How we are paid
Salin & Poirier operates as a buyer's agent (chasseur immobilier): we work exclusively for you, the buyer, never for the seller. Our fees are transparent, success-based, and disclosed upfront — no surprises, no hidden costs.
Our principle
In a typical French real estate transaction, the agent represents the seller and is paid by the seller — which means their incentive is to sell at the highest price, as quickly as possible. That agent's loyalty, however professional, is not to you.
Salin & Poirier works differently. We sign a search mandate (mandat de recherche) directly with you, the buyer. We are paid by you, and only by you, which means our only incentive is to find the right property, negotiate the best terms, and protect your interests at every stage — including walking away from a property that isn't right, even if it costs us a fee.
This is a separate fee from any commission a selling agent may already charge the seller. We do not receive — and would never accept — a hidden commission from the seller's side, as this would create a conflict of interest with our duty to you.
In short
You pay us to work only for you. We never represent sellers, and we are never paid by them. Our fee is fully disclosed before you sign anything, and is only due if and when your purchase completes.
How we work
In France, most real estate agents operate with a portfolio of their own mandates. They can only show you — and legally sell you — the properties they have signed directly with sellers. If the right property is listed with another agency, a traditional agent simply cannot help you.
Salin & Poirier works completely differently. We hold a buyer's search mandate with you — which means we access the entire French market on your behalf: listed properties, off-market properties, properties represented by other agencies, private sellers, and properties that have never appeared online. We act as your broker across the whole market, not as an agent with a limited catalogue.
When we find a property represented by another agent or agency, we negotiate the inter-agency collaboration on your behalf. When it is a private seller, we negotiate directly. In all cases, our single loyalty is to you, and our goal is to find you the best possible property at the best possible price — not to sell what we happen to have in our portfolio.
What this means for you in practice
You are not limited to what one agency happens to have available at the time you look. You have access to the full French market — every region, every channel, every source — through one trusted partner whose incentives are entirely aligned with yours. That is the difference between a traditional agent and a buyer's broker.
Fee structure
Our search mandate fee is calculated as a percentage of the final negotiated purchase price (net seller price, excluding notaire fees), on a degressive scale — the percentage decreases as the price increases. This fee is due only upon successful completion of the purchase, at the signing of the acte authentique. There is never any upfront fee, retainer, or cost for unsuccessful searches.
| Purchase price tranche | Fee rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €1,500,000 | 3.0% |
| €1,500,000 to €3,000,000 | 2.0% |
| Above €3,000,000 | 1.5% |
Minimum fee
A minimum fee of €15,000 applies to any completed transaction, regardless of purchase price — this covers the baseline cost of a thorough, professional search and full transaction support.
Worked example — a €2,000,000 purchase
What's included
Full market search
Access to listed and off-market properties across our network, matched precisely to your criteria.
Visits & video walkthroughs
In-person visits, or detailed video walkthroughs and independent condition reports for remote buyers.
Negotiation
We negotiate price and terms on your behalf, in French, with full knowledge of local market value.
Legal & administrative coordination
Coordination with the notaire, review of diagnostic reports, and guidance through every legal step.
International & remote support
Translation, time-zone-friendly communication, and remote-signing support (power of attorney) where needed.
Through to completion
We stay involved through to the signing of the acte authentique and the handover of keys.
A specific case
Occasionally, a property we present already has an agent representing the seller, who is already paid a commission by the seller. In these specific cases, we do not charge our full standard search mandate fee. Instead, we charge a reduced support fee, calculated based on the level of service required for your particular situation — for example, straightforward coordination and oversight versus a fully managed, end-to-end remote purchase.
This support fee is always disclosed and agreed with you in writing before any work begins, and is always lower than our standard mandate fee for the same transaction.
Why this distinction matters
We believe in fee structures that make sense for the actual work performed. When a seller-side commission already exists, charging you our full fee on top would not reflect the real value we add — so we adjust accordingly, always in your favour.
Common questions
When exactly is your fee due?
Only upon successful completion of your purchase, at the signing of the acte authentique before the notaire. If for any reason the purchase does not go through, you owe us nothing — there is no fee for an unsuccessful search, and no fee is ever requested in advance.
Is the fee negotiable?
Our scale is built to be fair and transparent across all transaction sizes. For complex situations — very specific requirements, extended search timelines, or unusual property types — we discuss the right fee with you upfront, before signing any mandate, so there is never ambiguity.
Do I sign an exclusive mandate?
We generally work on an exclusive search mandate (mandat de recherche exclusif), which allows us to commit fully to your project. The mandate terms, duration, and exit conditions are always set out clearly in writing before you commit to anything.
Are there any other costs beyond your fee?
Our fee covers the full search and transaction support service. Separate from our fee, you will of course have the usual costs of any French purchase — notaire fees, registration taxes, and if relevant, independent survey costs — all of which are explained in detail in our Buyer's Guide.
Every project is different — let's talk through what your fee would look like before you commit to anything.
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