In practice, how does a sale with Briveo go when the seller lives abroad?
With BRIVEO, the seller who lives abroad does not come back to France. They value their property online on the published sales of their municipality, open an account without an identity document, and the assistant LAIA gathers the sale file with them, title, surveys, property tax, co-ownership documents, the identity document being requested only when the property goes on the market. The mandate is signed electronically and entered in the register of mandates. The BRIVEO agent takes the photos, lets in the surveyor and shows the property, this is the Delegated Viewing, charged 5% of the price including VAT, borne by the seller and due on the day of the deed only, against 2% when the seller shows the property themselves. Offers arrive in the account, the seller accepts online, and the notaire drafts the preliminary contract then the deed, signed by power of attorney or by remote appearance. The net price, after the levy on the gain and the fees, is wired by the notaire to the seller's account, wherever it is.
Valuing, then building the file without coming back
Everything starts with the online valuation, computed on the published sales of the municipality, price per sale and not per line, with the range for the type of property. It gives an asking price that the agent then refines on site, visiting the property on the seller's behalf. The account is created with an email address, no identity document is requested at that stage. LAIA, BRIVEO's assistant, then lists the documents of the file and reads them as they arrive, title deed, surveys, latest property tax notice, co-ownership regulations and minutes, pre-dated statement, to flag what is missing or out of date, a 2020 energy certificate for instance.
The seller abroad cannot open the door to the surveyor or the photographer, the agent does. And no listing goes out without a valid energy performance certificate, the law requires it and BRIVEO does not publish before.
The mandate, the viewings and the fees
The sale mandate is signed electronically, from any country, and receives its number in the register of mandates, as the Hoguet law requires of every professional. The seller's identity document is requested at that point, when the property goes on the market, never before, and the mandate states whether the seller shows the property themselves or entrusts the viewings to the agent. From abroad it is almost always the Delegated Viewing, the agent receives the buyers, answers their questions and reports after each viewing in the seller's account.
The fees are borne by the seller, including VAT, and due only on the day of the deed, at the notaire's. The schedule published on the fees page is simple, 2% of the price when the seller shows the property themselves, 5% with a Delegated Viewing or on Premium, when the agent builds the whole file and the seller only signs. Nothing is due if the sale does not go through.
| Step | Who acts | From where |
|---|---|---|
| Online valuation then valuation visit | The seller, then the agent | The seller from abroad, the agent on site |
| Sale file and surveys | LAIA and the seller, the surveyor let in by the agent | Online |
| Mandate | The seller, electronic signature | Online, entered in the register of mandates |
| Photos and viewings | The agent, Delegated Viewing | On site |
| Offers and acceptance | The buyers and the seller | In the account, online |
| Preliminary contract and deed | The notaire | Power of attorney or remote appearance |
| Net price and fees | The notaire | Transfer to the seller's account, fees settled at the deed |
The steps of a remote sale with Briveo
The offers, the notaire and the price
Purchase offers arrive in the seller's account, with the financing announced by the buyer, and the seller accepts, declines or counters online. Once an offer is accepted, BRIVEO passes the complete file to the notaire chosen by the seller, or to the buyer's, and the notaire drafts the preliminary contract then the deed. BRIVEO does not draft preliminary contracts, that is the notaire's business, who clears the pre-emption rights, notifies the withdrawal period to the buyer and sets the date of the deed.
The seller signs the preliminary contract and the deed by power of attorney, received by a French notaire or drawn up abroad with an apostille, or by remote appearance by video call. On the day of the deed the notaire withholds the 19 % levy and the social levies on the gain, pays the tax representative if one is needed, settles BRIVEO's fees, and wires the balance to the seller's account, in France or abroad. The neighbouring questions of this guide detail the gain, the tax representative and the power of attorney.
Frequently asked questions
Who hands the keys to the buyer?
The agent or the notaire, on the day of the deed, as the deed provides. The agent who handled the viewings usually keeps a set of keys entrusted by the seller when the property went on the market, against a receipt in the account.
Can I choose the 2% plan while living abroad?
Yes if someone you trust on site, a relative for instance, shows the property in your place, since the 2% rate assumes the viewings are not held by the agent. As soon as the agent receives the buyers, the fees move to 5%.
How long does a remote sale take?
As long as a sale on site, distance adds nothing when signatures are electronic and powers of attorney are ready in advance. What lengthens the calendar are the ordinary time limits, withdrawal, the buyer's loan, pre-emptions, which the notaire runs without waiting.
Read next
- Briveo, barème d'honoraires publié, à la charge du vendeur et dus à l'acte
- Loi n° 70-9 du 2 janvier 1970 et décret n° 72-678 du 20 juillet 1972, registre des mandats
- Arrêté du 10 janvier 2017 relatif à l'information des consommateurs par les professionnels intervenant dans une transaction immobilière
- Décret n° 2020-1422 du 20 novembre 2020, procuration notariée à distance
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