UK Estate Agents in France
An increasingly large number of UK estate agents are represented in France. Most commonly these are 'piggyback' operations where the UK agency is adjoined to a French agency. Some agencies, however, have associations with French agents as well as their own regional offices.
But a few agencies do things differently. They attract custom at UK-based exhibitions and 'profile' new customers before promising to find French property that suits the buyer's budget and personal preferences. They claim to provide a one-stop service intended to deal with every aspect of the purchase process.
But the process is not always as straightforward and transparent as the publicity suggests. Included in one 'package', for instance, is advice on 'rights of way', 'land divisions', 'making a will', etc. The same agency even talk about 'popping in for a cup of tea to see how you are getting along afrer the purchase'. They also encourage the view that a successful gite or bed and breakfast business can be up and running within a few weeks and that continued support and assistance will be available to help make this possible.
Prospective purchasers should be careful about these claims. On occasion, buyers have been brusquely informed, following the purchase, that continued agency expertise, or a referral to an appropriate professional, is indeed available - at €100 an hour. And, although their fee is 'all inclusive' (including legal work and taxes) 'one-stop services' do not come cheaply. One agent's scale of charges in 2002 ran from a minimum of €550. For the purchase of a €30,000 property in the Charente , in the same year, the agent's bill was €880. In effect, the purchaser paid twice the normal cost of the transaction process.
The buyer must decide for himself whether this kind of 'bells and frills' package is worth the premium rates charged. Judging by the dissatisfaction of some customers it is certainly worth checking the small print. Communication throughout an English solicitor may be an advantage, but this assumes that French estate agents and lawyers are poor communicators. They are not.
It is also worth noting that matters such as 'rights of way' and 'land divisions', etc. are routinely checked by the lawyer handling the legal work, and that some other elements of the package - such as 'drawing up a will' - can be done separately and relatively inexpensively. It is also worth asking if it is realistic to turn a property - which could require some renovation - into a successful business within a few weeks.
And, if communication remains an issue, there is an excellent network of UK agents offering the same services at the same scale of charges as their French colleagues. www.rea1-estate-european-union.com has definitive listings. You will also find valuable advice delivered with the voice of integrity and experience at www.findaproperty.co.uk and www.hamptons-int.com.
