For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is often presented as a smart way to save on commissions. But Gérard Depardieu’s long-running Paris sale shows that going it alone — or changing strategy midstream — only works if you get the fundamentals right from day one.

French actor Gérard Depardieu has reportedly sold his hôtel particulier on the Rue du Cherche-Midi in Paris (pictured above) after an extraordinary 15 years on and off the market.

Originally launched in 2012 at €50m, the 1,800m² property is said to have finally changed hands for €22.6m — roughly half the initial asking price. The buyer is reportedly a London-based investment firm. A broker was involved in the marketing, though no one is commenting publicly.

The price cut grabs headlines. But for vendors considering FSBO, the more important story is the timeline.

From FSBO talk to a protracted sale

Last year we reported that Depardieu wanted to sell his French properties direct, without estate agents — classic FSBO. At the time, his Normandy holiday home near Trouville-sur-Mer was said to be on the market privately, and as far as we know that remains the case.

The Paris mansion, however, appears to have been handled — at least latterly — by a brokerage.

Did he try to sell it direct first? Did he switch approach? We don’t know. What we do know is that the sale dragged on for a decade and a half.

And that is the real cautionary tale.

The danger of starting wrong

FSBO can work. In some cases, it works very well. But it is not a shortcut. It demands:

• A realistic, evidence-based asking price
• Professional marketing from the outset
• Tight control of the sales narrative
• All documentation and legal details ready before launch

Depardieu’s initial €50m price tag looks, with hindsight, over-ambitious. Once you start too high, you burn credibility and time. Buyers wait. The listing goes stale. Market conditions change. External factors — neighbourhood developments, reputational issues, broader economic shifts — begin to erode your leverage.

By the time you reduce to a market-clearing level, you are negotiating from weakness.

Saving commission is irrelevant if you lose years — and tens of millions — in the process.

What this means for Spanish vendors

In Spain, more owners are exploring FSBO or hybrid models, combining direct marketing with selective professional support. Technology makes this far easier than it used to be, though it is still very much a niche route to market.

But the fundamentals haven’t changed. Whether you use agents or not, preparation is everything. Price right. Present properly. Launch with momentum. Have a strategy if the first phase doesn’t deliver.

Otherwise, like Depardieu’s Paris mansion, your property risks becoming “that one that’s been for sale forever”.

FSBO in Spain — nearly here

This is precisely why SPI is about to launch its dedicated FSBO portal for Spain. After delays outside our control, we are now very close.

The aim isn’t to encourage amateur selling. It’s to give serious vendors the structure, visibility and tools to market professionally — with or without agents — and avoid the slow bleed that can come from a poorly executed launch.

Depardieu may still be trying to offload his Normandy home direct. We’ll see how that plays out. But the Paris saga is a reminder to every vendor: if you’re going to sell, especially FSBO, get it right from day one.

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