Question: In a French property transaction, who pays the selling agency’s fee, the buyer or the seller, and is it negotiable? Standard practice in France is that the selling agency’s fees normally amount to around 5% of the purchase price of the property. The fees are agreed between the seller and the real estate agent […]

Real estate is in a class of its own when it comes to investment in alternative asset classes (i.e. not stocks, bonds or cash), a recent survey by Morgan Stanley reveals. Of U.S. high net worth (NHW) investors with $1million dollars or more in financial assets, 77% own real estate, while 35% own Real Estate […]

This grand top floor Haussmannian apartment is located in a quiet residential area of the 17th arrondissement, between the Place Pereire and the Place Catroux, in the vicinity of the Parc Monceau.

Property experts consider that now is a good time to buy prestige real estate in Paris. The prices of prime properties in the sought-after Parisian neighborhoods are not as high as those in London or Geneva – also coveted by prestige property buyers.

This typically Parisian sunny 2 bedroom apartment is located on a charming street in the “European quarter” of the 8th arrondissement, between the trendy Batignolles area and the Gare St. Lazare.  Nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood close to public transportation, shops and restaurants, the classic 19th century Haussmannian building is depicted in the famous Caillebotte painting […]

Recent research shows that investment in real estate is driving cities’ economic success rather than just being a consequence of it. Worldwide investment in commercial real estate over the past decade has totaled $4.6 trillion. Half of this has been concentrated in 30 cities.

This charming 1 bedroom apartment is located on a cobblestoned private pedestrian street off the Place de la Bastille. The quiet street and building are in a historically protected area free of typical Parisian street noise. This tranquil oasis from the bustling area surrounding it sits on the border between the Marais and Bastille areas. […]

I’m planning to sell my Paris apartment, which I bought in mid-2007. The deed of sale had a number of diagnostic reports attached. Which of these do I have to have redone, what paperwork do I need to supply and who pays for it all – me or the buyer?

We have reported regularly on the changing capital gains tax landscape in France. Read our latest update here. The capital gain is the difference between the price you pay for a property that is not your primary residence and the price you get when you sell it. However, there is a range of expenses, prescribed […]

Mortgage interest rates in France remain at their lowest for years at around 3%. French property experts consider that this helped to sustain the market for older properties (as opposed to new construction) in 2013.