IF you are not ready to retire and instead are looking to work or start a business in France many people gravitate towards being involved with the property market.
Whether you are a builder planning to help people improve their home, or want to sell properties and guide buyers through the process there are various options open.
Although to actually sell a property as an estate agent involves gaining recognised qualifications, a method proving increasingly popular is to provide a “property hunter” service.
Casting yourself in the role of Amanda Lamb or Kirsty Allsopp, you work to track down interesting properties for clients and act for them, independent of an estate agent.
And it is from this direction that the recently launched FrenchEntrée Property Finder (FEPF) service works as it looks to build up a team of people across France who will find properties for clients and help improve their chances of finding a perfect place.
Graham Downie, director of FEPF, said: “I set up in France as a property finder in the Charente in 2003 and have seen my business go from strength to strength. There is definitely a niche for professionals who act purely for the purchaser, particularly when you factor in the issues associated with buying a property overseas.”
The service is based on Graham’s own experience, with potential buyers paying the property hunter a consultancy fee of €500 in order to begin a search, which is refunded should a purchase be made, and then a search fee of 2.75 per cent of the purchase price is charged should the client buy a property that’s been found for them.
“Five years on we feel that the business model is established and that there is an opportunity for us to pass on our experience to a network of agents across the country,” Graham said.
“Our agents will receive leads and marketing support from the team at FrenchEntree, the leading online resource for people buying property or considering a move to France.”
There is a fee for people to join the FrenchEntrée Property Finder service which is made up of a one-off charge of €21,000 for exclusive coverage of popular regions such as the Cote d’Azur, Provence, Ile de France and French Alps, with a lower fee of €13,750 for other areas, and an on-going charge of 20 per cent of any commission fees paid by the client.
People would receive a standalone website as well as training from Graham, plus other ongoing support such as a manual, legal advice and access to professional advisers.
There is also a national association for property hunters, the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs Immobiliers, whose code of practice will feature in the training members of the service receive.
For further details or to receive a prospectus, email Nina Richards.