Why Paris Properties Show Different Prices Across Agencies And Other Hidden Realities of the French Real Estate Market

If you’ve been searching for an apartment in Paris, you may have noticed something strange: the exact same property listed by different agencies at different prices. This is not a mistake, it is a direct result of how the French real estate system works.

Unlike markets with a centralized MLS, the French market is fragmented and competitive, which creates price discrepancies, misleading listings, and occasional questionable practices.Here’s what every buyer should understand.

🥐 Why the Same Property Is Sometimes Listed at Different Prices

In France, each real estate agency sets its own commission structure. Sellers often give multiple agencies the right to sell their property - a “mandat simple” (non-exclusive mandate).

What happens next?

• Each agency adds its own commission on top of the seller’s net asking price.

• Because those commissions vary, the final advertised listing price varies too.

Example:

Seller wants €500,000 net vendeur.

Agency A charges 4% → €520,000

Agency B charges 5% → €525,000

Agency C charges 3% → €515,000

Same property. Three prices.

This is perfectly legal, and extremely common but confusing for buyers.

🥐 Only the Agency That Sells Earns a Commission - Creating Cut-Throat Competition

In a non-exclusive mandate system, only the agency that brings the buyer gets paid.

This creates an intense race among agencies to sell the property first.

That pressure often leads to inefficient or unhealthy behaviors:

• rushing the listing online

• incomplete or inaccurate descriptions

• aggressive follow-up

• poor communication between agencies

The goal is simple: be the one who closes the deal and receives the commission.

For buyers, this means inconsistent information and added frustration.

🥐 Sellers Can Also Sell on Their Own - Even if Agencies Are Involved

In France, a seller can:

• work with agencies and

• list the property on platforms like Le Bon Coin, PAP, or Facebook Marketplace.

This means the same property might simultaneously:

• appear on an agency website

• appear on a second agency website

• appear on Le Bon Coin at a lower price (no agency fee)

• be advertised directly by the owner

This hybrid system creates even more discrepancies and more opportunities for confusion.

🥐 Why Some Agents Hide or Falsify the Address

Because competition is fierce, some agents protect their listings aggressively.

This can include:

Giving the wrong arrondissement, wrong street, or wrong location altogether.

Why?

To prevent buyers from identifying the building and contacting the seller directly, which would make the agency lose its commission.

To prevent competing agents from approaching the seller and asking for a mandate.

This practice is widespread enough that seasoned buyers notice it and international buyers are especially vulnerable to it.

So if you’ve ever seen a listing in “75004” that magically turns out to be in “75011,” you now know why.

🥐 The Problem of Fake or Outdated Listings Used as “Bait”

Some agencies continue to list:

• properties that have already sold

• properties that were withdrawn

• properties they never actually had a mandate for

Why?

To attract new clients.

A buyer inquires →Agent says: “It’s just been sold, but I have something else to show you…”

This tactic is so common that I recommend reading my article Algorithms Don’t Climb Stairs, which explains how misleading online listings can be when searching for Paris property.

🥐 What Buyers Can Do to Avoid These Pitfalls

Navigating the Paris property market requires:

• verifying every listing

• understanding the commission structure

• checking for duplicates

• confirming the real address

• recognizing bait listings

• cross-referencing with multiple sources

This is why many buyers, especially international ones, choose to work with an independent buyer’s agent who has no agency affiliation and no properties to sell.

An independent representative can:

• cross-check listings across platforms

• identify inconsistencies

• access off-market options

• negotiate transparently

• protect you from misleading practices

Your interests come first, not an agency’s commission.

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Christine Bacoup-Tidas, J.D.

Founder, Tomette Paris® - Independent Buyer’s Agent in Paris. Helping international clients find, evaluate, and secure their Parisian home with confidence.