Bien'Ici CEO Cyril Janin pens Open Letter to French Agents Urging them to "Take Back Control"

July 19, 2023

Cyril Janin, president of agent-owned French portal Bien'Ici, has penned an open letter to real estate agents asking them to consider switching to his portal because other portals are no longer the most attractive proposition for them.

From unfair data privacy to commissions being eaten away at by rival agents, Janin laid into the implied misdeeds of other real estate marketplaces in France before closing his argument with a call to action for agents to join 15,000 agents that have already switched up their business offering to Bien'Ici.

It's the second such interview Janin has given in recent months after March's comments that agents have been struggling to sell stock due to longer transaction times.

Bien'Ici, France's number three portal, has a clear desire to whip up PR around its model. It's a timely decision; recent news that rival market leader SeLoger will allow FSBO listings on its site means disgruntled agents may be more amenable to a new portal partnership, especially as Bien'Ici is now France's only major portal with an embargo on FSBO listings:

FSBO Listings on French Portals

Bien'Ici operates an "agent friendly" subscription package, including an offer launched in December 2022 that lets agents post up to 100 listings per month for just €249 per month—a move that the portal said led to a record 304 signups in a month.

 

July 19, 2023
Harvey is an experienced property journalist and copywriter. He has written about the property industry since 2015, starting at The Property Franchise Group in the UK, before moving to Spain to work for Spotahome. He has blogged for the private rented sector, ghostwritten for UK property experts and written case studies for franchise owners around the UK. Harvey joined Online Marketplaces as a News Editor in 2022.

Subscribe to our mailing list to get the famous, free Friday newsletter!

News and analysis to help build better online marketplace businesses, in your inbox, every Friday

Related News

Hemnet Building With Logo Editado
​Hemnet Delivers Strong Q1 Results Amidst Product Innovation and Market Momentum​

Sweden's leading property portal, Hemnet, has reported impressive financial results for the first quarter of 2025, showcasing the robust growth...

Read More
Product Update 2025Apr25 1
Product and Services Roundup: Loopnet, Finn.no, REA Group, Rightmove, Housing.com, AtHome.jp

This week's Product Roundup is flush with some of the biggest names in global real estate. We'll start in Europe,...

Read More
Offerpad Opendoor Stock 2
American iBuyers Opendoor and Offerpad Both Face Delisting From Stock Exchange

U.S.-based iBuying firm Offerpad has received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange regarding non-compliance with continued listing standards....

Read More
Untitled Design 9 3
Zillow Begins Rolling Back its Two-Tab Search Experience

Zillow has begun rolling out a major update to its search experience, moving away from a rule it once implemented...

Read More

Editor's Pick