Are English estate agents legally qualified to work in France?
Article 3 of the 1970 Law makes it very clear that the rules which apply to Frenchmen operating as estate agents in France are not avoided simply because, for example, the person involved is an Englishman working in France, or operates from the UK or elsewhere outside of France. For example, many self-employed English negotiators work in France for licensed estate agents on a commission-sharing basis. These negotiators (agents commerciales) must by law be registered with the local police and other authorities. As you might be aware French estate agents have woken up to the fact that their business and profits are being leeched away by self-styled English state agents. Such agents are taking commissions payable in the UK which escape the clutches of the French Revenue. The French authorities are fully aware that there are a number of unlicensed operators based in France and England. It is only a question of time before these operators are reported to and prosecuted by the French authori
