FAQs

What is the difference between the SmartFinder Home services and estate agents?

• We cover the whole property market and we are not limited to a portfolio of properties as we work with all agents and private owners.
• As you only need to contact us to do a complete search, this saves you time.
• There are over 100 thousand properties for sale in the Var and the French Riviera -check this through our "Directory of real estate portals.", and we search across them all.

What does the "search form" provide?

• Based on your priorities, our in-house consultants and partner agencies will work for you and will select the best 10-15 homes that best fit your needs.
• You gain time by providing your search criteria once, and we have the market knowledge and tools to carry out this lengthy search for you.
• SmartFinder Home can then assist you till you find and buy your home via a "search mandate".

How does the "search mandate" work?

• With a "search mandate" or in French, a “mandat de recherche”, we become your single point of contact and so you no longer need to manage multiple agencies and vendors.
• We continue the house search together and with the property details we send, you can establish a "short list”. Working as a team increases your chance of you finding the house you really wanted.
• Then we organize and participate in visits of the properties, and if required, we can send you preliminary photos and videos of a property before you come.

Is the Smart Finder Home service free?

• Yes, the initial search via the Smart Finder Home "search form" is free, as our revenue comes from publicity on our website and via introductory fees.
• In the case of a "search mandate", our services are also free when you buy through an agency, through the sharing of the agency commission. If you buy from a notaire or with the owner directly, our fee is 2% of the sale price of the property, which is competitive compared with other house hunters.

Do you help during the negotiation phase?

• Yes, we can help you negotiate the price of the property as we can get information that will help you better negotiate the price. Although each situation is unique, we have helped our clients achieve reductions of 5 to 15% on the selling price. This is one of the benefits of using a property finder, as with our market knowledge, we can guide you so you avoid paying above market price for your home.

I have already contacted several estate agents – can I still use SmartFinder Home for my search?

• It is certainly better to contact SmartFinder Home first because it allows us to be your single contact point and avoid you receiving duplicate properties from different sources.
• If however you have contacted few agencies, we can still intervene with a non-exclusive search mandate..

Does information I share remain confidential?
All information you share with us is kept strictly confidential, and only with your consent, we will share your requirements with our partner agencies.

If you have any further questions about our services, please contact us.