With 49% of the capital held, the M6 group was already part of Stéphane Plaza Immobilier’s main furniture. By acquiring an additional 2%, he quite simply became on Monday the majority shareholder of the network of real estate agencies of the star host of shows glorifying real estate agents on the channel. Nicolas de Tavernost’s group has invested an additional 2.5 million euros in the franchise to bring its total to 51%.
Created in 2014, this brand has since experienced exponential growth, disrupting the real estate agency market. “It is undoubtedly the network of agencies that has made the most progress in seven years” notes Jean-Marc Torrollion, president of the National Federation of Real Estate (FNAIM). With more than 660 franchises, it achieved a turnover of 16.5 million euros in 2020 against 1.9 million in 2015. The company’s net profit amounts to nearly 6 millions of euros.
“Fairly formidable competition”
A business that works for the real estate agent who has become a television host. Looking for an apartment or a house, apartment hunters, houses for sale: the many programs it presents around the same theme, broadcast and rebroadcast tirelessly for more than 15 years on the channels of the M6 group, have undoubtedly contributed to giving a very positive and increased notoriety at Stéphane Plaza Immobilier. And make the competing brands in this sector blush. “It was perceived as a pretty formidable competition” comments Jean-Marc Torrollion of the FNAIM.
Today, Stéphane Plaza’s company is the fourth in France in terms of location and turnover, behind Orpi, Century 21 and Laforêt. The pill is all the harder to swallow for this last competitor as it is two former members of this network who have presided over the development of that of the host, one of them remaining in charge. However, Stéphane Plaza denies any venality. In 2019, he guaranteed the Parisian “Not to be motivated by money”. Still, after this new financial transaction, the facilitator remains in the capital of his own company: “Stéphane Plaza’s participation remains intact and his responsibilities unchanged” the M6 group said in its press release.