In brief
In 2026, Home Select supported Nora, a 25-year-old first-time buyer, in purchasing an off-market 34 sqm two-room flat on a courtyard with a lift in the Tolbiac-Chevaleret neighbourhood of the 13th arrondissement of Paris, for 240,000 euros, or 7,060 euros/sqm, 18% below the DVF median for a two-room flat in the 13th (8,600 euros/sqm). The property, never listed online, was secured through an agent reached via the internal network of Home Select's 16 buying agents. A property hunter since 2011, Home Select has supported 1,200+ buyers and applies a 2.5% fee, payable on success, with a minimum of 10,000 euros incl. VAT.
Key takeaways
- 25-year-old first-time buyer found an off-market 34 m² two-room flat in Paris 13th at 240,000 euros (7,060 euros/m²)
- Home Select internal network allowed a property hunter unfamiliar with the 13th to access local agent contacts within 24 hours
- Previous solo search lasted one year with a failed offer due to a succession dispute
- Purchase price sits 18% below the DVF median for a two-room flat in the 13th (8,600 euros/sqm), in an area with metro Line 14 access
Nora, 25, was looking for her first flat in the Tolbiac-Chevaleret area of the 13th arrondissement of Paris, with a budget of 235,000 euros. After a year searching on her own and a failed offer that fell through over a succession dispute, she entrusted the search to Frédéric Girard, property hunter at Home Select. The result: a 34 m² two-room flat on a courtyard, with lift, found off-market in just a few weeks, at 240,000 euros.
Mission details
- Property hunter: Frédéric Girard
- Area: Paris 13th, Tolbiac-Chevaleret neighbourhood
- Property type: two-room flat, 34 m², courtyard-facing, with lift
- Budget: 235,000 euros (final: 240,000 euros)
- Off-market property: yes
- Search duration: a few weeks
- Buyer profile: First-time buyer, 25 years old, referred by a former client
Why did Nora, 25, search for a year without buying anything?
A year of solo viewings, many disappointments and a single written offer, on a property finally withdrawn from sale over a succession dispute. Her brief was precise enough: a two-room flat of 28 to 30 sqm in the north of the 13th, at 235,000 euros.
Nora lived in the family house in the Paris suburbs. An unexpected sum of money put a first purchase within reach. She wanted a two-room flat of 28 to 30 m² with a separate bedroom, in a quiet setting, within a precise area: the north of the 13th, around Tolbiac-Chevaleret, less than 40 minutes by public transport from her workplace near Antony.
For a year she viewed properties on her own. There were many disappointments and one offer written on impulse, only for the property to be withdrawn from sale over a succession dispute. A friend, a former Home Select client, suggested she contact Jean Mascla.
How does a property hunter work a neighbourhood he does not cover?
By borrowing his colleagues’ contact book: Frédéric Girard was not established in the 13th and had a full network of agents there within 24 hours. Six pre-viewings came out of it, then the final property, presented by an agent reached through that channel.
Jean Mascla assigned the case to Frédéric Girard. Frédéric does not specialise in the 13th, but that is exactly where the Home Select network comes into play: he contacted his fellow property hunters, gathered their best estate agent contacts in the area, and sent each one a summary of the case.
Six pre-viewings were arranged. None was truly conclusive. Two flats were shown to Nora in person, neither prompting an offer. The search went on.
How did this 34 sqm flat in the 13th surface before going online?
An agent contacted on the case called Frédéric back with a property not yet listed, in the exact neighbourhood Nora was targeting. At 240,000 euros, or 7,060 euros/sqm, it sits 18% below the DVF median for a two-room flat in the 13th (8,600 euros/sqm).
The property: a 34 sqm two-room flat on a courtyard, with lift. The price ran 5,000 euros over the initial budget, but the value was excellent for the area.
Frédéric sent the listing to Nora and a viewing was quickly arranged. On leaving, Nora made an offer at the asking price. The estate agent was satisfied: one viewing, one offer at asking price, case closed.
What work was left to do on this Tolbiac two-room flat?
A refresh and a rebuild of the kitchen, nothing structural. Nora’s father took the work on himself, which kept the cost of this first purchase to the purchase price.
Why does a 235,000 euro budget justify a property hunter?
Because under 250,000 euros in Paris, two-room flats go before they are published: a year of solo searching had produced no purchase, while a few weeks under mandate were enough. The final property was never listed online.
The network between hunters speeds everything up. Frédéric had no contacts in the 13th. Within 24 hours, thanks to his Home Select colleagues, he had a full contact book for the area, and the final property came directly from an agent reached through it.
Small budgets deserve a property hunter. Among two-room flats under 250,000 euros in Paris, competition is fierce and properties sell before they are published. The off-market network makes all the difference.
Word of mouth remains the leading channel. Nora came to Home Select on a friend’s recommendation. After a year of frustrating searching alone, a few weeks were enough with a property hunter.
Planning your first purchase in Paris? Entrust your search to our property hunters: 1,200+ buyers assisted since 2011.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
01 What is the minimum budget to buy a two-room flat in Paris in 2026?
A two-room flat of 25 to 35 m² in Paris sells for between 200,000 and 350,000 euros depending on the arrondissement and the condition of the property. The 13th, 19th and 20th arrondissements offer the most accessible entry prices, with DVF medians of 8,600, 8,300 and 8,300 euros/sqm for a two-room flat. The 13th, and the Tolbiac-Chevaleret area in particular, offers an excellent price-to-transport ratio thanks to metro Line 14.
02 Can a property hunter find a flat on a small budget?
Yes. At Home Select, we assist buyers from 200,000 euros. On small budgets, the advantage of a property hunter is decisive: well-located studios and two-room flats sell within hours, often before being listed online. The hunter's professional network opens access to these off-market properties that a solo buyer would never see.
03 How does the internal network between property hunters work at Home Select?
The 16 Home Select property hunters share their estate agent contacts internally by neighbourhood. When a hunter receives a mandate outside their usual area, they reach out to their colleagues to immediately access the right contacts in the targeted neighbourhood. This internal network multiplies sources and accelerates the search.
04 How can you access an off-market property in the 13th arrondissement?
Off-market properties are never published online. They circulate through trusted relationships between estate agents and property hunters. For Nora, an agent contacted via the Home Select network came back with a 34 m² two-room flat before it was listed, at 240,000 euros (7,060 euros/sqm), 18% below the DVF median for a two-room flat in the 13th (8,600 euros/sqm). One viewing led to an offer at asking price. This preview access is precisely what a solo buyer cannot replicate, and it is decisive on small budgets where good properties sell within hours.
