Once we agree on terms, we will sign a search mandate (Mandat de recherche) which is a standardized legal contract whereby "Riviera Hunt" is mandated to search for real estate properties on your behalf.
It is valid for a period of 3 months, it can be renewed for another 3 months period if need be.

As stated in the fee section, we do not charge the buyer any fee since we work in collaboration with local real estate agencies, and split the seller's fee with them.
If, however, we find a property for you directly without the help of another real estate agency, we will charge you the regular fee of 6% that is typically charged by selling agencies.

When we have reached an agreement on a short list, we will organize visits that you can make in person.

Usually, all the work done previously to this stage will allow us to present about half a dozen properties which are most likely to become your new home on the French Riviera.

Ideally, you will have trouble making up your mind upon which to purchase!

During this phase, we will endeavour to make your stay as short, productive and pleasant as possible.

We can assist you in making reservations in a well located and reputable hotel. We can pick you up at the airport and drive you to your hotel, or arrange for a car rental for you.

We will organize sightings of the selected properties so that you can leisurely visit them, while at the same time being able to see as many as comfortably possible over the course of one or two days.

When necessary, we will take the opportunity of your presence here to introduce you to various professionals that may be of assistance to you. These may include lawyers, an English speaking Notary, an English speaking banker if you need to open a local bank acount, etc.

Hopefully, we will show you a property that you fall in love with and want to purchase.

Unlike in many countries, there is typically some room for negotiations on the price of real estate property in France. Obviously each situation is different and it hinges heavily on the mindset of the seller. Some sellers are happy to leave their properties on the market for 6 months or more until they get the value they want, while others will reduce their price in order to expedite matters.

Even so, the real estate market is still strong in France, and most especially so in the world famous French Riviera. It is however often possible to negotiate a few percent off the listed price of a property, or some amenity such as a spa or furniture, etc. We will help you negotiate to the best of your interests as part of our mission.
We will relay your offer in writing on a standardized form and submit it to the seller. The seller may accept, refuse or suggest a counteroffer, which he/she will sign in turn.
Such written offer is usually valid for a period of 7 days and is not legally binding. The next step, the “Compromis” (presale agreement) is the first legally binding document and usually involves a 5 to 10% down payment.

It is then necessary to sign a presale agreement. This is when the Notary may intervene for the first time and when you will contractually and financially commit to purchase, while the seller commits to sell. The Notary is a government appointed officer whose services are mandatory in every real estate transaction in France.

The “Compromis” may be redacted by the seller’s agency if it is well established and has the required financial insurance mandated by law to receive down payments.

This contract will describe the property, the price agreed upon and the contingencies upon which it can be terminated without penalties for the parties. For example, a presale agreement can be contingent upon the buyer successfully securing financing and be declared void in case such funds cannot be raised. It is therefore very important to carefully negotiate this contract. A 5 to 10% down payment, paid in escrow to the Notary or the seller’s agency is usually required at this stage.

It can take up to 2 to 3 months for the Notary to process all necessary paperwork, secure government documentation and guarantee the rights and interests of both parties.
Please note that the Notary can represent both parties, or each party may be represented by their own Notary. The Notary fees remain the same and are split between both Notaries when applicable. We will be happy to introduce you to the Notary we routinely work with, based in Vence and formally trained in English language law. The only downside of using two Notaires is that the process can be a little bit more time consuming.

For more information on this part of the procedure, please consult the official English language of French Notaires at :

Presale Agreement

The final signature of the deed of purchase takes place at the Notary's office. This is when final payment is exchanged for the keys and deed to the property.

Please note that this is also the time when the purchaser will pay the Notary fee. This is an abusive term since, even though those fees are paid to the Notary, only a small fraction go into his or her pocket. The larger parts are constituted by the reimbursement of expenses engaged by the Notary on behalf of the purchaser in order to secure paperwork, and mostly by government taxes levied when properties change hands and collected by the Notary on behalf of the government.

These fees vary depending on various factors, including whether the construction is new or not. For indication purposes, the Notary fees for a house worth 1,000,000 Euros are roughly 63,000 Euros, including about 80% tax. This fee comes down to 19,200 Euros if it is new construction.

But, most importantly, this is the time when you will be the owner of your property on the French Riviera.

For more information on this part of the procedure, please consult the official English language website of French Notaires at :

Conclusion of the purchase