Paris property searches
In our experience, there is no such thing as the Paris property market. The size and unique nature of the products, the sellers and the buyers mean that different neighborhoods and areas, different types of buildings or properties, and different price ranges are driven by different factors, serviced by different estate agents and bought by different buyers.
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Most buyers are overwhelmed by the sheer speed of the property market, with the best properties seeming to disappear right before their eyes, before they ever had a chance to get them. This results in large part from the incredible number of estate agents, all of who operate independently, and without any standard of presentation for the properties available. Central Paris alone has over 3,500 different estate agents, and in many of them the individual agents do not openly share their properties with each other. Most people simply do not have the time or capacity to be in touch with the myriad estate agents, nor see the hundreds of properties that sound like they might be the dream property they are looking for only to be beat out by someone else, or to arrive and see that the property turns out to be nothing like the listing described.
More and more, the Internet may seem to have some of the answers, giving what looks like access to a wide swath of the market. In fact, more than half the properties in Paris change hands without ever being advertised; we often see and know of properties that never appear on an Internet posting. Even as websites and postings improve, the real merit of a property posted by an eager seller·s agent is difficult to assess, and finding all the good postings in a world where there is no consolidated search mechanism to access is nearly impossible for someone who is not occupied with that search full time. And, since each agent sets their own commission and one property may be listed with several agents, a lone buyer may end up seeing a property with one agent at a price substantially more than had they happened to stumble on another agency with the same listing! This can be the most frustrating of all.
Under these circumstances, it is no wonder that most people spend months searching during every free hour of the day, visiting dozens if not hundreds of properties, and finally turn their search over to a specialist. Most people simply do not have the time or capacity to be in touch with the myriad estate agents, nor see the hundreds of properties that sound like they might be the dream property they are looking for only to be beat out by someone else, or to arrive and see that the property turns out to be nothing like the listing described. Thankfully, many of our clients had the good fortune to turn to us before that exhausting and frustrating experience.
How can we help?
With our internal database of estate agents, property managers, notaries and large property owners, Flat Hunter experts enjoy direct, first-mover access to thousands of properties before they ever make it to the public eye. In addition, we have a proprietary database of all the private sale listings in Paris and the surrounding communities as soon as a listing is posted; and we scour the handful of property posting sites and many individual agency websites online. We have a team of over a dozen flat hunter experts who are each dedicated to a few individual clients in the neighborhoods they know best, and are on the lookout for properties for each other·s clients as well. No one gives you more complete access to the Paris market or more precise local knowledge than our Paris team.
Paris clients who are they?
It is often supposed that Paris property search clients are all overseas buyers or expatriates. In fact, that makes up almost all of the business for most search services that do work with English speaking clients. Flat Hunter is different: we were a French company from the start, and to date about 80% of our clients are French, living in Paris, who know the complex market they face; know our reputation, connections and expertise; and are willing to pay for that, even for a search that they ostensibly could do on their own. They also realize that the good properties go quickly without always being advertised to the public, and that missing out on the right one can be a costly mistake.
Many of our non-French clients are buying primarily for investment. These buyers, living or coming from outside of France, tend to be sophisticated buyers looking for a long-term investment, a property with Paris charm, good value, good rental potential, and a solid capital gains return. And, often, at least some opportunity for personal use. Through a proper analysis of budget and objectives, we help to focus each client·s search on the right property and location to meet their needs. Flat Hunter is also the perfect partner to help navigate through the unfamiliar customs and legal procedures not to mention language barriers! that are a significant challenge to a foreign buyer.
We are proud to say that many of our clients come to us by word-of-mouth from past satisfied clients, or from sellers who were impressed with what they saw of our services for the buyer from the other side of the table. Others simply knock on our door after hearing about us in the news. All are treated to international standards of customer service and Flat Hunter·s knowledge and expertise in the market, second to none.
Whether you are frustrated by your experience to date, living abroad or just thinking about a Paris property purchase, please tell us about your search details and we will be in touch to discuss your needs.
