A groundbreaking investigation by French anti-discrimination organization SOS Racisme has exposed systemic racial bias within the nation’s real estate sector. The study, conducted through meticulous undercover testing, reveals that approximately 48% of property agencies actively participate in or facilitate housing discrimination based on ethnic background.
Researchers contacted 198 real estate agencies across France while posing as property owners with explicit racial preferences. The test scenario involved requesting ‘European’ tenants to allegedly avoid ‘neighborhood problems.’ Among the agencies surveyed, 24.2% (48 agencies) directly agreed to implement such discriminatory screening practices. An additional 48 establishments permitted or encouraged the supposed landlords to conduct their own racially-biased tenant selection.
The findings demonstrate that 102 agencies (51.5%) maintained ethical standards by refusing discriminatory requests and explicitly opposing racial criteria. However, the prevalence of compliant agencies highlights a severe institutional problem within the housing industry.
French Equality Minister Aurore Berge responded to the alarming data by announcing mandatory anti-discrimination training for all real estate professionals. Current regulations only require licensing for fewer than half of practicing agents. Minister Berge confirmed that an official decree implementing comprehensive training requirements would be issued within weeks.
This 2025 study mirrors previous investigations conducted in 2019 and 2022, showing no improvement in discriminatory practices over time. The consistent findings indicate deeply entrenched biases that persist despite existing legal prohibitions. SOS Racisme president Dominique Sopo has urgently called upon legislators to publicly condemn these practices and strengthen enforcement mechanisms.