Uk agents dealing with French property

[caro]

Hello all, I'm new to this group and wondered if anyone could help. Do any of you know of a UK estate agent offering similar services to Parador in France? Or alternatively a French agency based in Aude who can help find properties, deal with legal issues such as opening bank accounts on behalf of the client, etc. Any help/advice would be very much appreciated.

Caro

 

 

[somme man]

Not sure about Aude, Hexagone are a uk based agency that specialise in the complete buying process in Northern France and may be able to help with contacts, with regards to banking, HSBC in France offer an English speaking bank manager for us Brits in certain branches which takes a lot of the mysteries of banking away.

[Panda]

Why would anyone need such a service, opening an account is simple, buying a house is simple, why would you bother with one of these agencies and a UK agent, they just add ot the cost of the house.

[caro]

Thanks for that. The reason I was interested in using an agent in the UK is because I am very busy and probably wouldn't have time to go to France all the time to look at property. An agency would be able to sort out the good from the bad. I don't mind paying for that kind of service. At the end of the day, when you're going to pay out a lot of cash, a few thousand pounds doesn't make much of a difference.

[Panda]

[quote user="caro"]Thanks for that. The reason I was interested in using an agent in the UK is because I am very busy and probably wouldn't have time to go to France all the time to look at property. An agency would be able to sort out the good from the bad. I don't mind paying for that kind of service. At the end of the day, when you're going to pay out a lot of cash, a few thousand pounds doesn't make much of a difference.[/quote]

Why use an agent in the UK who probably hasn't even seen most of the property, what a bizarre approach.  Any agent here in France will snatch your hand off to seek out the right property for you at not extra cost than the normal agents fees.  The market here is dead and dropping they are all sat on their hands with nothing to do, save your thousands and get the right agent out here not some UK arm who just makes appointments with local agents.

In fact scrub all that, I'm nosey, I know property, I could do with a few quid.... hire me. 

[martyng]

For what it is worth, I agree with caro in that in some circumstances it can be advantageous to use a third party/UK agent etc. When purchasing our property earlier this year in the Dordogne we used the (admittedly RR) services of VEF (there are others).  They took all the hassle out of buying at a distance, with a legal system you may not be familiar with, doing the necessary legal translations etc. They also trawled the market for a suitable French mortgage company (and they are very different and with tighter regulations than UK equivalents), and of course with their network of reps in country were able to carry out a very time-saving trawl of properties iaw our criteria.  (Yes it is easy to open a bank account - but on that score they were able to recommend one, in the local town, with English speaking staff etc.)

The extra money spent was, in our humble opinion, well worth it. 

(I look forward to a discount/commission from them if we ever move again within France!!) 

 

 

 

[Panda]

I had quite the opposite experience and with VEF too.  I was shown all manner of cr*p and dragged miles out of my way.  So perhaps the VEF rep in Dordogne knows his/her stuff.  The one I used most certainly did not. 

 

[Scooby]

[quote user="Panda"]

I had quite the opposite experience and with VEF too.  I was shown all manner of cr*p and dragged miles out of my way.  So perhaps the VEF rep in Dordogne knows his/her stuff.  The one I used most certainly did not. 

 

[/quote]

Ditto for us - the Neuvic office were c%*p

[caro]

So, Panda, if you've used an agency in the past, why do you think it's so strange for me to want to do the same. Just curious.

[Patf]

You could try Latitudes and www.gascony-property. The latter based in Southend, near where we used to live. We tried both.

But as others have said they weren't much use. Information out-of-date (properties already sold etc) and expensive, especially those who liase with a french agent as they both want a cut.

[mint]

But, Pat, they all claim it won't cost the buyer more as the commission is already so generous that they can afford to share it between them![:D]

[Patf]

You're right, S17 [:D]

I've just realised the OP asked about Aude, so gascony-property isn't any help.

There is also the "granny" network, who do more of a hand-holding service. They are based in France.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/cmaritimegranny/page1.html

[caro]

Thanks for that, Patf.

[caro]

I've had a look at the Latitudes' website. They don't look too bad, I might give them a call. Thanks again for mentioning them.

[mint]

I didn't buy through them in the end but, yes, they were helpful and set up many appointments for us.  I believe the lady I dealt with was called "Sharon".

[woolybanana]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

I didn't buy through them in the end but, yes, they were helpful and set up many appointments for us.  I believe the lady I dealt with was called "Sharon".

[/quote]

Perhaps sweet17 you should not have mentioned that final fact as it is hardly inspiring[6]

[caro]

Thanks for giving me a name, Sweet!

[mint]

You're welcome, Caro, and good luck to you.

Wooly, she can't help being called "Sharon", so you just stop being naughty and provocative!  [kiss]

[woody234]

if you buy in france you deal in france, forget the UK estate agents because they are not in france, look on french property.com or watever see a house you want to buy, get an english speaking notare, open a french bank account online , buy the house in france, go to super u, buy some red wine,drink it then start renovating the property, then post a question on living france in a years time saying when is my tax fonc tax dehab due 

[caro]

Lol, Woody, you make it all seem so easy! I like the bit about the red wine... but tell me, how do you open a french bank account online? I can pull a cork ok, but I'm not really an internet expert.

[woolybanana]

Step one Caro: learn to use the internet. It is like driving, essential except for a cranky few.

[woody234]

but dont forget when you have come of the ferry from england and you come out of a french petrol station 3 hours later and drive along the left hand lane for 30 seconds and think you are in england and wonder why a car is coming towards you in the left  hand lane, and then it suddenly dawns on you that you are in france now and they drive on their right so you move to your  right  lane  and then you can relax agian 

[DPA France]

It should be remembered that ALL of these UK intermediaries only exist and survive because of French agents.  Without the agents ( with the exception of those appealing to private advertisers ) they would not have a business.

An agent in the Uk cannot legally act as a registered estate agent in France, hence why they set themselves up in the UK as intermediaries with shiny websites, etc.  If they tried to do the same in France without the "carte professionelle" they risk breaking the law.  They all have created strong marketing hence why they get volume of enquiries

As businesses, they mainly survive because of the inherent insecurity of the UK buyer who feels right comfortable dealing with their own countrymen, getting advice from someone "at home" etc and because of negativity created by some French agents who do a poor job and let the side down giving the poor buyer a bad service.  The fact of the matter is that all the UK players take a share of the commision, i.e the same commision you would have paid anyway.  Don't let anyone tell you that it is more expensive it is just that an agent might work harder for you if he stands to earn a greater income from your direct business.

There are many excellent agents in France who have superb websites, offer a professional service and know their regions inside out.  

If you wanted to buy a house in Bristol....you would contact estate agents in Bristol because logically this should deliver the most relevant result.. wouldn't it? 

So why do people do differently with French property?

[P-D de Rouffignac]

I don't think the picture is as black and white as you suggest.

I have worked since 2001 in the French property business and it is quite common for agencies outside France to act as 'apporteurs' - literally bringers of clients, and one of the largest firms I have worked for has agreements with a number of non-French companies acting in this role. After all, many of Britain's top estate agencies have an Oveseas Department, which is often the first port of call for an intending buyer. Often clients are brought to the office by someone from the non-French agency, and I have met several British, Irish, Dutch, and Scandinavian intermediaries this way.

It is not uncommon for commission to be shared among a number of parties (making less available for everyone including the hard working negotiator) and can sometimes involve a non-French agency (bringing the client), a second French agency who perhaps represents the property owner, and the original agency the buyer. A three-way commission split. The buyer does not pay anything extra, we all get less, unless he/she chooses to use the services of another person, such as a UK lawyer, or - increasing these days, a property searcher or relocation adviser acting for the buyer or his employer.

We would all like willing clients with cash in had to walk into the office and buy property direct, that that situaion is increasingly rare these days.

Peter-Danton de ROUFFIGNAC www.francemediterraneanproperty.com   

 

[Will]

I would agree with what Peter says. Yes, it is true that the intermediary agents take, as their commission, a very large chunk of the fee payable to the French agents, which could well mean that by dealing direct with the French agent you might get better service, and there is certainly more scope for negotiation on FAI (agent's fee inclusive) prices. It is also a reason why French agents' fees appear high to those not used to the French system.

But without the intermediary agents, many of the French agents who deal with non-French (not only British) buyers would not exist. Such intermediaries provide a useful service because a great many first-time non-French buyers like to deal with somebody in their own country, who speaks their own language, and can reassure them if they have doubts about how things work in France - they may not want to just take the French agent's word for it. I am talking about the majority of intermediaries who share the fees and don't charge the client extra - there are one or two who do make an extra charge, for things which (arguably) are included in the service normally received from the French agent.

Intermediary agents like this might not be able to operate legally in France, but there is no need for such people in France. They are governed by the laws of the country where they are based, not French law.

What is of highly dubious legality is the practice by certain French agents, who increase their fee to the client, sometimes by 50%, if an intermediary agent is involved.