Exclusive
Exclusive search mandate
2.5% of the purchase price
Min. €10,000 incl. VATFees on success onlyAll budgets
Property hunter fees in Paris
A dedicated hunter, from the first brief through to the keys. Fees on success only: payable on the day you sign at the notary, never before.
6%
avg. nego.
1 200+
clients
4,8/5
Our two offers
Exclusive or Confidential
The same full service in both cases. Only the mandate, the search scope and the rate change.
Confidential
Simple search mandate
1.5% of the purchase price
Projects of €2M and aboveFees on success only
The full service, included in both offers
- Dedicated hunter
- Defining your brief
- Pre-viewings and commented shortlist
- Viewings at your side
- Technical and co-ownership analysis
- Price negotiation
- Review of the sale agreement, notary coordination
- Support through to the keys
What sets the two offers apart
| Exclusive | Confidential | |
|---|---|---|
| Mandate | Exclusive: you entrust your search to us | Simple: you remain free to search in parallel |
| Search scope | The whole market: listings, our 15,000-partner network, off-market | Off-market properties only |
| Project budget | All budgets | €2M and above |
| Fee, on success only | 2.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price, minimum €10,000 incl. VAT | 1.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price |
Fees
What are the fees of a property hunter in Paris?
In Paris, a property hunter charges between 2% and 5% of the purchase price, with a market average of around 4% and a minimum fee often close to €10,000. Home Select charges 2.5% incl. VAT on the Exclusive offer (€10,000 minimum) and 1.5% on the Confidential offer, reserved for projects of €2M and above. In both cases, 100% on success, paid at the notary.
The detail
What you pay, and what you do not
| Item | Home Select | Common practice in Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | Exclusive 2.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price Confidential 1.5% incl. VAT projects of €2M and above | 2% to 5%, 4% on average |
| Minimum fee | €10,000 incl. VAT Exclusive offer | Most often close to €10,000 |
| When it is due | On the day the deed is signed before the notary | On completion, at nearly every firm |
| Retainer or upfront fee | None | Varies: some firms charge an upfront retainer |
| If no property is found | €0 | Usually €0, unless a retainer was paid |
| Share of the negotiated saving | None the full saving goes to you | Charged by some firms |
Our commitment
Zero risk: you only pay on results
- €0 when signing the mandate
- €0 throughout the search
- €0 if no result
Your savings
How much do you actually save?
The true cost of a property hunter is measured after negotiation. On average, our hunters secure a 6% reduction on the asking price: across most Paris budgets, the negotiation covers the fee and leaves a net gain. Move the slider to check it against yours.
- 6 % average reduction negotiated off the asking price
- 1,200+ completed transactions since 2011
Estimate your net saving
Move the slider: observed average negotiation (6%) minus the Exclusive offer fee (2.5% incl. VAT, €10,000 minimum).
Average negotiation (6%)
Exclusive offer fee (2.5% incl. VAT) €10,000 incl. VAT minimum applied
Average net saving
On the Confidential offer (1.5% incl. VAT, simple mandate)
Indicative simulation based on the averages observed since 2011 (6% negotiation across 1,200+ purchases). Every negotiation depends on the property and the context: this result is not a promise. Fees incl. VAT, payable by the buyer, due only on success. From €2M, the Confidential offer (simple mandate, a 100% off-market selection, the same full support with the negotiation led by your hunter) brings the fee down to 1.5% incl. VAT.
What it looks like in real cases
Modelled on the 6% average reduction achieved across our 1,200+ completed purchases since 2011. The actual negotiation depends on the property, the seller and the market: these figures illustrate an average, they are not a commitment.
| Asking price | Price paid after negotiation (6%) | Our fee | Net saving for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| €350,000 | €329,000 | €10,000 minimum applied | €11,000 |
| €500,000 | €470,000 | €11,750 | €18,250 |
| €800,000 | €752,000 | €18,800 | €29,200 |
| €1,200,000 | €1,128,000 | €28,200 | €43,800 |
| €2,000,000 | €1,880,000 | €47,000 | €73,000 |
Examples calculated for the Exclusive offer (2.5% incl. VAT). The fee is calculated on the purchase price, meaning the negotiated price and not the asking price. The €10,000 minimum applies below a purchase price of €400,000. On the Confidential offer (1.5% incl. VAT, projects of €2M and above), the fee on a €2,000,000 purchase price is €30,000 incl. VAT.
The price reduction our hunter secured more than covered their fee. In the end, we saved €28,000 net on our purchase.
Home Select client, purchase in the 7th arrondissement
Understanding the differences
What drives the price of a property hunter
- 01
Team size and network
A firm with several hunters pools a far larger network than a solo hunter. At Home Select, 16 hunters draw on 15,000 partners (agents, notaries, building managers, concierges) who send over 100 off-market properties per day. That sourcing shows in the fee, and in the speed of the search.
- 02
Off-market access
In Paris, 15 to 25% of transactions in premium arrondissements happen without a public listing. Firms that maintain a genuine off-market network carry higher running costs, but open access to properties you will never see on the portals.
- 03
Level of support
Some hunters simply forward listings. Others include pre-viewings, technical analysis, negotiation and support through to the keys. Check precisely what is included: at Home Select, the service covers the entire journey.
- 04
How the fee is charged
The Paris market norm is 100% success-based payment. Be wary of file fees or upfront deposits: paid outside the search mandate, that money is lost if the search comes to nothing.
- 05
Track record
A firm established for over 10 years, with a verifiable volume of mandates, knows real prices and seller behaviour. Home Select: founded in 2011, 1,200+ buyers assisted, 6% average reduction negotiated off the asking price.
Frequently asked questions about fees
What percentage does a property hunter charge in Paris?
Between 2% and 5% of the purchase price depending on the firm, with a market average around 4% and a minimum fee most often close to €10,000. The fee is almost always payable on success only: nothing is charged if no property is bought. Home Select offers two plans: Exclusive, the all-inclusive exclusive search mandate, at 2.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price (minimum €10,000 incl. VAT), and Confidential, the simple mandate reserved for projects of €2M and above, at 1.5% incl. VAT.
How much does a property hunter cost in Paris, in euros?
Under Home Select's Exclusive offer, the fee is 2.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price, meaning the negotiated price rather than the asking price. In euros, that comes to €11,750 for a property listed at €500,000, €18,800 for a property listed at €800,000, and €28,200 for a property listed at €1.2M. Below a purchase price of €400,000, the €10,000 incl. VAT minimum fee applies. Nothing is due upfront or if the search fails: the sum is paid on the day you sign at the notary's office, and only if you buy. For projects of €2M and above, the Confidential offer brings the rate down to 1.5% incl. VAT, which is €30,000 on a €2,000,000 purchase price.
I am American. Who pays the buyer's agent in France?
You do, and that is precisely what you are buying. In France the commission attached to a listing pays the agent acting for the seller: none of it funds anyone on the buyer's side, and there is no French equivalent of a buyer's agent compensated out of the seller's proceeds. Engaging a property hunter is how a buyer obtains their own representation, with a duty owed to them alone. Under our Exclusive offer that costs 2.5% incl. VAT of the negotiated purchase price, minimum €10,000 incl. VAT, payable only on completion at the notary's office. The average reduction obtained across our 1,200+ purchases since 2011 is 6% off the asking price: on a property listed at €800,000, that is €48,000 negotiated against an €18,800 fee. The fee is not an extra layer on a US-style arrangement, it is the only way to have someone on your side of the table.
Exclusive or Confidential: what is the difference?
At Home Select, the service is identical in both offers: dedicated hunter, pre-viewings, accompanied viewings, negotiation led for you, review of the sale agreement, notary coordination, through to the keys. Three things change. The mandate: exclusive under the Exclusive offer, simple under the Confidential offer (you remain free to search in parallel). The scope: Exclusive works the whole market, listings included; Confidential only presents you with off-market properties. The fee: 2.5% incl. VAT (minimum €10,000 incl. VAT) under Exclusive, 1.5% incl. VAT under Confidential, reserved for projects of €2M and above. In both cases, fees on success only.
Why is the Confidential offer reserved for projects of €2M and above?
Because it only presents you with off-market properties, and that flow is at its densest on the exceptional segment: in Paris, 15 to 25% of premium transactions are completed without a public listing. Below that threshold, the off-market flow alone cannot sustain a full search: the Exclusive offer, which works the whole market, applies. At €2M, Home Select's Confidential offer fee comes to €30,000 incl. VAT, due only on success.
Is a property hunter paid only on success?
At Home Select, yes, entirely: fees fall due on the day the deed is signed at the notary, and only if you buy. No deposit, no application fee, no subscription, no per-viewing charge. If the search does not complete within the term of the mandate (at Home Select, one month, renewable, terminable at any time), you pay nothing at all. It is also the law: article 6 of the loi Hoguet bars any holder of the French professional licence (carte T) from taking a sum before the purchase has actually completed. Where a firm charges a retainer, an application fee or a subscription, it necessarily does so outside the search mandate, under a separate advisory contract, and those sums are lost if the search fails. It is the first thing to check in a mandate, before the rate itself. The full breakdown, clause by clause, is in our article is a property hunter paid only on success?
Is a property hunter worth the money?
It depends on what they achieve on the price. Under the Exclusive offer, Home Select's 2.5% fee is calculated on the negotiated price, and the average reduction across our 1,200+ purchases since 2011 is 6% off the asking price. On a property listed at €800,000, that is €48,000 negotiated against an €18,800 fee, a net saving of €29,200. These are averages, not a commitment: the actual negotiation depends on the property and the seller.
Are your fees included in the notary fees?
No. Notary fees, around 7 to 8% of the price on an existing property and 2 to 3% on a new build, are a separate cost collected by the notaire, mostly made up of transfer taxes. Our fees are entirely distinct: they pay the one professional who represents you rather than the seller, and they are paid directly to the hunter on completion at the notary's office, only if you buy.
What happens if you don't find my property?
At Home Select, fees are 100% success-based. If we do not find your property, you pay nothing at all: the mandate runs for one month, renewable, and can be terminated at any time.
Are your fees negotiable?
Our fees are transparent and reflect the quality of the service. On average, the 6% reduction we secure on the asking price more than offsets the fee.
When are the fees due?
The fees are due only at completion at the notary's office: that is, when you officially become the owner. Never before.
Why 2.5%, and not less?
This rate enables us to mobilise a team of 16 hunters, work the off-market and secure an average 6% reduction on the asking price. The net gain for our clients consistently exceeds the fee. Above €2M, our Confidential offer brings the rate down to 1.5% for searches conducted exclusively on the off-market flow, with the same full support. To place these rates in their market, our comparison of luxury property finders in Paris publishes the scales of ten firms. Our full terms are also set out on the official fact sheet.
Are your fees inclusive of VAT, and who pays them?
Home Select's fees (2.5% on the Exclusive offer, 1.5% on the Confidential offer) are inclusive of VAT (20% French VAT) and are payable by the buyer, the client. The 2026 fee schedule is shared with you before any mandate is signed and remains available on request.
Are there any hidden fees?
None. Our fee covers the entire service, from defining your brief through to the keys in your hand. No application fees, no registration fees, no surprises of any kind.
Your project starts here
Let's talk through your search over 30 minutes. First call free, no commitment. Our 16 property hunters are ready to find your home in Paris.
Home Select, property hunter in Paris since 2011.
Who writes this page
Home Select is a property hunting firm founded in 2011 by Jean Mascla. 16 hunters cover Paris and the Paris region, working for buyers only. The figures quoted on this page come from our 1,200+ completed searches since 2011 and from public French land registry (DVF) data.
Verifiable credentials
- Professional licence CPI 7501 2018 000 028 939 (CCI Paris Île-de-France)
- Company registration SIREN 531223931 (RCS Paris 531 223 931)
- Professional indemnity Suffren Assurances Associés
- Membership Member of the FCI (French federation of property hunters)
- Press coverage 20 Minutes (first in its top 5 Paris apartment hunters), Le Petit Journal, L'Essentiel de l'Éco
Content reviewed by Jean Mascla, Founder of Home Select, property hunter in Paris since 2011, and updated on .
