In brief
In 2026, Home Select supported Bernard, a 68-year-old retiree leaving his Versailles house to be closer to his children, in the off-market purchase of a premium 68 sqm three-room flat on the 5th floor with a lift in an 1895 Haussmann building on avenue Paul-Doumer, Passy neighbourhood (16th arrondissement of Paris), at 785,000 euros, 5.3% below the 829,000-euro market estimate (11,544 euros/sqm), in 8 weeks. The property, flagged by a building concierge in the hunter's network and never listed online, was financed by the sale of his house without a mortgage. A property hunter since 2011, Home Select has 16 buying agents, 1,200+ buyers supported and applies a 2.5% fee, payable on success, minimum 10,000 euros incl. VAT.
Key takeaways
- A 68 m² premium flat in Passy was found off-market through concierge and notaire networks
- The purchase price of 785,000 euros represents a 5.3% discount below estimated market value of 829,000 euros
- Approximately 25% of sales in the 16th arrondissement close without any public listing
- Renovated upper-floor properties in Passy-Ranelagh trade between 11,200 and 12,800 euros/m²
Home Select found a premium 68 m² three-room flat in the Passy neighbourhood of the 16th arrondissement for a retiree. The property, sourced off-market, was acquired for 785,000 euros against an estimated value of 829,000 euros. Frédéric Girard, property hunter, completed the search in 8 weeks.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Frédéric Girard
- Area: 16th arrondissement, Passy neighbourhood
- Property type: Three-room flat, 68 m², premium building
- Initial budget: 850,000 euros
- Estimated value: 829,000 euros (off-market property, no listed price)
- Purchase price: 785,000 euros (-5.3%)
- Search duration: 8 weeks
- Buyer profile: Retiree, 68 years old, selling his suburban house
Why did this retiree leave his Versailles house for Passy?
To be closer to his children and grandchildren living in the 16th, after 30 years in a detached house. Bernard, a former financial director who had just retired, was after a quality flat with a lift, in a well-kept building, within walking distance of the Trocadéro and the Ranelagh gardens.
His criteria were precise: at least three rooms, a good ceiling height, an upper floor with lift, a concierge, and above all a premium building in cut stone with impeccable common areas. Bernard did not want major renovation work; he was looking for a move-in-ready property.
How do you reach off-market sales in the Passy neighbourhood?
Through the network on the ground, not the portals: 14 building concierges in the Passy-Ranelagh area, 5 notaires in the 16th and 8 agencies specialising in the local high-end market. Frédéric Girard steered the search towards the off-market from day one, because in the 16th many owners sell discreetly, by word of mouth, through their notaire or through building concierges, to avoid public viewings.
Within three weeks, two off-market properties matching the brief had surfaced, a remarkable number for this kind of search.
The first, a 72 m² three-room flat on rue de la Pompe, needed plumbing work within two years (rising main, costed at 8,000 euros per unit). Frédéric ruled it out.
What does this premium three-room flat on avenue Paul-Doumer offer?
68 m² on the 5th floor with lift in an 1895 Haussmann building, fully renovated in 2020 and rated C on the EPC. The second property presented met every one of Bernard’s requirements, down to the full-time concierge and the panelled entrance hall. The 25 m² living room with marble fireplace and original mouldings benefited from excellent natural light through two windows overlooking the avenue. The 16 m² main bedroom with built-in wardrobe and the 12 m² second bedroom faced the courtyard, in complete quiet.
The 2020 renovation covered everything: Bulthaup fitted kitchen, marble bathroom, improved sound insulation, rewired electrics. That is what explains the C rating on the EPC, exceptional for a building of this era.
The lift, for its part, was modernised in 2019. Co-ownership charges were 350 euros per month. The minutes of the last general meeting mentioned no major works ahead.
The owner, an expatriate living in Geneva, wanted a discreet and swift sale.
How do you negotiate 44,000 euros off a property with no asking price?
By building your own valuation, then turning the seller’s need for discretion into an argument: 785,000 euros (11,544 euros/m²) against a market value assessed at 829,000 euros, 5.3% less. With no listed price, Frédéric based that valuation on four recent sales in the Passy-Ranelagh area (11,200 to 12,800 euros/m² for renovated upper-floor properties), or 12,191 euros/m².
The initial offer of 770,000 euros went to the seller through his notaire. After a video call, Frédéric argued that the seller’s wish for a quick, unlisted sale justified a confidentiality discount. Agreement was reached at 785,000 euros.
Bernard financed the purchase with the proceeds from the sale of his Versailles house, without a mortgage. The preliminary contract was signed directly at the seller’s notaire, with conditions lifted in four weeks.
What do senior buyers take away from this discreet sale in Passy?
That the off-market in the 16th runs through the local network, here the building concierge; that their combined requirements (lift, concierge, no works, proximity to family) shrink the available supply to almost nothing; and that a property with no asking price is negotiated against a valuation, not against a discount.
The off-market in the 16th arrondissement is accessible to those who maintain a local network. This property was never listed on any portal. It was the building concierge, contacted by Frédéric, who flagged the expatriate’s departure. This kind of access rests on trusted relationships built over years.
Seniors have specific requirements that the standard market serves poorly. Lift, concierge, no works needed, proximity to family: these combined requirements drastically reduce the available supply. A property hunter who knows the local housing stock identifies compatible properties far faster than an independent search.
Negotiation on an off-market property follows different rules. With no listed price, the hunter’s valuation serves as the baseline. Frédéric built his assessment on verified transaction data, then used confidentiality as a negotiation lever, an argument unique to off-market sales.
Are you planning a retirement property purchase in Paris? Contact our team to discuss your project.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
01 How can you access off-market properties in the 16th arrondissement?
In the 16th, roughly 25% of sales close without any public listing. A property hunter accesses these properties through a network of notaires, building concierges and local agents. At Home Select, our hunters maintain ongoing relationships with more than 50 contacts in the 16th.
02 What defines a premium flat in the 16th arrondissement?
A premium flat in the 16th is marked by a cut-stone building, a concierge, a lift, well-maintained common areas (lobby, staircase), ceiling heights above 2.80 m, and high-quality interior finishes (parquet flooring, mouldings, fireplaces).
03 Does a property hunter assist seniors with their purchase projects?
Home Select regularly assists seniors with their purchase projects: single-level main residences, Parisian pieds-à-terre, or moves to be closer to family. The hunter manages every step, from viewings to signing, adapting to each client's pace.
04 How do you negotiate an off-market property with no listed price in the 16th arrondissement?
With no listed price, the hunter's valuation serves as the baseline. For this premium 68 sqm three-room flat on avenue Paul-Doumer (Passy), Frédéric Girard put the market value at 829,000 euros (12,191 euros/sqm) from four recent sales in the Passy-Ranelagh area (11,200 to 12,800 euros/sqm). He then used the seller's wish for a discreet, swift sale as leverage, reaching an agreement at 785,000 euros (11,544 euros/sqm), 5.3% below the estimate. Confidentiality is an argument unique to off-market sales.
