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If you’re trying to buy property in Paris, it’s essential that you find a good agent – and build a good working relationship with them. Unlike so many of their counterparts in Britain and America, French estate agents command great respect in society, and are often highly valued by the communities they serve.

It’s certainly a heavily regulated industry - all French agents must hold a carte professionnelle. This is a licence from the French Government which confirms an agent’s qualifications and experience, and it’s a mandatory requirement for all practising agencies – in fact it’s illegal even to show clients around a property without holding a carte. If you’ve any doubts about your chosen agent’s abilities you can ask to see their carte professionnelle, and in fact you’ll find many agents display the licence openly on the walls of their office.

On the whole you can expect a more full, more personal service from a French agent than from their counterparts in the UK, and agents in France do hold a very central role throughout the purchase process. Accordingly, agency fees in France are higher than in the UK, often somewhere between 5% and 10% of the purchase price. In any case, these fees are almost always included in the price of the property, though it’s worth checking that there are no extra charges before you commit to purchase. 

Remember that French agents, even in Paris, work to different hours than you might expect, some closing for as long as two hours over lunchtime, and many will shut up shop throughout August – a month for Paris house hunters to avoid. And don’t expect agents to supply as much information on properties as you might be used to – the sizes of all houses, apartments and rooms are described in metres squared, so if this isn’t a measurement you’re familiar with it’s worth getting a sense for it before you head over. 

You can find estate agents in France through the website of the French National Association of Agents, the FNAIM: www.fnaim.fr. Alternatively, if you’d like advice in the UK, try FOPDAC (www.fopdac.com), now affiliated to the National Association of Estate Agents.