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

Your project

Your first purchase search

A first purchase in Paris is often felt as an obstacle course: Saturday visits, agents who do not call back, hurried sellers, demanding banks. Your hunter takes over the real estate side so you can focus on financing and projecting yourself in your future home.

Every step explained

Preliminary agreement, deposit, suspensive conditions, mortgage, notary fees: your hunter explains every word and every figure. You always know what you are signing and why.

Realistic budget from the start

Calibration of the total budget at the first meeting: purchase price, notary fees, works, property tax, charges. Connection to a partner broker to secure solid financing upstream if needed.

Project securing

Analysis of diagnostics, condominium status, planned works, electrical compliance, Carrez surface. No visit without prior audit, no offer without fair price calculation.

1 in 4 A quarter of our buyers are first-time buyers. We know how to decode Paris for them.

Our method

Your first purchase journey

A method tailored to first-time buyers: more pedagogy, more security, equal efficiency.

01

Scoping and financing
Week 1

First meeting to clarify your real budget: borrowing capacity, down payment, ancillary fees. If you have not seen a broker yet, we refer you to a partner who will issue a financing certificate useful to reassure sellers.
02

Defining criteria
Week 1

With a first-time buyer, the brief is broader: we test several hypotheses (1 or 2 bedrooms, balcony or courtyard, metro or RER), we compare possible districts within budget, and we land on 3 or 4 precise targets.
03

Sourcing and filtering
Weeks 2 to 5

Your hunter activates every source and filters heavily. On a first purchase, sorting on building quality and condominium status is even more crucial: we never bring you a property whose works would blow your total budget.
04

Visits and offer
3 to 5 visits

You visit alone or accompanied. At offer time, your hunter builds an argument that reassures the seller (solid financing, motivated first-time buyer) while obtaining significant negotiation. Average negotiation on first purchases stays around 5 to 6%.
05

Preliminary agreement and notary
Through signing

The preliminary agreement and final deed are reviewed by your hunter. Coordination with your bank to meet the financing condition deadline (typically 45 days). You sign with peace of mind.

Comparison

Why a property hunter

Alone Home Select

Search duration 9 months 45 days

Visits 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 missions in Paris since 2011.

They made their first purchase with us

First-time buyer testimonials

I did not even know the difference between a preliminary agreement and a promise to sell. My hunter explained everything without being condescending. We negotiated €38,000, I signed six weeks after the mandate, stress-free. The fee felt obvious.

At 28, I was afraid of getting fooled. The condominium audit saved me from a building with heavy works coming.

The broker they recommended secured a rate 0.3 point below my bank's offer. Everything flows smoothly.

Frequently asked

Your questions on the first purchase

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

Banks usually require at least 10% down payment to cover notary fees (about 7 to 8% of the price). Depending on your profile and market context, a larger down payment can ease loan approval and improve the rate. We refer you to a partner broker to validate this point early on.

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

For an existing flat in Paris: notary fees (about 7.5% of the price), possible agency fees if the seller uses one (usually already included in the listed price), our hunter fees (2.5% of the price with minimum €10,000 incl. VAT), bank processing and guarantee fees (1 to 1.5%).

How long does a first purchase take?

Our 45-day average applies to first-time buyers. Then count about 90 days between the preliminary agreement and the final deed (loan processing, suspensive condition). Total: 4 to 5 months between mandate and keys in hand.

Can you buy in Paris on one salary?

It is possible but the scope narrows (usually studio or small two-room, periphery or eastern Paris). We calibrate together from the first meeting: if Paris intra-muros is not accessible within budget, we look at neighboring towns (Saint-Ouen, Pantin, Montreuil, Levallois) which often offer better surface-to-price.

What if the bank refuses my loan?

The financing suspensive condition protects you: if the bank formally refuses the loan under the conditions set in the preliminary agreement, the sale is cancelled and the deposit is returned. Your hunter ensures this clause is precisely worded.

Are your fees eligible for the mortgage?

Yes, our fees can be included in your global financing plan. The partner broker will position them properly in the bank file.