At national level, an underlying trend is taking shape: the rise of the ultra-prime segment and the polarisation of the market. Rare, perfectly located and flawless properties continue to capture the bulk of demand, while secondary assets require adjustments. In this context, France confirms its place among the most sought-after property markets in the world. Between safe-haven value, wealth diversification and the choice of a renowned quality of life, French luxury real estate stands out more than ever as a strategic long-term asset.
Two markets logically stand out in the eyes of international clients: Paris and the French Riviera. In the capital, American buyers (and more recently Lebanese buyers) are making a big comeback against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty in their respective countries. With the Trump effect on one side and the war in Iran — and its consequences across the Near and Middle East — on the other, Paris stands more than ever as an absolute reference in the eyes of ultra-wealthy international clients.
"It is paradoxical that the French are the kings of French-bashing and tend to eye major European cities such as Milan or Madrid, while buyers from all over the world dream of investing in Paris, which they see as a holy grail. Through the Franco-French prism, we too often tend to focus on the cyclical, political and fiscal uncertainties that are, alas, a reality in France. International buyers and investors, on the contrary, see the French market as an absolute long-term benchmark. The American-Israeli intervention in Iran, and the consequences it has had on global geopolitics, have only reinforced this trend."
Richard Tzipine, Managing Director of BARNES
After the turbulence encountered in 2023 and 2024, prices in 2026 are broadly stable compared with 2025 for BARNES, in a market where the international context is acting as a driver, bringing a new wave of foreign clients with very high purchasing power to take a close interest in the French market, seen as a safe haven.