The real estate regains its momentum

"After six dreadful months, between September 2008 and March 2009, where our sales have dropped over 50%, we experienced a tremor in the spring, and found a real momentum in recent weeks," welcomes Charles Marie Jottras, Group CEO Daniel Féau, whose turnover in 2009 exceeds 4.5% of that of 2008. Its agencies have Paris alone, made 150 sales of over 2.5 million euros. The Parisian lawyers identify themselves, 450 sales of over EUR 1 million, concluded in the third quarter of 2009, only 81 of which exceed 2 million.

The market has restarted first, because the sellers have their claims seriously revised downwards by at least 10% to 20%. Witness the sale in Paris for 12 million euros, the mansion of designer Kenzo, near the Bastille, which in early 2009 found the buyer - a television producer - at 25% less 9 million euros. New buyers interested in addition to high-end, beyond the 2.5 million euros, with prices dictated by wealthy foreigners.

The Russians, Britons and Americans are much less present than before, supplanted by oil wealth came from Kazakhstan and the Middle East, including Qatar, who have eyes only for the golden triangle of Paris, in the 8th arrondissement. Scandinavians, Belgians and Swiss are also buy a pied-à-terre in Paris, left bank instead. "I also note the return of many French who had to leave their job in finance in London or are just tired of living in Uccle, the suburb of Brussels," says Mr. Jottras.

"The cash is there," Eric Decailly summary, the Paris branch of Engel & Völkers, which has sold an apartment to renovate Haussmann, Place de l'Alma, to 2 million euros, after the seller has agreed a discount of 20%. "But in these circumstances, it must pay cash, without condition precedent to obtaining a loan, and through a company to avoid the withdrawal period of eight days imposed on property sales since the law Solidarity and Urban Renewal ( SRU) of December 2000, "says he.

Wealth is no longer the preserve of businessmen or industrialists hoary. Any young customers, enriched with LBO, stock options and other bonuses, are moving the market. Thus the Haussmann apartments with moldings, high ceilings and open view, is certainly still very popular, and prices that can reach 20 000 euro per square meter.

But these new rich also want modern homes, duplexes, lofts and townhouses, which are sorely lacking in the capital. They sometimes make use of decorators, who improvised their own merchants sell goods and apartments decorated and ready to live with beds made and topped dresser.

"The left bank, and its historic districts, attracts many foreigners and more successful than the right bank - 16th, 17th districts and Neuilly - more palatable to the traditional bourgeois French family, whose budget is, it not unlimited, "said Philippe Chevalier, agency Emile Garcin, who recently sold an apartment overlooking the Luxembourg Gardens at the price of 19 000 m2.

The record prices recorded by notaries in the third quarter of 2009 were affected by the 6th arrondissement apartments, a 214 m2 of seven rooms, located near the Invalides, which has been sold at 5.26 million euros, 24 600 euros per m2, and a duplex of 232 m2, near the Church of St. Thomas Aquinas, yielded 23 710 euros per m2, or 5.5 million. This remains below the 40 000 or 50 000 m2 of 2007 ...

Other goods very popular with foreigners, apartments with concierge services and can, as in a large hotel, tracking down a theater ticket at the last minute to book a restaurant or a launderer awake at night ... "Alas, this type of property is rare," laments Stéphane Imowicz, agency Ad Valorem.