As in the UK, you will find that every town in France has many estate agents or 'agences immobilieres'. They can and should be invaluable in their help to you. Fees are paid by the buyer and are considerably more than in the UK. The upside of this is that generally, you will receive more help than you would at home. A good French estate agent is essentially selling a lifestyle, not just a home and they should assist with matters such as setting up a French bank account, recommending a doctor, dentist or school as well as making sure your services such as gas, electricity, water and telephone are up and running. All registered French agencies must have at least one person with a 'carte professionelle' and you should make sure in addition to this that they are a member of a registered body such as FNAIM, SNPI or UNPI. Look out for this information in the office. Agents in France are allowed to charge what they like but fees are normally between 4 per cent to 10 per cent and may be negotiable. There are several agencies who advertise in the UK and many of these will have bilingual staff who are accustomed to dealing with foreign buyers. Make sure you ask about fees. You should not pay any extra fee if, for example, they have a liaison with a French agent who ends up working on your behalf. There should be one fee. They should also offer decent local knowledge and extend their services to helping with finding builders, doctors, opening bank accounts etc. as well as liaising with local notaires. Personal recommendation is always one of the best ways to find a good agent. Failing that, simply talking to the staff and getting a feel for any individual set up will also give you an idea of how efficient and helpful an agency is. Prepare a list of questions for each one, after all this is a competitive market and each agent will know you could easily go elsewhere. Things to ask should include: - Are they properly registered as above? - Will they help with after sales service such as helping with bank accounts, builders, doctors? - Are they prepared to sit down with you for an hour or so to make a proper plan of what you require? - Will they set a day aside to drive you or have you follow them to suitable appointments? - Will they liaise with the notaire and help prepare the compromis de Vente (exchange of contracts)? - What is their knowledge of the local area, how long have they been in business? Remember that you are paying the fees and are therefore in the driving seat and do not be afraid to ask questions in order to satisfy yourself that the agent you have chosen is reputable and efficient. Start your hunt for a home in France here. If you're searching for a French property, a good place to start is the France Buying Guide' property search facility. To start your search now visit http://www.francebuyingguide.com/content/france-properties