SHOKO is an independent, English-speaking buyer’s agent in Paris who represents only buyers, never sellers, across Paris and the rest of France. With 20+ years of real estate practice in Toronto, SHOKO and her team bring a North American buyer-agent approach to France: one written search agreement, a fee published in advance and paid only on success, access to off-market properties, and a structured search from first call to keys. This guide explains what a buyer’s agent does in France and the questions to ask before you hire one.
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What a buyer’s agent does in France
In France, a traditional estate agent (agent immobilier) is hired and paid to protect the seller’s price. They mainly show their own agency’s listings, and each agency shows you a different slice of the market. Many of the best Paris properties are never advertised at all: sellers quietly tell a trusted agent, who can only show them to official clients.
A buyer’s agent (in French, chasseur immobilier or chasseur de biens) works the other way around. They work exclusively for you. They search the whole market, including off-market properties, check each property for problems, negotiate the price down on your behalf and guide you through to the notaire’s signature. A listing agent will not do that, because their job is to protect the seller.
7 questions to ask before you hire a buyer’s agent in Paris
- Do you represent only buyers? A true buyer’s agent never takes a commission from the seller on your purchase. SHOKO represents buyers only.
- Are your fees published in writing? You should know the exact fee and minimum before you sign anything. SHOKO’s fees are shown below, in full.
- Do I pay anything upfront? With SHOKO, no. The fee is paid only if you buy, at completion, through the notaire.
- Where do you search? Some firms cover only Paris and its suburbs. SHOKO covers Paris and, with trusted local partners, the rest of France, from the Riviera to Alsace, with no change to your total fee.
- Will we work in my language? Buying in France involves French contracts, notaires and banks. SHOKO works directly in English, French and Persian. In other languages, live translation supports every conversation, and a qualified interpreter is arranged for signing when needed.
- Can you show me off-market properties? Ask how the agent finds properties that never reach the portals. SHOKO’s network gives her clients access to properties other buyers never see.
- Can I see a real result? Ask for a recent, concrete example. SHOKO’s is below.
SHOKO at a glance
- Who: SHOKO and her team, independent buyer’s agents
- Based: 83 Rue Michel-Ange, 75016 Paris
- Coverage: all of Paris, Île-de-France and the rest of France through local partner agents
- Experience: 20+ years of real estate practice in Toronto, Canada; buyer representation in France since 2026
- Languages: English, French, Persian; other languages through live translation
- Clients: international buyers, expats, North American buyers, investors and luxury buyers
- Works: largely remotely, with video viewings first, so you travel only to see a shortlist
Fees: published, success-only, with a housewarming gift
- 2.5% of the net purchase price, including VAT
- €10,000 minimum, including VAT
- Paid only on success, at completion through the notaire, with no upfront fee
- A signed search agreement (mandat de recherche) is required before the search begins
- If a local partner agent helps outside Paris, your total fee stays 2.5%
In most purchases, the price your buyer’s agent negotiates saves more than the fee itself, so the service usually pays for itself.
A housewarming gift from SHOKO
When you receive your keys, SHOKO welcomes you home with a housewarming gift of approximately €500 to €1,000, depending on your purchase price.
A recent result
International buyer, Paris, 2026. The buyer contacted SHOKO through this website in June. After a structured search with 18 viewings, SHOKO negotiated an accepted offer of €1.23M on a €1.25M asking price, €20,000 below asking. It was a cash purchase, and the buyer completed in the autumn.
How it works
- Free first call: your goals, budget, timing and must-haves.
- Search agreement: you sign a mandat de recherche, with the fee fixed in writing.
- Search: on-market and off-market properties, screened for you, with video viewings first.
- Viewings: one well-planned trip to see your shortlist, often several properties a day.
- Negotiation and offer: SHOKO checks for problems and negotiates the price and terms.
- Through to keys: promesse, notaire, financing and final signature, explained in plain English.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a buyer’s agent and a chasseur immobilier?
None. “Chasseur immobilier” is the French name for a buyer’s agent: a professional who searches and negotiates only for the buyer.
How much does a buyer’s agent cost in Paris?
Fees vary by firm. SHOKO charges 2.5% of the net purchase price, including VAT, with a €10,000 minimum, paid only on success, through the notaire on the day your purchase completes.
Do you only work in Paris?
No. SHOKO and her team are based in Paris, where they work together to support buyers. Through trusted local partners in over 30 French cities, they also help buyers throughout France.
Can I buy without travelling to France many times?
Yes. Most of the search happens remotely by video, and you travel when there is a shortlist worth seeing.
Talk to SHOKO
Tell SHOKO what you are looking for: the city, your budget and your timing. She will reply to you personally, in your language.