You just need to take a drive around any part of the French Riviera and it becomes very clear that there are too many real estate agencies here. There’s at least one on every commercial block, if not several. It’s easier to find a real estate agency than a place to buy coffee — by far.
Not surprisingly, real estate agents on the French Riviera are an extremely competitive bunch. There are thousands of agents all fighting over a comparatively small number of listings, scraping by trying to pay their rent on very few sales. In short, it’s a recipe for all sorts of bad behavior.
Some 62% of estate agencies inspected by the state have been found to have broken the law.
Much like any industry where the monetary incentives are not aligned with the incentive of being honest with the buyer, this type of system forces agents to either look out for their own financial interests OR be honest with buyers. It’s not surprising then, that they prioritize making more money above being transparent with buyers. It’s not that agents are bad people (they have families to feed, too); the problem lies in the fact that the system is set up in a way that incentivizes bad behavior. The more you overpay, the more profit they make.
