Making an Offer in France: What It Really Means

When you find the right apartment or villa in Nice, your next step is to make an offer - “faire une offre d’achat.”
But unlike in the U.S., a French offer isn’t a full contract yet. It’s a moral and procedural commitment that temporarily reserves the property for you while details are finalized.

Let’s look at how it works, why it’s retractable for the buyer, and what it means for the seller.

✉️ Step 1: Submitting the Offer (Offre d’Achat)

Once you’ve decided to move forward, you or your agent will draft a short written offer that includes:

The offered price (usually close to asking)
Any conditions (for example, financing)
A validity period (typically 5 to 10 days)
Your contact details and signature

This offer can be written on paper or sent electronically, and it’s formally transmitted to the seller (often via the listing agent).

💡 It’s not yet a legally binding sale - think of it as a handshake in writing.

🕊️ Step 2: Buyer Flexibility - The Offer Is Retractable

One of the strongest protections in the French system is that the offer is retractable by the buyer at any time before the seller accepts it.
Even after acceptance, it doesn’t become legally binding until both parties sign a compromis de vente (the preliminary sale contract, prepared by a notary).

That means:

You can withdraw without penalty if you change your mind or discover new information.
No deposit is due at this stage.
You’re under no financial obligation until the compromis is signed.

🗝️ This flexibility gives buyers time to confirm financing, review diagnostics, and consult advisors before committing.

🚫 Step 3: What the Seller Agrees To

Once the seller accepts your offer in writing, they are expected to pause all other visits and negotiations for the validity period of your offer - typically around one week.

This effectively reserves the property for you while the paperwork for the compromis de vente is prepared.
In legal terms, it’s a unilateral promise: you’re not bound yet, but the seller has agreed to hold the property for you temporarily.

If another buyer comes forward with a higher offer during this time, the seller cannot accept it unless they’ve already refused yours in writing.

💡 In practice, agents take the property “off market” during the offer period - it’s considered spoken for.

🏛️ Step 4: From Offer to Compromis de Vente

If both parties proceed, the next step is to sign the compromis de vente, usually within a couple of weeks.
That’s the point when:

The terms are locked in legally
The buyer pays a deposit (usually 5–10%) into the notary’s escrow account
The 10-day reflection period begins

Only at this stage does the transaction become binding for both sides.

🧾 Example Timeline

Step	What Happens	Binding?
Offer submitted	Buyer proposes price and terms	❌ Not binding
Offer accepted	Seller pauses showings	❌ Not yet binding
Compromis de vente signed	Deposit paid, reflection period begins	✅ Binding
Acte de vente signed	Final title transfer	✅ Ownership complete

🪶 Why the System Protects Both Sides

For buyers: you have time to verify financing, review the diagnostics, and change your mind before paying a deposit.
For sellers: once they accept your offer, they have a committed prospect and can plan for the sale while their agent coordinates the next steps.
For both: the notary ensures that once the compromis is signed, every obligation and deadline is formalized.

☕ It’s a slower process than in the U.S., but one built on clarity, fairness, and zero surprises.

In short:
In France, an offer is a serious intention - not a final contract. You can retract it without penalty, but once accepted, the seller must pause showings and reserve the property for you. The system protects both sides and gives everyone time to move carefully toward a secure sale.