10,000, 15,000, sometimes 20,000 euros: this is the amount that some sellers hope to keep by doing without an agency. At 3 to 5% of the value of the property, the fees represent a substantial sum. A sufficient argument for around a third of French people to choose to sell without an intermediary.
Vincent, 43, an IT executive, was one of them. After inheriting a three-room apartment in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, he decided to sell without an agency. “I didn’t see why I would pay a fee. In Paris, goods go quickly.» He sets his price by comparing ads in the neighborhood. The visits start, but the offers do not follow. “II no longer knew if the buyers were negotiating or if I had made a mistake.»
The difficulty of identifying the right price
This hesitation is not trivial: 37% of sellers who opted for a private-to-private sale admit to having had difficulty setting the right price, according to a study conducted by the Selvitys institute for the Iad real estate network.
The administrative question constitutes the other point of friction. Nearly three in ten sellers say they have encountered difficulties in gathering the required documents, organizing diagnostics or mastering the legal aspects of the transaction. Vincent experienced it. “Between diagnoses, succession and exchanges with the notaryI spent my evenings on it, it became a second job.»
The price of the economy
After a year, after several successive reductions, he accepted an offer approximately 8% lower than his initial objective. “I saved the agency fees, but I lost a lot of energy… and probably part of the price.» His journey is not isolated. 85% of individuals who have sold without an intermediary say they have encountered at least one difficulty. Stress comes first (73%), ahead of the time spent (63%), an invisible cost that few salespeople anticipate.
The financial result is another disappointment: 59% believe they did not obtain the expected price and 58% consider the sale to take longer than expected. In other words, the expected savings are not always reflected in the final price, even though 60% wanted above all to reduce fees.
The paradox is striking. Although many wish to avoid an intermediary, 60% nevertheless recognize that the quality of negotiation constitutes one of the main assets of a professional. However, this is precisely where the gap between the expected price and the signed price often comes into play.
The relevance of a sale without an intermediary depends on the local market and the characteristics of the property. A standard apartment in a large, popular metropolis may be suitable for this. Conversely, an atypical property or a relaxed market will make the transaction more risky.
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