Property hunter for first-time buyers in Paris: Home Select

Your search

Your first purchase search

A first purchase in Paris often feels like an obstacle course: Saturday viewings, estate agents who never call back, sellers in a hurry, banks asking ever more questions. Your hunter takes the property side off your hands so you can focus on the financing and on picturing yourself in your future home.

Every step explained

Compromis, deposit, conditions precedent, mortgage, notary fees: your hunter explains every term and every figure. You always know what you are signing, and why.

A realistic budget from the start

We calibrate the total budget at the very first meeting: purchase price, notary fees, works, property tax and service charges. If you need it, we put you in touch with a partner broker to secure solid financing in advance.

A purchase that holds up

Review of the surveys, the state of the co-ownership, planned works, electrical compliance and the Carrez floor area. No viewing without a prior check; no offer without a fair-price calculation.

One in four A quarter of our buyers are buying for the first time. We know how to decode Paris for them.

How we work

Your first purchase, step by step

A method tailored to first-time buyers: more explanation, more safeguards, the same efficiency.

01

Scoping and financing
Week one

A first meeting to pin down your true budget: borrowing capacity, deposit and the costs around it. If you have not yet seen a broker, we put you in touch with a partner who will issue an agreement in principle, useful for reassuring sellers.
02

Defining the brief
Week one

For a first-time buyer, the brief is necessarily broader: we test several scenarios (one or two bedrooms, a balcony or a courtyard, métro or RER), compare the arrondissements within reach of your budget, and land on three or four precise targets.
03

Sourcing and filtering
Weeks two to five

Your hunter works every source and filters heavily. For a first purchase, screening the quality of the building and the health of the co-ownership matters more than ever: we will never bring you a flat whose works would blow your total budget.
04

Viewings and offer
Three to five viewings

You view either on your own or with your hunter at your side. When the time comes, your hunter builds an offer that reassures the seller (solid financing, a motivated first-time buyer) while still securing a meaningful price reduction. The average negotiation on a first purchase sits at 5 to 6%.
05

Preliminary contract and notary
Through to completion

Your hunter reviews the preliminary contract and the deed of sale. We coordinate with your bank to meet the financing-condition deadline (typically 45 days). You sign with peace of mind.

Comparison

Why a property hunter

On your own Home Select

Search duration 9 months 45 days

Viewings before deciding 40+ 3

Time invested 150 h 15 h

Negotiation 0 to 2% 6%

Off-market access limited full

Averages observed across 1,200 completed searches in Paris since 2011.

They made their first purchase with us

First-time buyer testimonials

I did not even know the difference between a compromis and a promesse de vente. My hunter explained everything without ever talking down to me. We knocked €38,000 off the asking price, I signed six weeks after the mandate, stress-free. The fee was an obvious investment.

At 28, I was scared of being taken for a ride. The audit of the co-ownership steered me away from a building about to vote through heavy works.

The broker they put me in touch with secured a rate 0.3 points below my own bank's offer. Everything flowed beautifully from there.

Frequently asked

Your questions on a first purchase

Do you need a deposit to buy in Paris as a first-time buyer?

French banks typically require at least a 10% deposit on top of the notary fees (around 7 to 8% of the price). Depending on your profile and the wider market, a larger deposit can help with loan approval and improve the rate. We put you in touch with one of our partner brokers to settle this early on.

What costs should I budget on top of the purchase price?

For an older flat in Paris: notary fees (around 7.5% of the price), any estate-agent commission if the seller is using one (usually already wrapped into the asking price), our hunter's fees (2.5% of the price, with a €10,000 incl. VAT minimum) and your bank's processing and guarantee fees (1 to 1.5%).

How long does a first purchase take?

Our 45-day average applies to first-time buyers too. Then allow roughly 90 days between the preliminary contract and completion (loan processing, the financing condition). All in: four to five months from mandate to keys in your hand.

Can you buy in Paris on a single income?

Yes, but the field narrows: usually a studio or a small two-room, often towards the city's edge or in eastern Paris. We calibrate together at the first meeting: if Paris intra-muros is out of reach for your budget, we look at the neighbouring towns (Saint-Ouen, Pantin, Montreuil, Levallois), which often offer better value per square metre.

What happens if the bank turns down my mortgage?

The financing condition precedent protects you: if the bank formally refuses the loan within the terms set out in the preliminary contract, the sale is cancelled and your deposit is returned. Your hunter makes sure that clause is precisely worded.

Can your fees be rolled into the mortgage?

Yes; our fees can be folded into your overall financing plan. Our partner broker will know how to position them properly in the file your bank sees.