Property France: A Great French Estate Agent

Summary: Buying property in France? David Seymour offers advice on how to choose a good French estate agent.

Property France - Choosing an Estate Agent

Buying a home or investment property in France is exciting! There is just about every type of home and property one could wish to find. France is a large and diverse country, and you are sure to find your dream home; from a superb town house in the city of Bordeaux, to a prestigious chateau in Gironde & Charente Maritime. There are holiday homes in Lot-et-Garonne, or stylish and classy villas in the super-chic resorts in Biarritz.

Maybe your pocket is slightly deeper and you are looking for a magnificent country estate with land - you would be well advised to take a look at the rolling hills of the Gers, Lot and Dordogne. You will undoubtedly get more for your money than in the UK.

You may be wondering how on earth to select the best website/estate agent in France. The same rules apply here, as almost anywhere else. You are looking for your ideal house, chateau, villa, apartment or holiday home in France. By now you have probably selected the region of France which suits you best. But wherever you decide to look, it is in your best interests to find an agent who will help you find a French property which meets all of your requirements, desires and aspirations. This should become your French estate agents aim also.

There are so many websites offering French Properties that finding a professional and experienced agent can be a daunting task. Let your instincts guide you. You can immediately rule out the websites whose links do not work, who do not speak English, and whose websites are cumbersome and badly planned. You are looking for professionals, who will do their job and then go the extra mile to help you find your ideal French property.

Homes in the south west of France is a good choice, apart from offering a huge variety of property for sale, this region has excellent transport links with the UK. There are many small local airports which offer direct flights to most regions in the United Kingdom. The boom in low cost airlines has created many opportunities for Europeans to buy property in France, and be assured that they can easily reach their French home, or holiday home, from the UK. This is reassuring for those who have relatives and friends at home and do not wish to lose contact. If you plan to commute from your French home to your business in the UK, then reliable transportation links are essential.

When trying to decide on which French estate agent to buy through, you should definitely look for a company that prides itself on being professional. A company who understands that you, the customer, and your needs with regard to a French home or property are absolutely paramount, is crucial. This type of company will always put your needs first, and as a buyer, that is exactly the attitude that you should be seeking. A company who takes a thorough approach is essential.

Agents who offer gimmicks and freebies to prospective clients should be most careful examined. And probably the best guide is recommendations from happy clients. Beware websites which do not offer verifiable references. Obviously, you would need to contact the website to get telephone numbers and details, as even the most professional and organized of agents, is not going to put their customers private details online

A short email, requesting details of happy clients should produce a list of satisfied people, who will verify the standard of services received. The better estate agents will reply promptly and courteously with a selection of satisfied clients and their contact details.

If you are given a long list, pick two or three from the end of the list. Human nature being what it is, the agent is pretty likely to put the contact details of those clients where everything went without a hitch at the top of the list.

And of course, there are often hitches when buying property. That in itself should not put you off. Your aim is to find a professional and experienced agent who is able to resolve any hitches without delay, and who puts your interests first.

Before contacting the agents satisfied customers, you should prepare a list of questions. Keep them short and succinct. Do not stray from the point, and be direct. If you are particularly worried about any aspect of buying a home in France then make sure that your questions cover those points in detail.

There are some very good estate agents out there, it is up to you to put in the time finding those which are not only good, but are professional, experienced and who realize that your satisfaction, as their client, is of paramount importance.

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