Real estate vocabulary in French
Real estate is a very popular sector, both in France and internationally, and it has its own jargon and expressions. If it can be very interesting for a French person to invest in this universal market, it is important to appropriate the French expressions of real estate. This way, you will optimize your sales and purchases!
Action verbs related to the real estate sector
In real estate, as elsewhere, everything starts with an action. Here are a few action verbs that you will use:
- Faire une demande de permis de construire : To apply for an application / for a building permit
- Construire : To build
- Acheter un appartement : To buy a flat
- Visiter une maison : To go over/to view a house
- Emménager : To move in
- Déménager : To move out
- Rénover : To renovate
- Louer une chambre : To rent a room
- Vendre : To sell
- Signer un contrat : To sign a contract
- Sous-louer : To sub-let
The parties involved in a construction, sale or purchase project
During your real estate project, whether it is the construction, sale or purchase of a property, you will meet many people. Here are a few vocabulary words that will help you identify the different players in the real estate industry.
- Maçon : Builder
- Agence immobilière : Real Estate agent (US) / Realtor (US) / Estate agency (UK)
- Expert foncier : Land expert
- Propriétaire / logeur : Landlord
- Propriétaire : Owner
- Agent immobilier : Real estate agent
- Promoteur immobilier : Real estate promoter / Property developer
- Locataire : Tenant
Types of properties in French
What can you buy or sell? A house? An apartment? But not only that... Discover the French words related to property types.
- Location : Rental
- Logement : Accommodation
- Appartement : Apartment / Flat
- Bâtiment : Building
- Chantier : Building site / Construction site
- Château : Castle
- Copropriétaire : Co-ownership
- Propriété : Estate, property
- Un domicile : Home
- Une maison : A house
- Un terrain : Land
- Plan : Map
- Demeure : Prestigious property / Dwelling
- Locaux : Permises
- Location : Renting, Rental
- Résidence secondaire/principale : Second / Primary home
- Écurie : Stable
- Logement social : State-subsidized housing:
- Terrain non-constructible : Statutory open land
- Superficie : Surface area
Legal agreements in French: contracts, taxes, payments
When it comes to complying with all the administrative and legal rules, it is important not to make any mistakes, otherwise there may be unpleasant surprises...
- Un accord : An agreement
- Attribution de jurisdiction : Assignment of jurisdiction
- Acte de vente : Bill of sale / Deed of sale
- Attestation de propriété : Certificate of ownership
- Attestation de domicile : Proof of address
- Un bail : A lease
- État des lieux : Walkthrough / Status of apartment
- Lu et approuvé : Read and approved
- Caution : Security deposit / Guarantee
- Clause particulière : Special condition
- Bilan (de santé immobilier) : Survey (house)
- Cession : Transfer of ownership or rights
Payments / income in French
An essential element of any sale or purchase: payment. With these expressions, you will be able to negotiate as you should in French:
- Acompte : Deposit, sum paid in advance
- Frais : Fees
- HT (excluding taxes) : Exluding VAT
- Emprunt immobilier : Home Loan
- Valeur locative : Market rental value
- Crédit immobilier : Mortgage
- Remboursement mensuel : Monthly repayment
- Taxe foncière : Property ownership tax
- Taxe d'habitation : Resident tax
- Le loyer : The rent
- La TVA : The VAT tax rate
Congratulations, you now know all the vocabulary of real estate! To continue improving your French, improve your French pronunciation and take a free French test!