Becoming a French estate agent — professional card and financial guarantee

Working as an independent French estate agent means meeting six conditions before opening: a qualification at degree level at least OR professional experience in property, meeting the conditions for carrying on a commercial activity, no personal bankruptcy or disqualification from managing — shown by the second extract of the criminal record —, a financial guarantee, professional indemnity insurance, and the professional card itself, on top of setting the business up with its registration and identifiers. The financial guarantee is the point most often underestimated: at least €30,000 for the first two years of trading, then at least €110,000, and that sum applies to EACH activity carried on — transactions, property management, block management.

Up to date for 2026 — verified on September 11, 2026Official procedure, no printed formGuide: about 40 min

Deadlines

Before trading: The six conditions — qualification or experience, commercial activity conditions, no bankruptcy or disqualification, financial guarantee, professional indemnity insurance, professional card — are met before trading, along with setting the business up.
Financial guarantee raised after two years: It is at least €30,000 for the first 2 years of trading, then at least €110,000 — and for each property activity carried on.
Mandate: maximum term: A mandate generally runs for 3 months at most, and the written mandate must state its term, capped at 3 years.

Documents to prepare

An accepted qualification, or evidence of the experience required under a card holder's responsibility
The second extract of the criminal record, which shows bankruptcy and disqualification from managing
A financial guarantee certificate, per activity carried on, on the official template
A professional indemnity insurance policy
The registration number in the register of property principals, to appear on every mandate
Business registration and the identification and activity numbers

See the procedure on the official site

No form is attached to this procedure: the link leads to the official page that describes it.

What this page gives you

The guide above and the link to the official site. ActioFin does not produce any document for this page: whatever you fill in or file is done on the official medium.

Who this applies to

Independent estate agents running their own agency
Professionals handling transactions on built or unbuilt property — purchase, sale, letting, subletting, holiday letting, furnished or unfurnished — and on business goodwill
Property managers and block managers of jointly owned buildings
Sellers of property lists, an activity that CANNOT be combined with any other property activity
Professionals offering small complementary tourism services linked to their main property activity

Worked example

Example: Léna opens an agency doing transactions and property management

Léna holds a vocational degree in property management and careers — one of the accepted qualifications, alongside a higher technician's certificate in property professions, a degree in business, law or economics, a degree from an institute of economic and legal studies applied to construction and housing, or a certificate registered in the national register of professional certifications at degree level. She wants to do transactions AND property management. She checks she has suffered neither personal bankruptcy nor disqualification from managing, takes out professional indemnity insurance, and obtains a financial guarantee from an insurance company — she could have chosen a professional body, a credit institution or the state deposits fund. The amount is at least €30,000 for each of her two activities in the first two years, then at least €110,000. Property management allows no declaration of not holding client money: the guarantee is always required there. She obtains her professional card, sets up her business and registers it. Her first sale mandate, signed with an owner, states its term, her registration number in the register of property principals, her fee and who pays it, her precise duties, and the terms for handling money and accounting for it.

How to fill it in, step by step

Choose your activities from those open: transactions on built or unbuilt property and on business goodwill, property management, block management, selling property lists, small complementary tourism services. They may be combined EXCEPT selling property lists, which cannot be carried on with any other.
Check your level of study: a higher technician's certificate in property professions, a vocational degree in property management and careers, a degree in business, law or economics, a degree from an institute of economic and legal studies applied to construction and housing, or a certificate registered in the national register of professional certifications at degree level. Accreditation of prior experience can give an equivalence — a degree for three years' experience.
Failing a qualification, measure the experience required: with the school leaving certificate or an equivalent qualification in law, economics or business, 3 years as a full-time employee under the responsibility of a card holder bearing the heading you are applying for; without that level, 10 years, or 4 years if you held management status.
Check there is no personal bankruptcy and no disqualification from managing — that information appears in the second extract of the criminal record.
Take out professional indemnity insurance.
Obtain a financial guarantee from the guarantor of your choice — a professional body, an insurance company, a credit institution or the state deposits fund — of at least €30,000 for the first two years then at least €110,000, FOR EACH activity carried on. The guarantee certificate must carry required particulars, and a template is available.
Obtain the estate agent's professional card, stating the heading or headings matching your activities.
Set up your business: registration in the national business register and the trade and companies register, and obtaining the identification and activity numbers.
For each matter, have a mandate signed stating its term, your registration number in the register of property principals, your fee and who pays it, your precise duties, and the terms for handling money and accounting for it.

The form, line by line

Headings on the professional card: The card carries headings matching the activities — for instance transactions, property management, block management. Required experience is assessed under the responsibility of a card holder bearing THE HEADING applied for.
Financial guarantee: €30,000 then €110,000: At least €30,000 for the first 2 years of trading, then at least €110,000, and for EACH property activity carried on. The reduced first-two-years amount does not apply to a company one of whose legal or constitutional representatives has already been subject to the duty.
Declaration of not holding client money: It removes the financial guarantee for property transactions WITHOUT holding client money only. Property management and block management allow no such declaration: the guarantee is always required there.
Mandate: It formalises your position as intermediary, is completed by the agent, the seller and the buyer, and generally runs for 3 months at most. It may be simple or EXCLUSIVE, where the client picks you as sole agent.
Required content of the mandate: Term of the mandate, capped at 3 years; registration number in the register of property principals; fee and who pays it; precise duties; terms for handling money and accounting for it.

Good to know

Property activities may be combined, EXCEPT selling property lists, which cannot be carried on with any other.
The duty to advise is not commercial courtesy: advising is a DUTY, and the agent is responsible for checking the file — the client's income, title deeds, floor area, outbuildings, easements, energy rating, asbestos.
The financial guarantee covers money held on deposit: rent, tenancy deposits, payments on account from a sale agreement.
The financial guarantee certificate must carry required particulars, and an official template is made available.
Accreditation of prior experience allows the equivalence of a degree for three years' professional experience.
Three distinct routes exist for working in property: independent estate agent with your own agency, negotiator attached to an agency or a network of agents, or an agency employee — the conditions, duties and rules differ with the option chosen.
A transaction may be secured by a trusted third party: a notary, a judicial officer, a lawyer, a bank.

Common mistakes

Counting a single financial guarantee for several activities: the sum guaranteed applies to EACH activity carried on — transactions, property management, block management.
Keeping €30,000 beyond the first two years: the minimum rises to €110,000.
Assuming the reduced first-two-years amount is available to a company one of whose legal or constitutional representatives has already been subject to the duty: it is not.
Making a declaration of not holding client money for property management or block management: none is possible there.
Combining the sale of property lists with another property activity.
Counting experience gained under the responsibility of a card holder bearing a DIFFERENT heading from the one applied for.
Drafting a mandate without the registration number in the register of property principals, or without the terms for handling money and accounting for it.
Treating advice as an optional extra: it is a duty, coupled with responsibility for checking the file.

Frequently asked questions

What conditions must be met to trade?

A qualification at degree level at least or professional experience in property, meeting the conditions for carrying on a commercial activity, no personal bankruptcy or disqualification from managing, a financial guarantee, professional indemnity insurance, the professional card, and setting the business up with its registration.

How much is the financial guarantee?

At least €30,000 for the first 2 years of trading, then at least €110,000 — and that sum applies to each property activity carried on: transactions, property management, block management.

Can it be avoided?

Only for property transactions WITHOUT holding client money, by making a statement of honour that no money is held directly or indirectly. Property management and block management allow no such declaration.

What experience replaces the qualification?

With the school leaving certificate or an equivalent qualification in law, economics or business: 3 years as a full-time employee under the responsibility of a card holder bearing the heading applied for. Without that level: 10 years, or 4 years having held management status.

What must the mandate contain?

Its term, capped at 3 years, the registration number in the register of property principals, the fee and who pays it, the precise duties, and the terms for handling money and accounting for it.

Go further

Compute the related amounts

Understand this form: the related course

Related forms

Official sources

Read in French

Guide and document provided for information purposes only; they do not constitute personalised legal or tax advice. Check the recipient organisation's requirements and consult a professional if needed.