Almost half of French real estate agents enable racism: study
Real Estate
By
AFP
| Apr 30, 2026
Almost half of real estate agencies in France accept or enable racial discrimination in access to housing, according to a survey published Sunday.
The anti-discrimination group "SOS Racisme" contacted 198 real estate agencies in 2025, posing as landlords and requesting "European" tenants as a way to avoid "neighbourhood problems".
Of the 198 agencies, 48 (24.2 percent) agreed to select tenants on such a basis, while another 48 allowed or encouraged the prospective landlord to select them on a racial basis themselves, according to the report that was revealed by Le Parisien and seen by AFP.
That means that almost half encouraged or enabled racial prejudice, while 102 agencies (51.5 percent) refused to discriminate and explicitly opposed tenant selection based on racial criteria.
READ MORE
2026 economic data shows growth comes from reforms, not speeches
Microfinance lenders seek law review on capital requirements
Report: Fuel imports rose 12.2pc in 2025 on increased demand
KTDA factories net Sh1.3b at the weekly auction
KfW gets Sh4.1b stake in continental insurer
Africa's digital shift gains momentum as Huawei unveils new technologies in Nairobi
Pay in bits, glow in full: New wallet lets Nairobians save for skincare
Risk that paid off: Ex-govt. engineer builds aquarium empire
Poor pay, double taxation and falling incomes mask Kenya's growth
The survey "highlights a worrying persistence of discriminatory practices that are nevertheless prohibited under criminal law", SOS Racisme stated in a press release.
Equality Minister Aurore Berge, reacting to the results, told Le Parisien that "the SOS Racisme report shows there is still a long way to go" and reiterated that "discrimination is illegal".
Berge announced the introduction of mandatory discrimination training for all real estate agents. Training is currently only compulsory for professional license holders -- less than half of all agents.
She said a decree could be expected "in the coming weeks".
SOS Racisme conducted similar surveys in 2019 and 2022, and the latest findings show no improvement: in 2022, 48.5 percent of 136 agencies directly accepted (25 percent) or facilitated (23.5 percent) discriminatory requests.
In a letter addressed to lawmakers and seen by AFP, SOS Racisme president Dominique Sopo on Sunday called on deputies to "speak out loud and clear" against discrimination.