Ibanista Omdömen 

We were super happy with the service we received from Ben and Natalie on our apartment search in Colmar, France. We had our initial meeting with Ben and laid out what we were looking for about 6 months before our move. Once we were ready to start the search we uploaded information to their portal and Natalie got in touch with us. We were given bi-weekly updates through e-mail on how the search was going. In the end, we did two virtual viewings and the second one was so perfect we signed the lease without ever seeing the apartment in person. Natalie and the team were instrumental in "selling" us to the landlord and we are grateful that they chose us. Once we chose the apartment the logistics of signing the lease and finalizing everything was easy even with the 9 hour time difference. IF you are planning to relocate to France we highly recommend Ibanista.

From the initial consultation through the much-needed guidance and advice and rental research, Ben, Alexandra, and Natalie were always there with answers and solutions. We found our perfect home in less than two weeks. We never could have done this on our own. Ben was such a perfect listener and was able to zero in on a match to our needs and desires with the perfect location.

There are many firms and personalities out there for the expat market. We researched and consulted with a couple. None could match the honest advice and effort of Ibanista. If you are headed to France, don't hesitate and hire Ibanista and their dream team.

My entire experience with the team at Ibanista has been flawless. I started by watching Ben's videos on YouTube where it is clear he has a deep understanding of the relocation process in France and what is necessary to be successful. After we met with Ben, he handed us over to his team and we immediately knew we had a dedicated group of high energy people working to find our apartment. After they located several properties for us, we chose the one we liked. They helped us navigate our video walkthrough, all of the negotiations and the contract and lease, payment, key pick up and then our live walkthrough. They even set up our utilities for us. No matter who we worked with we always felt we had the same level of care and quick correspondence. I'd give six stars if I could. The experience was just perfect.

Ben and the team were fantastic in finding us a suitable property. Ben certainly went above and beyond for us and got us exactly what we wanted. As such we have had a really positive start to our time in France, which is so important. We have no hesitation in fully recommending Ben and the team. If you are looking for a property, Ibanista provides a service that is throughly worth the money.

The staff at Ibanista are excellent at what they do, and such lovely people to work with.
They balance education about the French rental market and norms, a proactive approach to the housing search with plenty of communication at every step, language assistance, and ongoing support throughout the search all the way through lease signing.
With their guidance I moved into a newly renovated apartment in Paris - just 5 weeks after our first meeting.

Clear and helpful. Easy to contact and kept updated.

Moving to a new country and finding a home without seeing it in person is incredibly stressful, but the team at Ibanista made it feel like we simply had friends in Europe looking out for us. Ben, Alexandra, and Natalie were professional, kind, and incredibly reassuring throughout the entire process.

​Since our French is minimal, having their help with translation was invaluable. Natalie was always on top of every detail and so sweet to work with. We were particularly impressed by Ben’s honesty during our online tour; he actually encouraged us to wait when a place didn't feel like the right fit. He truly cared about us finding the right home, not just any home. We couldn’t be happier with the apartment we found!
​Merci beaucoup
Lelaine

We had the best experience using Ibanista for apartment search in Toulouse. What made it the best ? The people! Cannot say enough nice things about Ben, Alexandra and Natalie! Moving from the US to France, leaving your life behind and start a new one is pretty stressful, but at least the apartment search part of it was fun. Thank you again for everything! Highly recommend them to anyone need help finding a place in France!

Ben Small and his team are wonderful. I was anxious about the housing market in Angers, and in our meeting, I found Ben very reassuring. The team worked hard to find a good match for me. I moved into my apartment just two and a half weeks after we started our search. They were responsive all along the way, and continued to be responsive to follow-up questions even after the deal went through. The Ibanista team focuses on building relationships with landlords who are receptive to renting to foreigners, and they're good at building relationships with their clients, too. I am recommending them to all my friends looking for housing in France.

Ibanista is so much better than the international currency exchange dealers we have used previously. Communication was personal when dealing with a smaller company. The exchange rates achieved were better than I expected plus the speed the deal was completed once the funds were received was outstanding ,minutes for euro to english bank accounts and 10 hours for the euro NZ dollars to be received. At every stage my queries were answered. I recommend this company without hesitation and will use them again for all further foreign transactions. Thank you Ben Small

It was over a year ago, when our plan to move from the US to France became a serious project, that we began following Ben's webinars, videos and the excellent content on the Ibanista website. It was clear that Ben's experience and expertise would not only provide insightful information about every aspect of property rentals in France, but that he would also work with us to ensure our expectations were in line with reality.
After our move to a temporary home in France we decided to take advantage of a new Ibanista service called "France Rental Accelerator" to find our dream home. So far we've had two sessions and they have been invaluable... full of tools and tips we'd never have discovered on our own. There is homework too but instead of feeling overwhelming, it's relevant and designed to keep us on track without a huge investment of time.
Working with Ben is a pleasure and he makes it fun. He is passionate about his work, generous, honest and sincerely interested in helping us be successful.
In short, we are beyond pleased with Ben and the Ibanista team.

My wife and I availed ourselves of Ben and his team's service as we moved from the US to Vannes after retiring. The advice and counsel we received was invaluable, and made our transition infinitely easier. We would like to specifically mention Ben's team member Natalie, who was the one we worked most closely with. Natalie was a pleasure to work with. She and Ben were both very honest and transparent with their advice. They did not sugarcoat things and say only what we wanted to hear, they said what we needed to hear. Natalie was especially kind, helpful and charming. She was always very quick to respond to our sometimes off-the-wall questions and requests for translations. We would highly recommend Ben and his team for anyone looking to move to France. Thank you Ben and Natalie!

Planning a move to France comes with so many unknowns. As the date approaches, we wanted to make sure we were on the right track. Our Power Hour with Ben gave us a friendly confidence boost. He expertly walked through our plan and assumptions, providing feedback and pointing out other things to consider. We enjoyed our conversation and came away with a clearer picture of cities that fit our priorities, a realistic timeline for the rental search, and practical tips for presenting ourselves to guarantors and landlords. With this extra clarity, we feel better equipped to tackle the move, even the trickiest parts. Highly recommended.

I had two Power Hour calls with Ben regarding a long-term rental in France. I found him to be very knowledgeable, thoughtful, but most importantly, he was honest. Ben provided a nudge of confidence that I needed to complete the rental application process on my own with some of his guidance. He could have charged me additional relocation fees for service but instead, Ben told me I was prepared to find a rental on my own. I am moving into my new long-term rental in a few weeks and am grateful to have found Ben and his services. Don't hesitate to hire Ben and his team for any part of the relocation process!!!!

Ibanista’s Benjamin Small’s power hour has reinvigorated me! I’ve been on a year long journey to prepare a move from the United States to France. As you would expect there are many tasks both big and small required to make this happen and decision fatigue was setting in. Also since it’s now just months away from my actual move, my excitement was starting to be tinged with anxiety. But my call with Ben helped bring calm back. It focused me on what’s really important and reduced the noise I’d created in my head. He artfully guided me to zoom out, look at the big picture and to let it unfold naturally. It’s now time to let France grow and expand me. Confidence comes from knowing Ben’s location expertise can help me better position myself where I can best transition to my new life in France. I look forward to next steps.

I came to France on the Long-Stay Visitor Visa (VLS-TS), which afforded me and my son 3 months to secure a permanent lease. That sounds like a lot of time, but things move slower in Europe than they do in the US. You don’t just walk into the leasing office of an apartment complex and walkout 10 minutes later with the keys to a unit in your hand. The laws are different; and the way they do things—not just in France, but in every country in Europe; is different.

Even though I’m on a very tight budget, I knew I needed help finding, qualifying for, and securing accommodations. And even if I DIY’d the leasing process myself, I simply would not have gotten accommodations this nice for what I paid to get in; and for what I’m paying each month. The service literally pays for itself.

Ben and Natalie – I really can’t say enough nice things about them. Very nice people, very professional, very skilled, and very hard working. They speak English—their first language, and very good French—which is essential. They know every facet of French law, the real estate market, and are familiar with every region of the country.

Ben met with us and got the ball rolling. Then Natalie then took the ball and ran with it. And ran with it she did. I simply don’t think we could have secured accommodations—especially anything this nice, here in France within 3 months without their help.

Amazing service from the whole team at Ibanista with special thanks to Ollie who explained the process clearly and made the transfer of money back to the UK both simple and easy following the sale of our house in France. No hesitation in recommending them to everyone.

In the Spring of 2025 we decided to sell our holiday home in France. One of the potentially worrying issues was the currency exchange and transfer of funds to our English bank account.
Ibanista was recommended to us by our French agent. Once contacted the response from them was immediate. The process was clearly explained and contact was regularly maintained over the final days of the property sale. The money was safely in our English account in less than 24 hours.
Thank you Ollie and Ben for your invaluable support.

Renting in France is a challenge for newcomers for all sorts of reasons. Thanks to the wonderful, attentive, personal, and just flat-out effective help I had from Ibanista, I am now the tenant of a well-located, reasonably-priced, beautiful apartment with an absolutely delightful landlady! I could not possibly be happier with my experience--I recommend Ibanista enthusiastically!

Excellent service, patient and persistent in finding me the right place to meet my needs. Ben, Natalie and the whole team gave extraordinary professional advice and found me a great apartment in a great neighborhood in my budget. Highly recommend them to anyone looking to find the oh so difficult rental contract in France!!