Nearly one in two real estate agencies accepts or facilitates racial discrimination in housing access, according to testing conducted by SOS Racisme in 2025. Delegate Minister Aurore Bergé reminded that discrimination is illegal and announced mandatory training for all real estate agents. The study reveals the persistence of practices prohibited by law.
In 2025, SOS Racisme conducted testing on 198 real estate agencies from major chains and the Fédération nationale de l'immobilier (Fnaim) network. The association's militants posed as owners requesting exclusively 'European' tenants to avoid 'neighborhood problems.' Of these agencies, 96 (48.48%) agreed to discriminate directly (48 cases, or 24.24%) or act as accomplices by allowing or encouraging owner selection (48 cases). Conversely, 102 agencies (51.52%) refused and stated opposition to any origin-based selection.
The association denounces in a statement an 'alarming persistence of discriminatory practices prohibited by criminal law.' Questioned by Le Parisien, Aurore Bergé, delegate minister for the Fight against Discrimination, stated: 'Discrimination is illegal' and assessed that 'the road is still long.' She announced mandatory discrimination training for all real estate agents, via a decree to be signed soon with Housing Minister Vincent Jeanbrun. Currently, such training is mandatory only for professional card holders, less than half of agents. According to her, the current optional continuing training is 'insufficient, as only those already convinced take it up.'
Loïc Cantin, Fnaim president, reacted by confirming the inquiry 'only confirms trends already observed, which Fnaim has condemned.' He described the situation as a 'real scourge' and called for 'both training and sanctions.' This third SOS Racisme investigation, following those in 2019 and 2022, shows no improvement: in 2022, 51.5% of agencies refused discrimination against 48.5% that accepted or facilitated it. Dominique Sopo, SOS Racisme president, urged deputies to 'speak out loudly' against discriminations in a letter.
