Arranging Property Viewings
Arranging viewings is one of the tasks which real estate agents will carry out most frequently.
In order to effectively arrange a viewing with a French-speaking client you'll obviously first need to know how to talk about times, dates and months in French. If you're up-to-speed on those, then jump right in!
If we are speaking face-to-face with clients, or by telephone here are some of the most useful phrases you'll need in order to successfully set up a meeting:
First, let's check that the client wants to see the property:
- Souhaitez-vous visiter la maison ?
Would you like to view the property?
Arranging the viewing
- Etes-vous disponibles pour visiter la maison demain dans la matinée ?
Would you be able to view the property tomorrow morning? - J´appellerai le propriétaire afin de savoir s´il est possible de visiter la maison cet après-midi. Seriez-vous disponible à 18h00 ?
I'll call the owner to see if it's possible to view the house this afternoon. Would 6pm be OK for you? - Après avoir tout confirmé avec le propriétaire, je vous enverrai un courriel.
When I've confirmed everything with the owner, I will send you an email. - Je vous adresserai un courriel pour confirmer le jour et l´heure de la visite.
I will send you an email to confirm the day and time of the viewing.
Problems in setting up a viewing
- Je regrette, il n´est pas possible de visiter la maison cette semaine.
I'm sorry, it's not possible to visit the property this week. - Pourrions-nous visiter la maison un peu plus tard ?
Could we view the house a little later? - Il n´est pas possible de visiter la maison car elle est louée.
Thursday isn't possible because the house is rented out.
Arranging where to meet
- Nous pouvons nous retrouver devant la maison.
We could meet in front of the house. - Connaissez-vous la petite place située derrière l´église ?
Do you know the small square behind the church?
In a holiday home market
These phrases will come in handy:
- Jusqu´à quand restez-vous à Toulouse ?
How long will you be in Toulouse? - Quand rentrez-vous en France ?
When will you return to France?
A model email
Here's a short and sweet email for arranging a viewing which can be easily adapted for any other appointment:
Buenos días,
Le escribo para confirmar la visita a la casa de la calle Destraire. ¿Le va bien a las 11:30? Podemos encontrarnos aquí, en la oficina de la agencia. Si usted quiere cambiar la hora de la cita le agradecería que me avisara antes del viernes.
Para cualquier pregunta no dude en ponerse en contacto conmigo.
Saludos cordiales
Chris
Bonjour,
Je vous écris pour confirmer la visite de la maison située Rue Destraire. À 11h30, cela vous convient-il ? Nous pouvons nous retrouver ici au bureau de l'agence. Si vous souhaitez modifier l'heure du rendez-vous, je vous serais reconnaissant de me le faire savoir avant vendredi.
Pour toute question, n'hésitez pas à me contacter.
Avec mes meilleures salutations,
Chris
We're currently working on our section on Business French emails.
Thanks for visiting!
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.