Is it possible to negotiate when buying French real estate?

Reader's question: Is it common practice to make an offer below the listed price when purchasing real estate in France? If so, what percentage is considered acceptable?

Buying property can be a serious step, and considering the price, it is always helpful to try to be in the best situation. Answering the first part of the question, yes, in France it is perfectly normal to offer a price below the stated amount when buying property. Negotiations are possible both in offers and from the seller, who considers them. The seller's openness to negotiations may increase or decrease depending on factors such as, of course, the number of people interested and how quickly they want to complete the sale, and so on.

The French real estate market is seeing an increase in negotiation levels. Philippe Buens, the director of Capifrance, stated that sellers can expect a price reduction of 6% in 2023, in an interview with BFMTV. This is slightly higher than in September 2022, when negotiations were around 5.5%, according to Le Figaro Immobilier.

The practice of negotiating agency commissions is becoming increasingly common. It is worth noting that agency commissions, unlike notary fees, are not regulated by law and do not have to be set at a specific level. In some cases, when an agency really wants to make a sale, or when the seller is particularly stubborn, agents may be willing to lower their commissions as an alternative to reducing the price. The higher the value of the property, the more willing agencies are to do this.

For those selling real estate, Le Figaro recommends offering it exclusively to one agency; this way, even if you are not willing to negotiate on the price, they may be more open to negotiating their commission to make the sale happen.

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