JP French Houses

[Lizzy]

Hi,

Has anyone had dealings with JP French Houses........please pm me if you don't want to post on the forum.

Thanks

[Beryl]

There was a lengthy discussion about this company some time ago, some or all of it may have been deleted. But it may be worth a search.

Have PMd you about something else though.

[Will]

The company under discussion was JB, not JP. Maybe the original poster hit the wrong key? I have not heard of a JP French Houses. I don't think the previous discussion was deleted, although certain comments might have been edited.

The topic then was mainly about a certain French estate agency in the Normandy/Mayenne area making an extra charge to clients who had been referred to it by non-French sub-agencies, in this case JB French Houses. This was to re-pay the agency concerned for having to split its commission with the referral agencies, and was, to say the least, of dubious legality in France. It was not of JB's doing, and I understand JB stopped referring clients to that agency. Since then I have learned of another agency in the same area doing the same. The vast majority of agencies in France split their commission with the referral agencies and so it costs the client no extra - though, dare I say it, if you go direct to the French agency they don't have to share their fees so you stand to get a better service, or possibly more scope for negotiation.

[Ann]

Before our last trip we contacted JB Fench Houses reference properties we had seen on their site.  They made appointments with a couple of agents on our behalf. 

The appointments were something we could have arranged ourselves all they do is put you in touch with the agent selling the property you like the look of.  If we had looked at the websites of the larger agencies we would have found them for ourselves. 

 

[Will]

Ann, that's how just about all of the referral agencies work. And for that, they get anything from 20% to 50% of the French agent's fee.

It's still worthwhile for the French agents, because 50% is better than nothing, but you can see why they prefer to deal with clients who go direct - and it is one of many reasons why the French agency commission appear to be such a high percentage, as they have to give away half of it on many sales, along with the very high costs of legally running such a business in France..