The French real estate portal market remains dominated by a few major players who concentrate the vast majority of listings. Finding the best real estate offers online requires understanding how these platforms operate, what they actually display, and what they leave out. Two recent developments are changing the game: the ban on cold calling since August 2026 and the gradual implementation of the European AI Act regarding search tools.
End of cold calling and refocusing on online search
Since August 11, 2026, cold calling individuals without prior consent is prohibited in France. Decree No. 2026-662 of July 23, 2026, implemented under Law No. 2025-594 of June 30, 2025, has shifted the regime from simple opt-out (registration on Bloctel) to strict opt-in.
For buyers, the consequence is direct: agencies can no longer spontaneously contact you to offer newly listed properties. The so-called “off-market” offers, once communicated by phone through canvassing, now only circulate on channels where the buyer has given their consent (targeted newsletters, search forms, personalized alerts).
This refocusing strengthens the role of online platforms as the main entry point. A buyer who does not actively register on several portals risks missing out on properties that will not be visible anywhere else. By cross-referencing Immo Radar’s listings with alerts from generalist portals, a broader spectrum is covered without multiplying efforts.
Real estate listings between portals: what market figures reveal
Market share data (source Yanport, July 2025, listings from individuals for sale) show a marked imbalance. Leboncoin alone accounts for 70.6% of listings from individuals for sale. SeLoger follows with around one million listings and 21 million monthly visits, far ahead of PAP (100% focused on individuals) and Bien’ici.
These figures call for cautious interpretation. A high market share does not mean that all listings are exclusive to that site. Many sellers post on multiple sites simultaneously. The gross volume of listings can mask significant duplicates between platforms.
What aggregators change in real estate search
Aggregators (like Pretto Search or MoteurImmo) centralize listings from multiple portals into a single feed. Their promise: to avoid checking five different sites every morning. In practice, they do not cover all the same sources, and some portals refuse to allow scraping of their data.
Field feedback varies on this point. Some professional users (property dealers, real estate hunters) see aggregators as a considerable time saver. Others notice update delays, with listings that have already been removed remaining visible for several hours.
Algorithmic transparency and AI Act: what changes for real estate sites
The European regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on artificial intelligence (AI Act), which came into effect in 2024, gradually imposes new obligations on real estate platforms. Since August 2, 2025, sites using chatbots or generative AI to guide searches must inform users that they are interacting with an automated system.
For buyers, this concerns two concrete aspects:
- The ranking of listings in search results may be influenced by scoring algorithms. The AI Act requires that ranking criteria be accessible, but the level of detail varies from one portal to another.
- Online price estimation tools, often presented as objective assessments, rely on models whose biases are not always documented. An algorithmic estimate can significantly deviate from the actual price, especially in areas with low transaction volumes.
- Personalized recommendations (“properties you might be interested in”) use behavioral profiles. The user has the right to know which criteria determine these suggestions, even though in practice few platforms display this information clearly.
The available data does not yet allow for measuring the actual impact of the AI Act on the quality of real estate search results. The anticipated penalties (up to a percentage of global revenue) could accelerate compliance, but effective controls are yet to come.
Real estate search criteria: beyond price and area
Most portals offer the same basic filters: location, price, area, number of rooms. This common base gives the impression that all sites are equal. The differences lie elsewhere.
Advanced filters and contextual data
Some platforms integrate contextual data that others ignore: energy diagnostics (DPE), proximity to transport, history of price reductions, duration of online listing. The duration of a listing is an underutilized indicator by buyers. A property online for several months often signals a wider negotiation margin.
The DPE, made mandatory in listings, serves as an effective sorting filter. With the gradual ban on renting out thermal sieves (classes F and G), poorly rated properties for sale are multiplying. Filtering by energy class allows for quick identification of properties whose price already incorporates a discount related to necessary renovation work.
Professional listings and individual listings
The distinction between agency listings and individual listings is not just a matter of fees. Professional listings are subject to stricter legal obligations (display of fees, mandates, complete diagnostics). Individual listings, especially on Leboncoin or PAP, sometimes offer lower net seller prices, but with fewer guarantees on the reliability of the displayed information.
- Always check the consistency between the displayed price and the sector estimate (DVF data freely accessible on the tax office’s website)
- Cross-check the address with the local urban planning plan to identify any potential constraints (easements, flood zones)
- Consult the sales history in the building or neighborhood to situate the asking price in relation to recent transactions
The market for online real estate offers is evolving under the combined effects of regulation, technology, and seller habits. A buyer who limits themselves to a single portal exposes themselves to a partial view. Multiplying sources, activating alerts on multiple platforms, and verifying contextual data remain the most reliable levers to spot a good deal before it disappears.
