The property market
How can we talk about the property market in French? In my job as an estate agent, I'm often asked to give a quick synopsis of the property market to prospective buyers or sellers. Clients also seem desperate to know whether it's the ‘right' time to buy or sell. In this article we'll look at key vocabulary and expressions for talking about trends in the property market and particularly tendencies in house prices.
Say where clients coem from.
- Nous avons beaucoup de clients de France, en particulier de Montpellier, Toulouse et Paris.
We have many clients from France, particularly Montpellier, Toulouse and Paris. - Nous avons beaucoup d'acheteurs en provenance de Paris.
We have many buyers from Paris. - 75% environ de nos clients sont français.
75% of our clients are French.
Talk about the number of properties on sale
- Il y a 3 ans, nous avions 60 propriétés en vente. Actuellement, nous n'en n'avons que 35.
Three years ago we had 60 properties on sale. Currently we only have 35. - Cette année, 8 propriétés ont été mises en vente.
This year, only 8 new properties have come on to the market.
Talking about prices
- Les prix ont fortement augmenté de 2014 à 2017, mais ces dernières années, ils se sont maintenus stables.
Prices rise strongly from 2014 to 2017, but in the last 2 years they've been stable. - Les prix sur St. Tropez sont bien plus élevés que dans les villages d´à côté. De fait, St. Tropez est quasiment le village le plus cher de la Côte d'Azur.
The prices in St. Tropez are much higher then in neighbouring villages. In fact, St Tropez is virtually the most expensive village on the Côte d'Azur. - Les prix au mètre carré s´échelonnent de 2.000 à 10.000 €, et parfois atteignent davantage.
The price per square metre goes from €2,000 to €10,000, or even higher. - Au cours des 5 dernières années, nous avons vendu 5 maisons pour un prix de plus de 10.000 € le mètre carré.
In the last 5 years we've sold 5 houses at a price per square metre of over €10,000.
Predicting the future
- Nous nous attendons à voir les prix monter beaucoup plus. Il semble que l´économie européenne ne fonctionne pas très bien. Nous ne pensons pas que les prix puissent baisser, mais bien qu´ils se maintiendront stables, au moins sur les 2 ans à venir.
We don't think that prices will rise much more. The European economy doesn't seem in a good state. We don't think that prices will fall, but they'll remain flat, at least during the next two years.
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Some other stuff here
This Course
Business French
Our Business French course is designed to get you working in French as quickly as possible. The course contains sections on meetings and the telephone, as well as French for finance and practical workplace French (The type of practical phrases you'll need in a French-speaking office).
We are also working on a series of sector-based courses. First up is a set of classes for estate agents and property buyers.
Other sections in this course
Real estate
Whether you're selling property in Provence or working with clients in Paris, the type of vocabulary you'll need isn't going to vary much from place to place.
Speaking on the Phone
Speaking on the phone can be one of the most difficult tasks in any foreign language. In this course we'll take you through all the basics, from answering the phone, to taking messages or giving excuses when your boss hasn't come back from lunch.
French for Meetings
Need to attend a meeting with French-speaking clients?
In this section we'll cover everything from arranging dates and sending invitations, to writing agendas, through to summarising the agreements reached at the meeting.
In a French-speaking office
Dont' know how to ask for a stapler? In this section we'll take you through all those useful little phrases and questions for office life that other courses just don't cover.
Finance and Numbers
How do we present numbers and talk about financial information in French? In this section we cover the basics (the numbers in French!) as well as how to present graphs, sales results, or complicated statistical data.
Real estate
Other classes in this section:
Estate agents: Getting started
This first class in our section on English for Estate Agents looks at some of the most important questions which you'll want to ask a new client. We'll also take you through the most usual responses you'll hear from clients.
Talking about properties
How to describe the main characteristics of a property and its location.
Arranging Property Viewings
Need to organise a viewing, meeting or other business engagement with a French-speaking client? This article forms part of our course on French for (Real) Estate Agents, but it should also prove useful for professionals in other sectors too.
Talking about Offers
Who doesn't like receiving an offer for a property? Unfortunately, we'll probably have to do quite a bit of work before we get an offer, or at least one which is likely to be accepted. So, in this class, let's look at different ways of talking about, making, and reacting to, offers.
The property search
Understanding what the client is looking for is an absolutely essential part of being a successful estate agent. With French-speaking clients there are a serious of fairly standard questions which you'll need to use in order to find out what type of property the client wants.
Location, location, location...
How can we talk about the location of a property in French? What's the best way to describe the area, and talk about it's pros and cons. How can we talk about the distance to a town centre, shopping centre or beach?
Installations
Don't you just hate it when potential start asking technical questions about the heating system or electric wiring? However, it's inevitable that clients will have quite a few questions about the installations of a house, from the plumbing to the hot water, and lots else besides.
The property market
It's not just estate agents, but a whole range of professionals, who will find themselves having to explain aspects of the property market to clients, colleagues or suppliers.