Moving to France isn’t just about a new home in a new place. The lifestyle changes go much deeper. For some it’s about retirement. And for an increasing number of people, it’s about new career opportunities. With excellent transport links, fast internet service, and the growing trend for working from home, France makes for a great choice to live, work and play. Famous for its superb cuisine and wine, with daily street markets a way of life, the sun of the south, a long and varied coastline, mountains, glorious countryside and vibrant cities galore – there’s somewhere to suit everyone. Setting up to work as self-employed – auto-entrepreneur in French – is easy, and opportunities for self-employed work are increasing.
We talked to Brad Turner and Simon Liddiard who work as self-employed real-estate agents for Leggett Immobilier International, the multi award-winning property agency founded by a British family in 1998.
Teaming up
Brad, who was born in New York City, grew up just outside Washington, DC, wanted both a lifestyle and career change after working for many years as a surgeon in Boston. His Bordeaux-born wife was keen to return to France. Brad had met her while on a year-long flagship programme in the city as part of his studies for a French Literature degree at the University of of California. In 2018 the couple moved to Bordeaux to start their new lives.
Simon had worked in advertising in London and Paris for many years and also wanted a lifestyle change. Bordeaux beckoned. He’d known the city since a school exchange visit to the town which is twinned with his hometown of Bristol in the UK, a trip which inspired him to take many holidays there. Simon’s wife is also from Bordeaux and had been to college with Brad’s wife and the two men knew of each other.
Brad, with the precision of a surgeon, researched jobs and what he wanted from a new career: autonomy, self-employment, flexibility, room to grow a business, a chance to create something new and also to deal with people. As a surgeon what he loved most was the human connection. Working as a real estate agent was, he felt, a perfect match for him, and Leggett Immobilier who specialize in bilingual agents who are self-employed but benefit from training and support – ticked all boxes.
Simon was working part time in the wine events industry in Bordeaux when Brad broached the idea of the two of them teaming up to join Leggett Immobilier and work as a team. In 2018 they joined the company and trained together. Six years later they are still working as a team – but a much expanded one with the support and backing of Leggett Immobilier.
“We’ve both reached a certain age” says Brad, “we’ve got a lifetime of experience behind us that we bring to this role. Working together means we can cover more terrain, one of us is always here for the client and we can bounce ideas off of each other.”
Real estate office in Bordeaux
One of those ideas was to open an office in the heart of Bordeaux city where they could meet with clients and showcase the properties in their area – not just in the city of Bordeaux but stretching out into the surrounding suburbs, countryside, vineyards and the coast.
Leggett finalised the renovation of their new agency on rue Montbazon, Bordeaux, in 2023, situated adjacent to the renowned historic Hôtel de Ville which dates back to the 17th –century.
Thanks to the new office, Brad, Simon, and their team of 10 agents have enhanced their capacity to support clients. This includes conducting tailored searches; if a property is not available in their listings, they can utilize their expanding network of contacts to find the ideal property.
“We share our roles” says Brad. “Each of us plays to our strengths. We generally meet clients together at first so that we both fully understand what the requirement is. And we’ll also take clients through the process of buying in France.”
“Two for the price of one” Simon quips.
They share the requirements to create listings, photograph properties, and accompany clients on visits. “We don’t just open the door to a new home” says Simon, “we offer a full service from helping with the financing requirements for the purchase, to recommending a plumber if needed!”
“The best thing about this job is the people” says Brad. “That’s the key, helping people make a lifestyle change like we did, helping to make it the best experience it can be, in a truly beautiful part of the world. There’s so much variation here from the city with its culture, history and amazing food scene to the lush vineyards with their world-famous wines, the glorious beaches of Arcachon, the suburbs and even further afield – expanding transport links are opening up whole new parts of the area around the city.”
“And what enables us to do this so well is the brilliant support and backup we have” Simon says. “The training is excellent, it doesn’t stop once you qualify, it’s ongoing and the training programmes are really comprehensive. The internal systems are great, and there’s also great expert support for legal, financial, marketing and many more aspects of what’s required to be an agent. But we still work autonomously, we’re still our own boss, and we can take a flexible approach to work by working as a team.”
Leggett Immobilier seek agents in all areas of France. They offer excellent commission rates, superb support and cutting-edge technology, high profile international and national marketing campaigns for a steady stream of clients, plus continuous training opportunities, and the flexibility to work as a solo agent, family-run or partners like Brad and Simon.
Visit the Recruitment Page of the Leggett Website where you’ll find dates for information days that you can join: Leggett Immobilier Website
Request an online recruitment brochure using the QR code or link below: Request Brochure
Or contact them directly: recruitment@leggett.fr / 00.33.553.60.82.77
