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Here’s a comprehensive overview of real estate in France in 2025—covering smart digital tools, property prices, and taxes:
1. Search & Listing Tools
- Nestoria France is a popular real‑estate search engine in France that aggregates listings from multiple portals with filters by region, price, and type (Wikipedia).
- Habiteo, a Paris‑based proptech, offers immersive 3D tours and digital mockups of new builds using augmented reality, allowing buyers to visualize their future home before construction (SURFE).
2. Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Tours
- Apps like MagicPlan enable users (agents, homeowners) to scan rooms with smartphones to generate accurate 2D/3D floor plans instantly via AR (Wikipedia).
- Other AR platforms such as RealAR, AirMeasure, Curate by Sotheby’s, and Vera support virtual walkthroughs, floor plan overlays, furniture staging, and spatial measurements—all helpful in the French market as remote viewing becomes more common (plugxr.com).
3. Property & Asset Management Platforms
- Aareon, a leading European SaaS provider, offers digital property management systems used by many landlords and social housing operators in France (Wikipedia).
- Stonal, a French AI-powered proptech acquired and heavily backed by Aareon, provides data extraction, ESG reporting, CapEx planning, and building documentation management for large portfolios in France (Wikipedia).
Current Real Estate Prices (2025)
- The national average price is about €2,930–3,400/m² for existing residences, with moderate increases year-over-year (+0.5% in early 2025) (Investropa, Optimhome).
- In Paris, property prices hover between €9,300–9,500/m² for apartments, with houses even higher (Investropa, Optimhome, Tranio).
- Example regional prices per square metre:
- Lyon: ~€4,400 (apt.), ~€5,960 (house)
- Marseille: ~€3,524 (apt.), ~€4,556 (house)
- Bordeaux: ~€4,407/m²; Nice ~€5,030/m²
- Saint‑Jean‑Cap‑Ferrat: ~€13,900/m² (apt.) to €23,700/m² (house) (Tranio, homesgofast.com).
- Medium-sized cities saw notable growth in price in early 2025:
- Montauban (+6.2%), Metz (+3.4%), Caen (+3.2%), Orléans (+3.1%), Limoges (+2.8%) (Investropa, internationalinvestment.biz).
Tax & Fees Overview
A. Up‑front Transaction Costs
- For existing (old) properties, expect notary fees and transfer taxes (“droits de mutation”) around 5–6% of purchase price (total notaries fees 7–8%) (affidata.co.uk, HARLEY MILLER LAW FIRM (HMLF), Mondaq, Property Guides).
- For new builds, the transfer tax drops to around 0.715%, while standard VAT (TVA) at 20% applies, though reduced rates (5.5% or 10%) may apply in social housing or special zones (HARLEY MILLER LAW FIRM (HMLF), Mondaq, Property Guides).
B. Ongoing Annual Taxes
- Taxe Foncière: The annual property tax paid by the owner, based on rental value and set by local councils. Applies to all real estate, including second homes (Property Guides, blevinsfranks.com).
- Taxe d’Habitation: Abolished for primary residences from Jan 2023, but still applies to second homes. Local authorities may surcharge up to 60% its rate (Wikipedia).
C. Wealth & Capital Gains Taxes
- Wealth tax on real estate (IFI): Applicable when property assets exceed €1.3 million. Rates escalate from 0.5% up to 1.5% depending on total value. Owners’ main residence gets 30% deduction for IFI purposes (blevinsfranks.com, HARLEY MILLER LAW FIRM (HMLF), Wikipedia).
- Capital gains tax on resale:
- French/EU residents: 19% plus social charges (17.2%) = ~36.2%
- Non‑EU residents: higher effective rates (~33–36%) but social charges may be reduced. Exemptions available after long holding periods (full exemption after ~22–30 years) (Market Business News).
D. Additional Considerations
- Buyers should budget roughly +10% on top of purchase price to cover all buying costs, including taxes and notary fees (Property Guides).
- For second homes, especially holiday lets, local surcharges or occupancy taxes can add materially to recurring cost (ft.com).
Why It Matters
Digital PropTech tools like MagicPlan, RealAR, and platforms by Aareon/Stonal are transforming how properties are marketed, viewed, managed, and valued in France—especially in regions where buyers cannot visit physically or where regulatory energy audits and ESG compliance are increasingly important.
Property prices remain stable or growing modestly in early 2025, particularly in Paris and key urban centres, while peripheral or provincial markets may offer better value with decent growth prospects.
Tax structures around purchase, wealth, and ongoing ownership can cumulatively add 10%–15% to costs. Non‑residents should pay attention to specific rates and exemptions, including capital gains thresholds and wealth tax allowances.
In Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Smart Tools / PropTech | Nestoria, Habiteo, MagicPlan, RealAR, Aareon, Stonal |
| Price Range | €2,900–3,400/m² national average; Paris ~€9,400/m²; Provinces €1,500–5,000/m² |
| Transaction Taxes | 5–6% for old property; 0.715% + 20% VAT for new builds |
| Annual Taxes | Taxe foncière (owner); Taxe d’habitation (for second homes) |
| IFI & Capital Gains | IFI from €1.3M+; CGT ~36% w/social charges, taper relief available |
Planning to Buy?
- Use AR and proptech tools to virtually evaluate properties.
- Research regional pricing—Paris vs provincial cities differ widely.
- Factor in all taxes, especially if buying as a second home or investment.
- If non‑resident, get tailored legal and tax advice (especially for inheritance & IFI planning).
