Real estate hunter for an expatriate couple preparing to return to France

Found!Discover a search quickly conducted by Romain LANDREAU, our apartment hunter specialized in Paris 9th. An expatriate couple was looking for a small Parisian pied-à-terre, to rent it out, while waiting for their return to France... An e-search that was perfectly mastered from start to finish!

How to properly anticipate a return to France?

Emmanuel and Alexandra live and work in Beijing. Planning to return to France in the next 5 years, they decided to go in search of a small pied-a-terre, which they would rent out in the meantime. The coveted property must therefore be able to seduce them, while offering all the arguments for a good rental investment...

Looking for an apartment outside France: how to organize yourself?

Not being on site, Emmanuel and Alexandra contact an apartment hunter, so that he can organize the search for them and meet the responsiveness requirements of the Parisian market.

Why did the couple choose HOME SELECT real estate hunter?

The couple then began an Internet search and contacted several professionals: Home Select was among the quickest to answer them! Indeed, upon receipt of the request, our apartment hunter, Romain Landreau, takes care of the file.

How could the real estate hunter define the search?

Used to conducting his investigations for expatriates, he leads exchanges, juggling between Skype, What's App and the telephone, to determine the search criteria. With a budget of 450,000€, Emmanuel and Alexandra want an apartment, accessible by lift from the 3rd floor, of at least 35 m², with 2 rooms, an open kitchen, with the charm of the old (its moldings and fireplaces) and above all, a bedroom overlooking a courtyard. Given the distance, they preferred to avoid major jobs. The search area included, at the same time, the 1st arrondissement, the 17th on the Batignolles side, the 9th and the 18th districts.

How to proceed with a search for expatriate buyers?

Listening to these requirements, Romain Landreau believes that the research is entirely plausible, even if bringing together the location and the old buildings will not be easy. For this specific case, the operation was based on an initial visit to the apartments selected by Romain, who then made several films and photos. If, after viewing, it still suited Emmanuel and Alexandra, they contacted a friend, to visit him on their behalf and get his opinion.

How do you deal with real estate market tensions?

From then on, Romain Landreau started his work by consulting the HS application and by activating his network of real estate agents, to benefit from properties first. From these elements, he created a presentation sheet with a lot of information and photos for his clients (neighborhood, co-ownership, the courtyard, the environment of the building...). As they had established very specific criteria, our apartment hunter was very quickly able to guide his search. In total, Romain made 6 visits that elicited 3 offers. The first was lower than the price displayed, judged by our professional, to be well above the market price; the second, although at the price, arrived too late! That's when Emmanuel and Alexandra became fully aware of the constraints of the market. Not to mention that they had to work with a time difference of 8 hours and the availability of a friend, to finalize the visits. Fortunately, the 3rd offer was the right one...

What initiatives have helped to unblock the situation?

A real estate agent, with whom Romain Landreau had already worked, sent him an email: he had just returned a property that could please his customers. After consulting the property sheet, our apartment hunter decided to go there on the spot: he made 4-5 videos and a few photos, which he submitted as soon as he returned to Emmanuel and Alexandra. Their interest is immediately aroused!

What does the real estate presented to the couple look like?

Established on the 2nd floor with elevator, the apartment has 45 m² with 2 rooms, including a large living room and an open kitchen, fully equipped, and of course, the bedroom overlooking the courtyard. Located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, it offers a view of the Sacré Coeur and is located in a beautiful stone building, typically Parisian. Inside, there are solid wooden floors and a marble fireplace, just as the couple wanted. The only downside of the property concerns the bathroom and the toilet, located in a long room.

How do you make sure the apartment is the right one?

As soon as Romain's videos and films were received, the couple was euphoric and asked additional questions. Their interest is real, despite a visit from our apartment hunter at the end of the day, offering images that are less bright than reality. After a telephone call, they decide to send their Parisian friend there, who visits the next day and immediately falls in love! Emmanuel and Alexandra then decided to make an offer at a price: with funds in France and 50% of the contribution, it was very quickly accepted! Not to mention that the financing has been validated by an HS broker.

Was it possible to rent out quickly?

The apartment was perfectly maintained and did not require any work. At the time of writing this post, it has already been rented!

Motivation, decisive for these customers far from France

Romain Landreau appreciated the motivation and dynamism of this couple: they knew what they wanted and were not pressed for time, even though the research was conducted in less than a month! The only difficulty in this case was to extol their merit to real estate agencies, which always favor buyers who were physically present at the time of the visits.

A mission well fulfilled by the apartment hunter

Emmanuel and Alexandra are now delighted with Romain Landreau's work: he perfectly knew how to fulfill his mission, finding a property that perfectly met all their requirements, while providing them with advice and additional human resources, which allowed them to buy peacefully, while being thousands of kilometers away. So satisfied, that the couple also put Romain in touch with another couple of friends looking to invest...