We have just been led a merry dance by a very large Anglo/French estate agent. We should have known when their agent turned up 45minutes late to show us the property. From the moment our offer was accepted we have experienced incorrect Compromis de vente (thank goodness we had it checked), discovered that the renovations had not been signed off despite being finished in 2007 (the agent hadn't checked although they manically checked sign off for the fosse septique) and then silences and distractions. E mail questions were ignored, 3 times we asked whether the owners still wanted to sell. We liquidated our funds - didn't need a mortgage so we were easy buyers, we provided all our paperwork within 2 days of it being requested and now after 2 months of nothing being achieved and the Compromis due for signing on Friday, the sale has collapsed. They say they have another buyer!!!!!!
Luckily we already have a house in France which we have owned for 17 years and bought locally with none of these issues. We could have sold it while all this was happening and thank goodness decided to wait until the spring. This expensive interlude has cost us £3000 in legal fees because we needed a lawyer to correct the agents' work. Buyer beware!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry to hear about the problems and costs you've had Sally Anne. Scary indeed.
I've no personal experience of this yet, only just starting the whole process. However, I'm amazed how unhelpful agents are generally in France. Their websites provide very little info' or pictures of each property even after you contact them for further details! On that basis I guess it's no shock to learn they're no better at the harder parts of their role.
Thanks for the heads up and best of luck for the future.
I am sorry to hear about your experience, and I am sure it was scary!
Are there any regulations for Real Estate Agents? that should be illegal!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm surprised that the notaire did not prepare the compromis de vente.
Maybe this is one of the reasons that most people here prefer to sell or buy direct; lower the price as well. It may be lucky that you didn't end up buying the property and having the agency get the commission.
There are too many of them around it seems. My OH, for lack of options, has been working as an agent for the last year and a half. Possibly because of her background, she is highly conscientious and would not let the things you described happen. However, she hears horror stories about other agents including her 'colleagues'. One of the problems is that they are not employees as such but are kind of freelance, working for a commission on each sale. Many have inadequate if at all any French, some never really find out how things are really done by notaires, about the energy, etc evaluations required now and let mistakes go. She cannot believe how many half-truths they tell. However, having studied in a Francophone university in a country that has French as one of its national languages she is totally comfortable in the language. She has seen that beside the shoddy work by agents with Anglo-French agencies the French agents tend to be equally as bad. Her assumption is that it partly because the market has been depressed and some of the better and previously successful agents have left the business as earnings plunged. So, it is by and large not the agencies to blame, but often agents who pull the wool over eyes of those they are working for.