Real estate diagnostics in France are mandatory — no exceptions. Before selling or renting any property, homeowners must produce a Dossier de Diagnostic Technique (DDT) covering everything from energy performance (DPE) to asbestos, lead paint, termites, and more. Yet for years, the process remained stuck in the analog era: phone calls to local diagnosticians, paper reports, and zero transparency on pricing.
That is exactly the problem we set out to solve with srat.fr.
The Problem: A Fragmented Market
France has roughly 8,000 certified diagnostic professionals (diagnostiqueurs immobiliers). They operate independently or in small firms, each with their own pricing, availability, and booking process. For a homeowner in Lyon or Marseille trying to schedule a DPE before listing their apartment, the experience was painful:
- Call 3-4 companies to compare prices
- Wait for callbacks
- Hope the diagnostician shows up on time
- Receive a PDF report days later
Meanwhile, regulations kept tightening. The 2021 Climate Law made DPE results legally binding and introduced rental bans for the worst-rated properties (class G by 2025, class F by 2028). Suddenly, millions of landlords needed diagnostics — fast.
Why We Built SRAT
SRAT (Société de Recherche et dAssistance Technique) was founded to bridge this gap. The idea was straightforward: build a digital platform that connects property owners with certified diagnosticians, streamlining the entire chain from quote request to report delivery.
Our goals were:
- Instant quoting — homeowners describe their property and get a price estimate in under 2 minutes
- Certified network — every diagnostician on the platform holds valid certifications (COFRAC-accredited)
- Digital reports — results delivered electronically with proper ADEME registration
- Coverage across France — not just Paris, but secondary cities and rural areas too
The Technical Stack
We went with a WordPress-based architecture for several practical reasons. The French real estate market is local and search-driven — people google "diagnostic immobilier + ville" thousands of times per month. WordPress gave us the SEO flexibility we needed without over-engineering the initial product.
Key components:
- WordPress + custom theme for the public-facing site
- WooCommerce adapted for service booking (not physical products)
- Custom PHP modules for quote calculation based on property type, surface area, and location
- Supabase as a backend database for diagnostician availability and report tracking
- n8n workflows for automated dispatching and follow-up emails
The quote engine deserves a mention. French diagnostic pricing depends on multiple factors: property size, number of required diagnostics (DPE alone vs. full DDT), property age (pre-1949 buildings need lead testing), and geographic zone. We built a rule engine that weights all these parameters and returns a competitive quote instantly.
Understanding French Diagnostic Requirements
For those unfamiliar with the French system, here is what a complete DDT typically includes:
| Diagnostic | When Required | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| DPE (energy performance) | All sales and rentals | 10 years |
| Amiante (asbestos) | Buildings pre-July 1997 | Unlimited if negative |
| Plomb (lead paint) | Buildings pre-January 1949 | 1 year (sale) / 6 years (rental) |
| Termites | Designated zones (prefectural decree) | 6 months |
| Gaz (gas installation) | Installations > 15 years | 3 years (sale) / 6 years (rental) |
| Électricité (electrical) | Installations > 15 years | 3 years (sale) / 6 years (rental) |
| ERP (natural/tech risks) | All transactions | 6 months |
| Assainissement | Non-collective sanitation | 3 years |
Getting this right matters. An incomplete or expired DDT can void a real estate transaction or expose the seller to legal liability.
Challenges We Faced
The biggest challenge was not technical — it was trust. French homeowners are cautious about online services, especially for something legally sensitive. We invested heavily in:
- Displaying certification numbers prominently
- Publishing real customer reviews
- Offering phone support (yes, actual humans picking up)
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
Another challenge was geographic coverage. Unlike delivery services where you can start in one city and expand, diagnostic coverage needs to be broad from day one. Nobody wants to enter their address and see "no diagnostician available in your area." We spent months onboarding diagnosticians across major metropolitan areas before launching publicly.
Results and Lessons Learned
Since launch, srat.fr has processed thousands of diagnostic requests across multiple French regions. A few things we learned along the way:
SEO is king in local services. Over 70% of our traffic comes from organic search. People search for exactly what they need: "diagnostic immobilier Toulouse prix" or "DPE obligatoire location 2026." Building content around these queries drove growth more than any paid channel.
Simplicity converts. Our first version had too many form fields. When we cut the quote form down to 4 essential questions (property type, surface, location, diagnostic type), conversion doubled.
Regulation changes create demand spikes. Every new government announcement about DPE thresholds or rental bans sends a wave of traffic. Being ready with updated content and available diagnosticians during these spikes is critical.
What is Next
We are working on several improvements: a real-time availability calendar so homeowners can book specific time slots, automated report analysis that flags energy renovation priorities, and expanded coverage into overseas territories (DOM-TOM).
The French real estate diagnostic market is worth over €1.5 billion annually and still largely offline. There is plenty of room for digital platforms that make the process faster, cheaper, and more transparent.
If you are building in a regulated, fragmented market — real estate or otherwise — feel free to reach out. We have learned a lot about navigating French bureaucracy, certification requirements, and the particular challenge of digitizing services that people only need once every few years.
SRAT provides certified real estate diagnostics across France. Learn more at srat.fr.
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