Immogo is not an estate agent. So we're not allowed to give price advice on specific properties in France. Which is just as well, because even the most experienced agent can't possibly know the right price for every type of property in every region. A 100 m² farmhouse in the Nièvre can be 75% cheaper than a comparable house on the Mediterranean coast. There are simply too many variables.
What we can do is show you where to find the objective information you need to work out a fair price yourself.
Everyone deserves a fair price
The market is getting more transparent, which means buyers, including foreign nationals, are quite well informed. They browse online forums and property groups on Facebook. They check specialized portals, consult property databases, and if possible take a look on Google Earth too. As a seller, you need to be realistic. A price set too high makes negotiations harder and wastes time for no reason.
Feelings and facts
Buyer and seller each look at a property from their own side. The seller lived in the house, maybe raised a family there, maintained it, sometimes spent years working on it. The owner knows every corner and feels a strong emotional attachment. That feeling has no place in a transaction, but it plays a role anyway. On top of that, the seller (no surprise there) wants to receive a lot of money. The result: they naturally aim a bit high.
The buyer mostly sees the flaws. The boiler that needs replacing, the poor insulation, the outdated septic tank, the price per square meter that looks higher than in the next village. They compare, look for the weak spot, and typically offer well below the asking price, if only to create room to negotiate. Neither side is automatically right or wrong. The fair price lives somewhere in between both views. If you don't want to be led by sentiments like nostalgia or hesitation, you need to look for facts: hard data.
The agent: a referee, but not a neutral one
An agent can help set a realistic price. They know the local market and plenty of transactions cross their desk. But their judgment isn't entirely disinterested.
Some agents start with an attractively high valuation to win the client. If no buyer shows interest after a few months, the price still has to come down, but by then a lot of time has been lost. Other agents do the opposite. They push toward a lower price to close deals faster. The easier the sale, the less work, and... on to the next house!
None of this is dishonest as such, it's just the reality of the trade. That's exactly why, if you do bring in an agent, it pays to come prepared, armed with your own verifiable figures.
Where to find objective information
To keep the discussion away from sentiment and commercial interests, there are several free tools.
DVF
The official database from the DGFiP (French Government Financial Directorat) records the actual sale prices of every property that has changed hands since 2014, including the net amount received by the seller.
Available at app.dvf.etalab.gouv.fr, updated twice a year. Note: the data runs six to twelve months behind.
The notaires
immobilier.notaires.fr offers a map of average sale prices per m² by département, and often a free estimate from the notaire handling the sale.
Note: if you also entrust them with the negotiation, a commission of up to 5% of the price may apply.
Listing sites
Useful for what's on the market right now, but note: these are asking prices, not paid prices. Leboncoin.fr also shows the price per m².
Mind the difference between "net" prices and agency prices, which already include commission.
Combine all three, DVF for actual sale prices, notaires for local expertise, listing sites for the current mood, and you get a well-grounded reference price.
Buyer vs. seller: the arguments
What the buyer can argue to bring the price down
- 1Lower comparable sales on DVF, in the same area, for a similar size and condition. The hardest argument to refute, since it's based on prices actually paid.
- 2The work the property will need. A poor energy rating, a roof due for replacement, wiring that doesn't meet code. Get a proper quote though, not just an impression.
- 3How long the property has been on the market. Eight months with no sale clearly means no buyer at the asking price.
- 4The local trend. Falling prices in the commune or département, documented in black and white by the notaires or INSEE.
The seller's arguments for a higher price
- 1Higher comparable sales of similar properties in the same area. Very strong argument, based on prices actually paid (in the last year or so).
- 2Completed work, with invoices to show for it. A new roof, a full renovation, an extension: real expenses that justify the difference with a property in original condition.
- 3The property's particular strengths. A large garden, a pool, an open view, no overlooking neighbours, a good location. Whatever the competition lacks is worth something.
- 4Scarcity or pressure in the local market. Little comparable supply, high demand, fast sales, verifiable via listing sites and DVF.
Reaching an agreement
Leave room to negotiate on both sides. 5 to 10% is quite normal. And one tip that applies to buyers and sellers: when negotiating, don't stop just under or just above a round number. Between €249,500 and €252,000 there's only a 1% difference, but it rules out an entire category of buyers who've set themselves a €250,000 ceiling, and an entire category of sellers who psychologically refuse to go below a certain line.
In the end, there's only one fair price. It sits at the point where both sides, each armed with their own figures, meet.
Congratulations: Vendu!
