{"id":12391,"date":"2025-04-11T09:58:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T09:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.consultants-immobilier.com\/?page_id=12391"},"modified":"2025-04-11T11:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T11:13:00","slug":"who-pays-for-the-notarys-preliminary-sales-agreement-explanation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/staging.consultants-immobilier.com\/en\/sellers-guides\/the-stages-of-the-sale\/sales-agreement\/who-pays-for-the-notarys-preliminary-sales-agreement-explanation\/","title":{"rendered":"Who pays for the notary’s preliminary sales agreement? Explanation."},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content” content_placement=”top” css=”.vc_custom_1670852810251{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” el_class=”back_div”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1657728499249{padding-right: 15px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;}”][vc_raw_html css=””]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJteV9iYWNrX2J1dHRvbiUyMiUzRSUwQSUwOSUwOSUwOSUwOSUwOSUwOSUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuY29uc3VsdGFudHMtaW1tb2JpbGllci5jb20lMkZlbiUyRnByb3BlcnR5LWd1aWRlcyUyRiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyMEJhY2slMjB0byUyMHByb3BlcnR5JTIwZ3VpZGVzJTNDJTJGYSUzRSUwQSUwOSUwOSUwOSUwOSUwOSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRQ==[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1744364884016{background-image: url(https:\/\/staging.consultants-immobilier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/compromis.jpg?id=12395) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” el_class=”override_left”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1657728499249{padding-right: 15px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”override_pos”][vc_column][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1662026446228{background-color: #e4e4e4 !important;}”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Who pays for the preliminary sales agreement at the notary’s office? Explanation.” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:37|text_align:center|color:%23040e31″ use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1744365355468{padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;}” el_class=”relative_pos”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” el_class=”firstblock guide-wrapper-row vc_row-o-equal-height vc_row-flex” css=”.vc_custom_1765897502487{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”4\/5″][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”resume_block”][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”content_block”]\u20ac200 to \u20ac300 on average for a notarial sales agreement\u2014but who pays? By default, it\u2019s the buyer who foots the bill, in full and on the day of signing. This well-established practice is easy to explain: the buyer is the primary beneficiary of the guarantees provided, and these fees are included in their final closing costs. However, alternative arrangements are possible\u2014if you’re willing to negotiate. Here’s a full breakdown of the cost of a sales agreement, the usual split, and possible alternatives for a more balanced deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breakdown of the cost of a sales agreement<\/b><\/h2>\n

A<\/span> notarial sales agreement<\/span><\/a> typically costs between \u20ac200 and \u20ac300. This range depends mainly on two factors.<\/span><\/p>\n

The property’s price<\/b><\/h3>\n

Part of the notary’s fee for drafting the agreement is calculated on a <\/span>proportional scale<\/b> based on the <\/span>property valuation<\/span><\/a>. These are called \u201cproportional fees.\u201d For example, a sales agreement might cost \u20ac150\u2013250 for a \u20ac100,000 studio, \u20ac200\u2013300 for a \u20ac300,000 family apartment, and up to \u20ac800\u20131,000 for a luxury villa worth \u20ac1 million.<\/span><\/p>\n

This proportionality makes sense. The <\/span>notary\u2019s professional liability<\/b> increases with high-value transactions. The financial risk justifies a more thorough verification process. In addition, legal checks tend to be more complex for premium properties (special easements, unique regulations, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n

The file’s complexity<\/b><\/h3>\n

A complex file requires more time from the notary and their team. The presence of <\/span>easements to review<\/b>, a <\/span>lengthy co-ownership agreement<\/b> to analyze, <\/span>joint ownership issues<\/b>, or a <\/span>real estate investment company (SCI) structure<\/b> all demand extra hours\u2014reflected in the bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Notaries have regulated flexibility when setting their fees. Note that proportionality is not strictly linear. It can vary from office to office, with some applying tiered flat rates rather than a fixed percentage.<\/span><\/p>\n

These two factors highlight the true added value of the notary’s role:<\/span><\/p>\n