Property hunter for second home in Paris: Home Select

Your project

Your second home search

Whether you live in Bordeaux, Geneva or Singapore, buying a Paris pied-à-terre should be steerable remotely with the same analytical quality as a local search. Your hunter becomes your eyes and ears in Paris: they visit, film, write, negotiate. You decide.

Live video tours

Pre-visit alone of every serious property by your hunter. Then live FaceTime or WhatsApp tour for properties that pass the filter, with detailed capture (light, noise, view from each window, ceiling height, floor condition).

Professional reporting

Full file per property: 30 to 50 HD photos, 2 to 3 minute video, annotated floor plan, detailed charges, condominium analysis, neighborhood study (shops, transit, noise). Readable in 10 minutes.

Trip optimization

Your trip to Paris is only needed once: for the final visit of the chosen property and the preliminary agreement signing. We sync your calendar with seller and notary for a 24 to 48 hour visit maximum.

1 visit One trip to Paris is usually enough for a buyer based outside the Paris region.

Our method

How to buy remotely

Method proven on several hundred clients based in the provinces or abroad since 2011.

01

Brief by video
Day 1

First one-hour video meeting. Framing of target districts (Marais, Saint-Germain, Saint-Honoré are classic pied-à-terre zones), total budget including fees and furniture, parking, doorman and access constraints. Mandate signed remotely.
02

Sourcing and weekly reporting
Ongoing

A weekly short-list of pre-selected properties is sent to you. For each retained property, your hunter writes a file after pre-visit. You read at your pace and flag those worth a live video tour.
03

Video tours
15 to 30 minutes

Live FaceTime or WhatsApp tour at your convenience (time zone managed). Your hunter films each room, opens windows, tests taps, opens cupboards, measures ceiling height. You ask questions in real time.
04

Final physical visit
1 day in Paris

When a property gets unanimous remote approval, you come on site for the final visit, ideally coupled with the preliminary agreement signing 48 hours later. Your hunter organizes everything: visit, notary, hotel if needed.
05

Remote notary deed
Through signing

The final deed can be signed by video (notarized power of attorney) if you cannot return. We coordinate the notary, key handover, and refer you to our partners if you want to fit out the flat (kitchen, upholstery, concierge).

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 bought remotely

Second home testimonials

We live in Geneva. Our hunter visited 14 properties, showed us 4 by video, and we signed on the second one. A single trip to Paris: final visit Thursday, preliminary agreement Saturday, back Sunday. The 2-room rue de Buci is exactly what we wanted. Three years on, still zero regrets.

From New York, I doubted you could seriously buy with a 5-hour time difference. The video reports were so precise that the final visit revealed nothing unexpected.

We wanted a pied-à-terre for our student children. Found in 6 weeks from Bordeaux. No useless trips.

Frequently asked

Your questions on the second home

Can you really buy a Paris flat without going there?

Yes, it is the case for a good share of our provincial and foreign clients. A final physical visit remains recommended to validate the feel of the place, but it can be done in a single 24 to 48 hour trip coupled with the preliminary signing. For the final deed, notarized power of attorney allows remote signing.

Which districts for a Paris pied-à-terre?

Classic districts are the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th for centrality, architecture, and easy access from train stations. The 16th, 17th and parts of the 9th offer a better price-to-quiet ratio. The choice depends on use (weekends, business stays, occasional Airbnb), transport used (TGV, plane), and budget.

Can you do short-term rentals (Airbnb) with a second home?

In Paris, short-term Airbnb-type letting of a second home is regulated and requires a change-of-use authorization, plus a very expensive compensation (buying commercial premises converted to housing). In practice it is rarely viable. Letting your primary residence 120 days a year remains allowed, but this does not apply to pieds-à-terre.

How long does a remote purchase take?

Our 45-day average between mandate signing and preliminary agreement also applies to remote buyers. Then count 90 days between preliminary and final deed (cash payment can speed this up). Total: 4 to 5 months from mandate to keys.

How to manage maintenance when you are not in Paris?

We work with partner concierge services and managers handling regular maintenance (cleaning, parcel reception, dealing with providers in case of leaks or breakdowns). We refer you according to your profile after purchase.

Should I budget for furnishing?

For a ready-to-use pied-à-terre, count €15,000 to €50,000 depending on size and finish level. For custom work, our partners (kitchen designer, upholsterer, decorator) work at negotiated rates. This can be organized remotely with video validation of choices.