The market
Searching for a French home online: the international portals.
Most buyers abroad start on a property portal in their own language. That is a good start, as long as you know how these sites work.
Contents
The same house can appear five times, with three different prices, on sites in four languages. Here are the main portals used by international buyers, how to read what they show, and what they do not.
The main portals
- Rightmove and Zoopla: the large British portals, with sections for property abroad.
- Green-Acres: a portal dedicated to French property for international buyers, in several languages.
- Properstar: an international portal in many languages.
- Kyero: born for Spain, it also lists homes in France and other countries.
- French-Property.com: an English-language site about French property.
- A Place in the Sun: the British site and magazine linked to the TV programme.
- ListGlobally: a network that passes agencies' listings on to partner portals abroad.
- Propriétés Le Figaro and Résidences Immobilier: French sites for prestige properties, read by many buyers abroad.
Asking prices, duplicates and old listings
In France, a seller can give the sale to several agencies at once, so the same house appears several times, sometimes with different prices: one agency shows the fee included, another has not updated a price reduction, a third converts it into your currency. Some listings stay online after the sale.
An asking price is only a starting point. The prices actually paid at the notaire's are public: how to check them.
Check who is behind the listing
- A French agency must hold a professional licence, the carte professionnelle, and show its number on its documents and website.
- Look for a real address and call it. GRAVELIN IMMO is at 30 rue Bannelier in Dijon.
- Never transfer money to a seller or to a private person met online. In France, the purchase money goes through the notaire.
What the portals do not show
The good properties at the right price often sell before they reach the foreign portals, or within days. Some sellers prefer a discreet sale and never publish their property. That is why it pays to tell a local agent exactly what you want: when a property that matches comes in, I send the film to the buyers already looking, so they can decide quickly.
Searching with me from abroad
Send me your criteria, your budget and your timing on WhatsApp or by email. I answer with the properties that fit, their films, the real prices around them, and the questions to ask. I work in English and French every day. I also speak Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi fluently, Persian (Farsi) very well, and good Greek and Arabic.
Frequently asked questions
Which websites list French property in English?
Green-Acres, Properstar, French-Property.com, A Place in the Sun, Kyero, and the overseas sections of Rightmove and Zoopla, among others.
Why is the same house listed at different prices?
Several agencies may sell it, one may include its fee and another not, or a price reduction may not be updated everywhere.
Is the price on a portal the market price?
It is an asking price. The prices really paid are in the official DVF data of notarised sales.
How do I know an agency is genuine?
It must hold a carte professionnelle and show its number. Check its address and call it before sending any documents.