reputation. If you have to ask an important question of your employer and their staff, ask at least 4 of them and select the answer you prefer.

Trust the Notaire staff as far as you can throw them and if they quote you a price always question the price, as they are fallible too.

Let everyone know you are an agent and work very hard at being a good one as it will pay off in the long run. It can be great fun and very rewarding despite the frustrations, but do not expect to earn more than a few pounds an hour!

All that said if you have it in you to succeed it is a rewarding career, but you may need a thick skin and lots of patience plus a bucket or two of enthusiasm.

Never ever bull***** and never make promises you cannot keep.

Good luck and good selling.

 

[Inquisitive]

I am just about to start to go down this route, and although I do realise that I will have to pay huge social charges and tax, to be left with €8,000 on a net profit of €20,000 (as has been quoted) seems extremely punitive.  Could you disclose the source of these figures. Is there a particular Chamber of Commerce booklet or website so that I can investigate further. 

Many thanks  Claire

[SaligoBay]

A French person was telling me yesterday about her time as an agent commercial.  A very smart and capable lady, but she said everything that LesLauriers said - you do lots of hours and lots of kilometres, and it's extremely cut-throat.  She said that even within her working group there was no esprit d'équipe, it was every man for himself at every step.

I was surprised, because she seems pretty tough to me. 

Good luck!

[Jirac18]

If you are thinking of getting rich then think again. You can make a living but only if you are dedicated and good at your job. Above all else have integrity. If you are not trustworthy you WILL fail.

What area are you looking at working as that can have a real say in how well you do. What is your competition. Can you be better than that competition in a hard market place.

[Kateloustear]

Les Lauriers - that didn't sound too bitter!!!!

If you have a passion for property, people skills, dedication and a bit of common sense then you will find this job extremely rewarding and you will meet many different people along the way.  The income that Les Lauriers quoted is a low one, if you are doing the job right and giving a good service, you can expect to earn well in excess of 20,000 euros per year.