Pinpointing the Property Price Points

Progress is being made on the property scene with another Web site devoted to estimating French property prices. Seloger.com has just launched a database-driven site for doing just that at, updated weekly.

According to the The Telegraph, Seloger has gone a step further by taking their data from a variety of sources in order to be even more up-to-date than the figures published by the Chambre de Notaires. The Notaires draw their information from the registry of deeds, but we have always known their results were largely out-of-date.

Sadly, the new site is only in French for now, but shows the data for the entire nation, by region, city and town and then by specific attributes of the property. France is watching prices fall across the nation and interest rates are at their lowest since WWII. In addition, the euro is weakening against other currencies, so speculative buyers should be watching closely for big bargains in French real estate.

While UK buyers are concentrating on regions such as Poitou-Charentes, Brittany, Normandy, Languedoc-Roussillon, the Dordogne and generally the south-west of Fran
ce, American buyers are more centered on Paris, Provence and the Côte d’Azur. According to the Chambre de Notaires de Paris, sales are up slightly and prices have experienced a temporary increase that they expect should fade by the end of the year, thanks to the end of the special discount of 25% of capital gains tax.

Still, I warn you to take the figures with a ‘grain of salt’ — we see time and time again how the statistics can fool you. In addition to the figures being out-of-date (as it takes at least three months from the offer being made to closing), the selling price is often net of agency fees, furnishings and ‘cash under the table’ (which is illegal, but done) and use a median, rather than average of the quality of the properties in any one given area. As in any case, the comparable properties for sale on the market are the true indicators of price! And of course, it’s still based on ‘what the market will bear!’

See more in detail of the most recent report on the Ile de France by downloading the pdf report (in French).

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds

Editor, French Property Insider & The Adrian Leeds Group

Email: [email protected]

P.S. Make your dream of owning an apartment in Paris, on the Riviera or a home in the French countryside a reality! My team of rental professionals can assist you in finding the ideal property based on your specific preferences, budgets and needs. For details or to book our services, visit French Property Consultation or email [email protected].