Stéphane Plaza real estate agencies want to jump ship

Dozens of Stéphane Plaza Immobilier franchisees have taken steps to leave the brand in the face of the repercussions of the trial of host and real estate agent Stéphane Plaza, AFP learned from their lawyers.

Lawyer specializing in real estate law, Me Sarah Laassir told AFP that she had “discussions with around ten Stéphane Plaza” Real Estate franchisees wanting to “exit the franchise”, confirming information from France Inter.

As written by “Le Parisien” and “Le Figaro”, Me Valentin Simonnet, adds, for his part, advising “several dozen franchisees who want to leave the network and who have initiated the pre-litigation process, that is to say letters of formal notice, without referral to court for the moment.”

The network of real estate agencies of the same name as the host, 51% owned by the television channel M6, was launched in 2015 and had 660 agencies in 2022.

But the domestic violence trial of Stéphane Plaza, against whom 18 months suspended imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 euros were required, adds for the agencies that bear his name an image crisis to an economic crisis which is already penalizing the entire real estate sector.

“Since the media coverage of the affair, customers no longer want to put up signs on the facades with the name of Stéphane Plaza, in prospecting, we are told more about the affair than about business, we have a drop in attendance, we loses sales mandates,” lists a franchisee Stéphane Plaza Immobilier, who does not wish to be identified because he is currently in negotiations with the group to end his franchise contract.

Another franchisee, at the head of two Stéphane Plaza Immobilier agencies, spoke to AFP of insults, a loan refused by her bank because “the Stéphane Plaza brand is considered too dangerous” and departures of employees, since the publication in September 2023 of testimonies from former companions of Stéphane Plaza by Mediapart.

She, too, has entered into negotiations to leave the franchise and wishes to remain anonymous. Her franchise contract will only expire in one year and, as such, the brand is asking her to reimburse the royalties she would have had to pay during this period in the event of a breach of contract, she explains to the AFP.

But in the midst of the real estate crisis, which has seen a massive drop in transactions for old housing, her coffers are dry and she assures that she “has two months of life ahead of her if she does not get out” of the franchise.

“We just want to work in good conditions, if we pay a franchise fee, it’s so that it serves a purpose, today it’s doing us a lot of harm,” believes the first franchisee quoted in this article. “I have lost between 5 and 10 mandates since the start of the summer, that represents almost 100,000 euros in lost turnover,” he adds.

Contacted by AFP, the Stéphane Plaza Immobilier network did not wish to comment on the subject.

For Me Valentin Simonnet, if Stéphane Plaza is convicted of “habitual physical and/or psychological violence by a partner” against two former partners, the question arises of the validity of the franchise contract “from the moment the brand is no longer this that it was at the time of signing the contract.