The search mandate explained
The search mandate is the official contract that binds you to your property hunter. Made compulsory by the Hoguet law, this legal document defines the search criteria, the fees, the duration of the assignment and each party's commitments. Understanding what it contains is essential before entrusting your purchase project to a professional.
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The legal framework
Do you need to sign a search mandate?
Yes, a search mandate is legally required (French loi Hoguet) before any work begins. It sets the search criteria, the duration and the fees, and can be exclusive (the Exclusive offer, 2.5% incl. VAT, minimum €10,000 incl. VAT) or simple (the Confidential offer, 1.5% incl. VAT, for projects of €2M and above). At Home Select there is no upfront cost: fees are paid only at the notary's office, and the mandate runs for one month, renewable, cancellable at any time.
What is a search mandate?
A property search mandate is a written contract under which you, as the buyer, entrust a property hunter holding the 'T' professional card with the task of finding a property matching your criteria. This contract frames the entire relationship between the principal (you) and the agent (the hunter): it specifies the search criteria, the geographical scope, the budget, the duration of the assignment and the terms of payment.
This document is mandatory under the Hoguet law of 2 January 1970 and its implementing decree of 20 July 1972. No property hunter may receive any fee without first signing a written, numbered mandate, recorded in a register of mandates. This legal requirement is your principal legal protection: it guarantees transparency on the commitments made, the means deployed and the agreed fees. According to article 6 of the Hoguet law, published by Légifrance, the mandate must be in writing, state its duration and set out the terms of remuneration, and no sum may be demanded before the transaction has actually been concluded and recorded in a written deed.
In practice, the search mandate also formalises the hunter's obligations: duties of advice, information, loyalty and confidentiality. It commits the professional to acting in your exclusive interest, unlike a traditional estate agent, who represents the seller. At Home Select, every mandate is drafted clearly and in detail, so you know exactly what your hunter undertakes to do and on what terms.
Required mandate contents
Identity of the parties
Full contact details of the principal (you) and the agent (the property hunter), including company name, registered office address and SIREN number.
Object of the search
A precise definition of the property sought: type (apartment, house, loft), minimum floor area, number of rooms, preferred location, floor level, exposure and maximum budget.
Duration of the mandate
Period of validity: one month at Home Select, renewable, with the renewal terms set out in the contract.
Fees
Amount or percentage, with payment terms. At Home Select: 2.5% incl. VAT (minimum €10,000 incl. VAT) for the Exclusive offer, 1.5% incl. VAT for the Confidential offer, fees paid only on success.
Type of mandate
Exclusive or simple, with the obligations attached to each. At Home Select: Exclusive (exclusive mandate) or Confidential (simple mandate).
Means deployed
A detailed description of the actions the hunter undertakes to carry out: sourcing, pre-viewings, comparative analysis, negotiation, support through to signing at the notaire's office.
Professional card number
The number of the 'T' professional card issued by the CCI, attesting that the hunter is authorised to carry out property transactions, together with the name of the financial guarantor.
Cancellation terms
How the mandate can be ended: at Home Select, at any time, by email, with seven days' notice.
Exclusive or simple mandate?
Exclusive mandate: the Exclusive offer
At Home Select, the exclusive search mandate is our Exclusive offer, a full service open to all budgets. A dedicated hunter searches every source: listings, a network of 15,000 partners and off-market properties. It is the formula we recommend for complete support, from the initial brief to the key handover. Fees: 2.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price, minimum €10,000 incl. VAT, paid only on success.
- A dedicated hunter searching every source
- Pre-viewings with video and accompanied visits
- Negotiation handled for you: 6% average reduction
- Contract review, notary coordination, key handover
Simple mandate: the Confidential offer
At Home Select, the simple search mandate is a fully fledged offer: Confidential, reserved for projects of €2M and above. The support is the same as with Exclusive, dedicated hunter, pre-viewings, accompanied viewings, negotiation led for you, through to the keys, but only off-market properties are presented to you, and you remain free to search in parallel. Fees: 1.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price, paid only on success.
- The same full support as the Exclusive offer, from the brief to the keys
- Off-market properties only, with a file per property and alerts before the market
- You remain free to search in parallel
- Reserved for projects of €2M and above
At most firms, a simple mandate means a lighter commitment from the professional, who knows they may not be paid for the work they put in. At Home Select it is a fully fledged offer with the same full support as the Exclusive offer, on the off-market flow alone. To work the whole market, listings included, the Exclusive offer remains the formula our 16 hunters recommend.
How long does the mandate last?
The usual duration for a property search mandate is 3 to 6 months. This timeframe is governed by the Hoguet law, which requires a fixed term to be stated in the contract. At Home Select, the mandate is signed for one month, renewable, and can be cancelled at any time. It must be long enough for the hunter to conduct a thorough search of the Paris market.
- Activate their professional network and identify off-market properties before they go online
- Prospect the entire visible market: property portals, partner agencies, notarial offices
- Organise pre-viewings, analyse each property and present you with only the most relevant
- Negotiate the purchase price calmly, backed by solid comparables
- Support the legal phase: preliminary contract, lifting of the conditions precedent, final deed
At Home Select: our average search takes 45 days, thanks to our 16 property hunters who know every neighbourhood of Paris. The mandate can be renewed by amendment if your search needs more time, for instance if your criteria are widened.
Can you cancel a mandate?
Cancellation at expiry
The mandate ends naturally on the date set in the contract, with no formalities required. If the contract provides for tacit renewal, you must give notice that you do not wish to renew within the period stated in the contract.
Early cancellation
At Home Select, the mandate can be cancelled at any time with 7 days' notice given by email or registered letter. The exact terms are set out in your contract. The statutory 14-day cooling-off period (the Hamon law) also applies if the mandate was signed remotely or away from business premises.
Financial consequences
With Home Select's success-only model, no fee is due if the mandate is cancelled before a property has been found and purchased. You pay only at the signing of the final deed at the notaire's office: 2.5% incl. VAT of the purchase price (minimum €10,000 incl. VAT) under the Exclusive offer, 1.5% incl. VAT under the Confidential offer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a search mandate compulsory when using a property hunter?
What if I find a property myself during the mandate?
Can I change my criteria during the mandate?
When are the property hunter's fees due?
What is the difference between a search mandate and a sales mandate?
Can a property hunter be paid by both parties?
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 .
