In brief
In 2026, the Home Select property hunter supported a Franco-American couple in buying a 100 sqm flat in the 12th arrondissement of Paris for 1,075,000 euros parking included, negotiated 4% below the initial 1,120,000-euro price, then coordinated 30,000 euros of personalisation works. The partner, still in the United States, validated the flat during a video viewing, a format Home Select has mastered since 2011 for its 1,200+ buyers supported, with a 6% average negotiation off the seller's price.
Key takeaways
- Franco-American couple bought a 100 sqm apartment in the 12th arrondissement, negotiated from 1,120,000 to 1,075,000 euros (4% saving)
- Property had been unsold because it was presented as 3 bedrooms with one too small, deterring families while couples overlooked it
- Skype video viewing enabled the American partner to evaluate the property from the United States
- Offer submitted same day as in-person viewing, sealed with champagne at the sellers' home
- 30,000 euros of post-purchase renovation coordinated by the property hunter for a full turnkey service
Frederic, vice-president of a tech group, divides his time between Paris, the United States and Asia. His partner Allison still lives in the United States and is due to join him in Paris in October. The Home Select property hunter found them a 100 sqm flat in the 12th arrondissement, a property that had stayed unsold because it was marketed as a 3-room with one room too small. The price came down from 1,120,000 euros to 1,075,000 euros, sealed with champagne at the sellers’ home.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Home Select
- Area: Central Paris, neighbourhoods well served by the metro
- Property type: 3 rooms (+ small bonus bedroom), approximately 100 sqm, recent upscale building
- Initial price: 1,120,000 euros + parking
- Negotiated price: 1,075,000 euros parking included (minus 4%)
- Renovation: 30,000 euros of updating
- Buyer profile: Franco-American couple, senior executive, expat
How do you reach an executive living across three continents?
By sending him a property, not a follow-up message. Frederic’s diary is full across three continents and he is talking to two other buying agents at the same time, so the Home Select property hunter cannot reach him for days on end.
The turning point comes in a single text: the hunter sends him a listing judged to fit his brief. Its relevance catches his attention. They have never met in person.
What convinced this Franco-American couple to sign an exclusive mandate?
A flat already identified, and impossible to view without a mandate. The exclusive mandate is signed the very evening of their first meeting, in a cafe near the Bibliothèque nationale.
In 30 minutes the Home Select hunter pins down the brief: a recent upscale building, at least 2 bedrooms, at least 100 sqm, a balcony, good light, close to the metro. The budget is substantial. The couple have no children and need only two bedrooms, with perhaps a spare room for the American in-laws. The hunter then mentions a flat on rue Lamblardie in the 12th that he has been watching for a few weeks.
Why was this 100 sqm flat in the 12th still unsold at 1,090,000 euros?
Because it was marketed as a 3-bedroom when one of the three is tiny. Listed at first for 1,120,000 euros, then reduced to 1,090,000 euros, the rue Lamblardie flat had been on the market for a while.
The flaw put off both audiences at once: families dismissed it for lack of a real third bedroom, and couples without children never looked, since they were not searching for three bedrooms. The Home Select hunter sees the match at once: for Frederic and Allison the layout is ideal. Two proper bedrooms for the couple, and the small third room is perfect for the American family when they visit Paris.
The owner, a private seller, did not want to deal with property professionals. The hunter wins her round by presenting a qualified buyer, ready to view at short notice.
How do you show a flat in the 12th to a buyer still in the United States?
By filming it room by room, live, while she comments. On 28 April, Frederic views the flat and is smitten, but he cannot commit without Allison, who is in the United States, and the owner will not allow photographs.
So the Home Select hunter sets up a video viewing, filming each room while Allison reacts from the other side of the Atlantic. The flat is a hit. The hunter sees an American touch to it: the kitchen-diner set apart from the living room, the result of previous owners removing a fourth bedroom, which suits Allison’s habits.
How much did the price of this 100 sqm flat in the 12th come down?
By 45,000 euros, or 4%: from the original 1,120,000-euro asking price to 1,075,000 euros parking included. The offer was made and accepted on the very day Allison viewed the flat.
Frederic flies Allison in for a 48-hour weekend. The hunter lines up a marathon of viewings on Saturday and Sunday for comparison.
Before heading to rue Lamblardie, the three agree on the tactics: offer 1,070,000 euros parking included, instead of 1,090,000 euros plus 20,000 euros for the parking. If the flat appeals, put the offer in at once, ahead of the day’s other viewings, to negotiate from strength.
Allison is won over. The offer goes in on the spot. The sellers had hoped for 1,080,000 euros. After three more viewings during the day, the couple return to rue Lamblardie. The final offer is 1,075,000 euros. It is accepted at once, sealed with a framboisier, macarons and champagne at the sellers’ home.
What do 30,000 euros of works cover in a 100 sqm flat already in good order?
Cosmetic updating only, with no structural work: chiefly swapping the tiles for hardwood flooring. The flat was in excellent condition and Frederic and Allison chose to spend 30,000 euros on it after the purchase.
Home Select recommends a trusted contractor and coordinates the work, a full turnkey service: search, notaire, renovation.
What can be learned from a 1,075,000-euro purchase approved by video call in the 12th?
That a positioning flaw becomes an opportunity as soon as the hunter matches the property to the right demand: 45,000 euros off the asking price, and a decision taken from the United States without the distance stretching the timetable.
A property hunter sees what the market misses. A poorly pitched listing, three bedrooms with one too small, was putting off families and never reaching couples. The Home Select hunter connected this apparent flaw to Frederic and Allison’s profile straight away. Reading supply against demand in this way is what creates value.
The right process takes the friction out of international logistics. A Skype viewing, an offer drafted within 24 hours, a marathon of viewings over a single weekend: everything was compressed to fit a couple split between two continents.
A flat that has been sitting can be negotiated. The Home Select hunter secured a 4% discount, no record, but a saving of 45,000 euros on a property that fitted perfectly.
Buying in Paris from abroad? Entrust your search to our property hunters: 1,200+ buyers assisted since 2011.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
01 How can you show a Paris apartment to someone living abroad?
The property hunter conducts a live video viewing (Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime), filming each room and answering questions in real time. At Home Select, this is standard practice for expat clients. The video viewing allows pre-selection of properties before a physical trip for the final decision.
02 Can you negotiate on an apartment that has been difficult to sell in Paris?
Yes. A property that remains on the market for several weeks often signals a positioning issue: price too high, poor presentation, or a perceived deal-breaker. A property hunter identifies these listings and matches them with buyer profiles for whom the perceived flaw is not an issue. The negotiation margin on this type of property ranges from 3 to 8%.
03 How does a property hunter convince a seller who is reluctant to work with professionals?
Some private sellers refuse to work with intermediaries. The property hunter contacts them directly, explains that they represent a qualified buyer with a strong file, and proposes a no-obligation meeting. The prospect of a serious buyer, ready to view immediately, is generally enough to overcome the reluctance.
04 Why can a property marketed as 3 bedrooms stay unsold in Paris?
A poorly positioned flat puts buyers off. In this mission, the 100 sqm in the 12th was marketed as a 3-bedroom with one room too small: families ruled it out for lack of a real third bedroom, and childless couples never looked, wanting only two bedrooms. The Home Select hunter matched it with a Franco-American couple for whom the layout was ideal, the small room serving for visiting in-laws. That reading of supply against demand allowed a 4% negotiation and a purchase at 1,075,000 euros parking included.
