A French first-time buyer couple living in Tokyo bought a 113 sqm flat in the 10th arrondissement of Paris for 1,120,000 euros, 30,000 euros below the asking price, with two Home Select property hunters, Marie Esmieu-Fournel and Frederic Girard, working a single week while the couple were in France.
Mission overview
- Property hunters: Marie Esmieu-Fournel and Frederic Girard
- Area: 1st to 10th, northern 16th, 17th (Parc Monceau)
- Property type: 3-room apartment, 113 sqm, 4th floor
- Budget: 1,250,000 euros
- Negotiated price: 1,120,000 euros (minus 2.6% from the 1,150,000 euros asking price)
- Search duration: 1 week of viewings (preparation in advance via video conference)
- Buyer profile: First-time buyer couple, expats in Japan, return planned for September
The project
Bruno and Nathalie live in Tokyo. Their return to France was set for September. They had a single week in March to find, view and sign for a flat in Paris. The budget was comfortable, 1,250,000 euros with a sizeable deposit, but the time pressure was extreme: five working days from the first meeting to an accepted offer.
Their brief was precise: a flat of at least 90 sqm, bright, on the top floor, with two bedrooms onto the courtyard or a quiet street, a home-office space, hardwood floors and good ceiling heights. Nathalie is particularly sensitive to noise, which ruled out any property on a busy road. The search area was broad, from the 1st to the 10th, with possible extensions into the northern 16th and 17th near Parc Monceau, provided there was quick transport to the Gare de Lyon.
The search strategy
Given the scope of the area and the one-week deadline, Frederic Girard chose to work in tandem with Marie Esmieu-Fournel. The two property hunters split the arrondissements between them and began their searches a week before the couple arrived, using the Home Select application and their direct contacts with local agencies. The instruction was clear: play up the quality of the file, first-time buyers with a solid deposit, no financing contingency, a decision guaranteed within the week.
The method was simple. While one property hunter was out viewing with Bruno and Nathalie, the other lined up the next day’s appointments. This constant rotation made the most of the viewings without ever overwhelming the buyers.
The first viewing, in the 5th, appealed to the couple. The property was listed at 1,400,000 euros, above their budget. They took time to think, and it sold in the meantime. A second promising viewing on Wednesday, a quiet flat near the Champs-Élysées, needed major renovation. The couple put in a low offer to account for the work. While they waited for a reply, the search went on.
The property found
On Thursday, a Home Select colleague flagged an off-market property: the flat of an acquaintance, not yet on the market. Frederic and Marie arranged a viewing for Friday afternoon.
The flat is in the 10th arrondissement, near the Canal Saint-Martin. The building is immaculate, its common areas fully renovated. On the 4th floor, the 113 sqm flat has three bedrooms, all onto the courtyard or a private mansion. Quiet, bright, dual-aspect. An unexpected bonus: a Franco-German school nearby, a perfect fit for Nathalie’s wish for a bilingual education, as she is of German origin.
The negotiation
On Saturday morning, their last day before departure, Bruno and Nathalie still had no reply on their first offer. The two property hunters negotiated an extension with the owner until noon. The owner, herself about to move to a Nordic country and needing the proceeds as a deposit for her next purchase, accepted an offer of 1,120,000 euros, 30,000 euros below the 1,150,000 euros asking price. The lack of a financing contingency and the strength of the backing made the difference.
The preliminary agreement was signed straight afterwards. Bruno and Nathalie flew back to Tokyo knowing a flat would be waiting for them in September.
What this mission illustrates
The tandem approach for urgent mandates. When the deadline is short and the area wide, putting two professionals on the job is not a luxury but a method. At Home Select, this dual-hunter approach is reserved for cases where time demands it. It doubles the pre-viewing and sourcing capacity without ever diluting the quality of support. It is one of the advantages of a structured network of property hunters.
Off-market access as a decisive factor. The final property was on no listing portal and in no agency window. It came through the Home Select internal network, thanks to information passing between colleagues. In a market where the best properties sell before publication, this access to off-market listings turns a single week of searching into a concrete result.
Remote support after the purchase. After the signing, Frederic advised Bruno and Nathalie on the renovation and went along with their interior architect to take measurements, while Marie found them a notaire. When buyers live 12 hours away by plane, the property hunter becomes a standing relay on the ground, a service that goes well beyond the search itself.
Do you live abroad and are preparing a purchase in Paris? Contact us: our sixteen property hunters support dozens of expat families each year in their acquisitions.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy an apartment in Paris from Japan in one week?
Yes. At Home Select, we helped a couple living in Tokyo sign a preliminary agreement in five days. The method relies on intensive groundwork before the client's arrival (pre-viewings, a shortlist confirmed remotely) and on two property hunters working in tandem to cover a wide perimeter. The couple bought a 113 sqm flat in the 10th arrondissement for 1,120,000 euros.
Why mobilize two property hunters on a single mandate?
When the deadline is tight and the search area is broad, two property hunters double the pre-viewing and negotiation capacity. While one is out viewing with the clients, the other lines up the next day's appointments. This tandem approach, which we use at Home Select for urgent mandates, let us cover the 1st through 10th and the 16th and 17th in a single week.
How does a property hunter handle an off-market purchase for expats?
The property hunter draws on a network of contacts, including agents, notaires and owners, to reach properties not yet listed. Here a Home Select colleague flagged an off-market flat on Thursday, the viewing took place on Friday, and the offer went in on Saturday. The lack of a financing contingency and the strength of the financial profile convinced the seller to accept at once.
