How To Be An Estate Agent In France

Transcription

1 Thème 1 L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent) Culture The realtor In the USA all realtors have to be licensed by the state they work for so they have to follow a pre-licensing course (of between 40 and 90 hours) and pass a state exam on real estate law and practice. No degree is needed but a criminal background may prevent obtaining a licence. To further the protection of the customers the National Association of Realtors (NAR) was formed, it offers continuing educative courses, which is sometimes an annual requirement for maintaining the licence in some states. As there is no federal licensing there is licence reciprocity between many states. The median real estate commission is 6% of the purchase price. The estate agent In the UK no qualifications are needed, the estate agent is basically considered as a salesperson and the legal documents are prepared by a solicitor. It is no wonder that the profession has a terrible reputation. To fight it the estate agents are legally required to belong to a trade organization. The two main ones are the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), they provide training courses to help unify practices. The rate of the commission is quite vague but the national average is 1.8%. The new real estate agent in the Western world Technology is playing a bigger role in the real estate agent s life so with the increasing use of the internet more and more estate agents use software to work. This enables the estate agent to have many customers without leaving his office which is sometimes his home. Some of these online agencies even call themselves lowcost agencies since they can significantly reduce the costs of a traditional agency for the basic work. Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent) 7

2 Basics Complétez ce dialogue à l aide du vocabulaire de la page suivante. Visitor : As I told you on the phone I am thinking of becoming an... in the near future and since I am here on holiday I was wondering if you could give me a little insight on your profession. Agent : You know, you can t just open your own... only because you have a general interest in It is not just about buying and selling houses. You must have some real knowledge in and in... to be able to do the best for your Visitor : I had to sell my parents flat so I know about the you have to follow. Agent : Fair enough. Obviously you need to be able to... all the necessary docum-ents and... your customer s all the way through but on top of that you must be able to assist your customer whenever he needs it. Besides if you want the prefecture to deliver you your you need a real experience of several years or if this is not the case you could try to get some qualification. Visitor : Right. And just before entering I could read in your a sign saying you are doing property... too. Do you need a card for this too? Agent : Of course, you do. For this too you need to be a real professional as after all you will be responsible for... your clients properties. All the more so if you are dealing with... management. There too, all your skills at establishing good relationships, will play an important role in making everybody agree on the same thing. But my first professional piece of advice would be not to do what you have just done this morning: don t be late for your... and make sure you arrive in good time to meet your... 8 Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent)

3 The agency : L agence franchised : franchisé a network : un réseau commercial real estate agency : agence spécialisée dans l immobilier commercial. residential real estate agency : agence spécialisée dans l immobilier résidentiel. a freelance worker : un travailleur indépendant a firm : une entreprise a partnership : un partenariat small / big structure : petite / grande structure Skills : Les compétences in law : juridique in economics : économique in business : commerciale administrative steps / formalities : des démarches / formalités administratives accountancy / an accountant : la comptabilité / un comptable customer relationship management : la gestion de la relation client Occupations : Les activités a property / an estate manager : un administrateur de biens to manage : gérer co-ownership management : syndic de copropriété rental management : la gestion locative transaction : la transaction renting / rental : la location selling : la vente The estate agent (GB) / The realtor (US) : L agent immobilier public liability insurance : une assurance responsabilité civile a professional card : une carte professionnelle a real estate broker : un intermédiaire a broker dealer / a real estate agent : un négociateur the manager : le responsable d agence an authorized person : un mandataire A professional : Un professionnel clients, customers : la clientèle a commission : une commission remuneration, payment : la rémunération by appointment : sur rendez-vous fees : les honoraires At the agency : Descriptif d une agence the shop window : la vitrine, devanture a portal : un portail informatique a billboard : un panneau d affichage an office : un bureau ) a desk : un bureau (table) ) a study : un bureau (chez soi) Verbs : Verbes to put somebody in touch with : mettre en relation quelqu un avec to have connections with : avoir des relations avec to follow a file / a dossier : suivre un dossier to assist a client : accompagner un client to arrive in good time : arriver à l heure to gather documents : rassembler des documents Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent) 9

4 Fact file Not to have to pay the fees, it is possible to sell privately your property, especially in big towns, but in France most of the transactions are done with the help of an estate agent who can be a freelance worker or a firm. In France the profession is governed by law number 70-9 dated 2 January 1970, known as the Hoguet Act, and its application decree number dated 20 July Unless you do not have a clean record a professional card is delivered by the prefecture if you have professional expertise and if you are covered by a financial guarantee and a public liability insurance. You will get a professional card marked either T for transaction, G for management (Gestion) or T / G. This card is renewable every 10 years and is subject to different checks by the prefecture (for example the regular updating in the register of mandates). Your real estate ability may come from a given number of years of professional experience or be justified by a qualification in law, economics or business or for example by a two-year degree in real estate (BTS PIM). Basically estate agents help people with buying, selling, or renting properties (homes, buildings, and land). As an estate agent you can also work as a rental manager and in co-ownership management. Some of them, the residential real estate agents, are more specialized in working with homeowners whereas the commercial real estate agents deal more with offices or commercial leasing. They inform their clients to give them all the information they need to set selling prices, make offers, and negotiate. What matters is to establish and maintain professional relationships which must be focused sure enough on the clients needs but be based on respect, empathy and trust too. Even if he does not live near his agency, the estate agent must be familiar with the area where he works to give full advice. He must have connections with the local authorities and other local agencies to put you in touch with the right persons very quickly. It is not good enough to have a driving licence if he does not have good communication skills to socialize and help to pass on technical information. Similarly a good dress code is an asset but most of all he must be a reliable person you can trust for a big choice. Even though he is often seen as just a salesman, he deals with a very special type of goods which is going to play a major role in your life. Apart from the satisfaction of helping people, real estate can be rewarding in terms of money. Estate agents get a remuneration which depends on their status of salaried employee by the agency or mere salesman. The negotiating fees are linked to the commission for each transaction. The rates of the commission are free, it can be paid in a lump sum or quite often be based on tranches of the percentage of the global sum. In all cases to respect the law the fees must be displayed in the agency. Obviously enough the agent will have to be flexible for his timetable to be able to meet as many customers as possible and hope to get as many commissions too. 10 Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent)

5 Questions (elementary) Répondez aux questions en utilisant les données de la page «fact file». - Can anybody open an estate agency? - Why is it necessary to have a clean record? - What can explain the fact many people ask an estate agent to help them? - Do you go and see an estate agent only to buy a property? - Why is it important to be able to communicate with customers? - What are the two main advantages of being an estate agent? - What are the two major drawbacks of being an estate agent? - What can justify those two drawbacks? Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent) 11

6 Questions (advanced) Répondez aux questions en utilisant les données de la page «fact file». - Do you need any qualification to become an estate agent? - Can a criminal background be a drawback in being an estate agent? - Which card do you need to do rental management? - Who will you get in touch with if you are looking for office buildings? - Would you say communication plays an important part? - Do you get a fixed salary? - Why must you be ready for a flexible timetable? 12 Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent)

7 Langue : les pronoms personnels et les adjectifs possessifs Le pronom remplace un nom donc il s emploie seul. L adjectif possessif s emploie avec un nom pour renseigner sur le possesseur. Il suffit de savoir les listes pour choisir selon la personne et la fonction grammaticale. Attention à ne pas confondre certains mots qui peuvent apparaître dans plusieurs listes. Pronoms Personnels Sujets Pronoms Personnels Compléments I would like to sell my house. Can you help me because it is mine. You would like to sell your house. Can I help you because it is yours. He would like to sell his house. Can you help him because it is his. She would like to sell her house. Can you help her because it is hers. It* would like to sell its* house. Can you help it* because it is its(own).* We would like to sell our house. Can you help us because it is ours. You would like to sell your house. Can I help you because it is yours. They would like to sell their house. Can you help them because it is theirs. Adjectifs possessifs Pronoms possessifs I built it myself. You built it yourself.! Les Pronoms Réfléchis prennent la marque du pluriel. He built it himself. She built it herself. It* built it itself.* *La situation avec it est à envisager avec un robot We built it You built it They built it ourselves. yourselves. themselves. Complétez les phrases suivantes en utilisant des possesifs. Henry is walking into his agency and can see a very dirty red file on his desk. Henry : Hello Mary. What is this doing on... desk? As this file is not..., it must be... What is... explanation for all this mess? Mary : Oh sorry. Yes, you re right, it is... What a story, I picked it yesterday on... way out,... put it in... bag, took it home and forgot it in my husband s study on... desk. Henry : I suppose... husband must have been very surprised to discover this dirty file of... in... study. Mary : Well, in fact it is not... husband who discovered it first but... rat and it was not dirty then. Henry :... what? Mary :... rat. It has been really... for three years now. It was... children s first but they decided it was no longer... once they left home.... daughter went to university and said it could no longer be... responsibility and... son said it was not...problem. So they said it was not... pet anymore but... and Henry : All right, all right, Mary you do not need to tell me all about... family but what are we going to do with this dirty file now. I guess we could always give it back to... rat since it looks more like... business now than... Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent) 13

8 Remplacez les noms par des pronoms dès que possible pour rendre l ensemble plus fluide. Harry was with Kate visiting Kate s house, and Harry was telling Kate how much Harry liked Kate s house and how much Harry would like to buy Kate s house for Harry s cousins. Kate can be sure Harry said, Harry s cousins will like Kate s house and Kate will like Harry s cousins buying the house. Then a man entered the house. Harry and Kate looked at the man. Harry thinks Harry knows the man. Harry said to Harry. That s William, Kate s husband. Harry couldn t understand how Harry had not recognized Kate s husband at once. William smiled at Kate and waved William s hand at Harry. Traduisez en choisissant l adjectif possessif qui convient. Cet agent immobilier bizarre a souvent la casquette sur la tête avec son logo. Ils ont vendu leur maison eux-mêmes sans l aide d une agence. Henry et son assistante commerciale, John et son assistant commercial, Peter et ses assistantes commerciales et David et ses assistants commerciaux ont eu leur réunion annuelle. John travaille avec moi et m aide pour la gestion locative mais David travaille avec eux et les aide à la vente de biens immobiliers. 14 Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent)

9 Oral Training 1 - Vous accueillez un très jeune stagiaire pour son stage d immersion dans votre petite agence. Il est très impatient de tout découvrir. Vous vous efforcez de lui donner un aperçu rapide de la situation. Tool box : adjectives : small varied diversified new nouns : trainee desk visit house qualification customer flat appointment verbs : to welcome to meet to buy to rent to sell to manage to become to study structures : you will / ll / are going to + B.V. Hints : You have to... You ll find it very interesting... One of the obvious things to do is... What about...? What does it consist in? Can you tell me? How do you...? 2 - Vous devez convaincre votre responsable d agence à Deauville d établir un partenariat avec une structure anglaise. Vous insistez sur les avantages d une telle opération pour les professionnels mais aussi pour les clients. Tool box : adjectives : better efficient beneficial appealing French English nouns : location laws reputation professional Hoguet Act verbs : to trust to adapt to be aware of to make it easy to convince 3 - Vous engagez un stagiaire anglais car la plupart des clients étrangers à Nice sont plus à l aise en anglais qu en français. Vous lui présentez son futur travail en vérifiant qu il connaît un peu le système français. Tool box : adjectives : different legal reliable international nouns : legislation Hoguet Act solicitor prefecture professional card location verbs : to assist to respect to teach / learn to welcome to speak Thème 1 - L agent immobilier (The Real Estate Agent) 15

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