The French real estate market is entering a phase of difficult reading. Transaction volumes are rising again after the low of 2024, prices are sending contradictory signals depending on the segments, and new digital tools are changing the very way properties are searched for. Measuring these discrepancies allows us to distinguish between a real recovery and a mere technical rebound.
Transaction volumes and prices: the gaps between old and new
The old market remains the main barometer of real estate news in France. After three years of contraction, the number of sales in the old market reached approximately 940,000 transactions in 2025, an increase of about 11% compared to the low point of 2024.
This rebound deserves to be put into perspective. The peak of 2021 stood at around 1.23 million sales. The market has therefore recovered a fraction of the ground lost, no more. The corresponding notaries of Tendance Immonot also note a divide by price range: properties above 300,000 euros are holding steady, while those below this threshold are experiencing downward pressure on values.
| Indicator | Low point 2024 | Estimation 2025 | Peak 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old transactions (in thousands) | ~850 | ~940 | ~1,230 |
| Price trend (properties > 300,000 €) | Stagnation | Stability | Marked increase |
| Price trend (properties < 300,000 €) | Decrease | Moderate decrease | Increase |
This table shows a two-speed recovery. The overall volume is increasing, but entry-level properties remain under pressure, which weighs on first-time buyers. To track these developments over the months, real estate news on ImmoGuru compiles data by segment and territory.
Electronic signatures and AI portals: what’s changing in the buying process
Beyond prices and rates, two structural changes are significantly altering the experience of a buyer or seller.
Dematerialized authentic acts
More than 90% of authentic acts are now signed electronically. This threshold, crossed as early as 2021, has become the norm in 2026 throughout the entire transaction process.
The practical consequences are direct:
- Parties no longer need to be physically present in the same office, which reduces delays related to schedules and travel
- An expatriate buyer or one residing in another region can sign remotely without a paper power of attorney, simplifying inter-regional transactions
- The storage and consultation of acts are done via the Central Electronic Minute Book, accessible to notaries across the territory
Real estate search via conversational agents
Since February 2026, the leboncoin portal has integrated its entire catalog of listings into ChatGPT. A user can describe their project in natural language (budget, location, area, constraints) and receive a selection of properties without going through the traditional filters of a listing site.
This change redistributes the visibility of listings. A poorly indexed property on a portal can now appear through a conversational query, provided that its metadata (area, energy performance, price) is correctly filled out. For sellers, the quality of the descriptive sheet becomes a dissemination lever as much as the choice of portal.
Regional real estate situation: Paris versus the rest of France
National averages mask very different local dynamics. The gap between Paris and regional metropolitan areas remains the main axis of understanding the current real estate situation.
In Paris, the question of real estate purchasing power dominates. Prices per square meter remain among the highest in Europe, and stricter borrowing conditions since 2022 have reduced the number of eligible households. In contrast, in several intermediate-sized urban areas, the recovery of volumes is more pronounced because price levels still allow access to credit without excessive down payments.
Another regional factor is emerging: the impact of climate episodes on demand. According to a recent survey, 34% of French people are considering or might consider moving if heatwaves intensify. This figure has not yet translated massively into transactions, but it is already directing searches towards areas less exposed to urban heat islands.
Trends in the luxury real estate market and atypical properties
The luxury segment and character properties follow their own logic. Houses with gardens, almost absent from dense urban centers, have concentrated sustained demand since the post-2020 period. This trend shows no signs of weakening in 2026.
In the luxury market, specialized players like Kretz Real Estate report a growth in value in the first half of 2026 (15% reported increase). This dynamism contrasts with the caution of the standard residential market and is explained by a buyer profile less dependent on bank credit.
Character properties (historic homes, vineyard properties, Provençal farmhouses) benefit from an international clientele whose decisions do not follow the same cycles as the domestic market. Volumes remain low in absolute numbers, but unit prices are pulling local indices upward in certain sought-after rural areas.
The recovery of the French real estate market in 2025-2026 can therefore be read through several lenses: moderate overall volume increase, segmented prices by value range, advanced digitalization of the transaction process, and regional disparities accentuated by climate and purchasing power. With approximately 940,000 transactions recorded, the market is still far from the 1.23 million sales of 2021.