Market study • Edition 2026

The residential property market in France

France has 38.6 million homes in 2026, but housing starts have only been recovering for a year and prices of existing homes are still falling.

Exclusive sources: 35 years of IndexPresse trade press, not available in open access. Every cited article can be read as a PDF.

4.5/5 from 827 reviews • More than 43,000 studies sold since 2009

The residential property market in France

€99 excl. VAT€104.45 incl. VAT

Key figures of the residential property market in France

Residential property covers the purchase, sale, construction and rental of houses and flats, both existing and new, by owner-occupiers, private investors and social landlords. The market studied excludes offices, shops and commercial property. It is read for France as a whole and by region, from Île-de-France to medium-sized towns.

Homes in France excluding Mayotte, up from 38.4 million a year earlier: 38.6 million; 1 January 2026 • Source: Insee (the French national statistics institute), housing stock estimates
Share of households owning their main residence: 57.3%; 2026 • Source: Insee, housing stock estimates
Homes started over twelve months, up 22% on a year earlier: 315,000; October 2025 to September 2026 • Source: SDES (the French statistical service for the environment and energy), Sitadel, via Insee
Homes authorised over twelve months, against 371,800 a year earlier: 378,200; October 2025 to September 2026 • Source: SDES, Sitadel, via Insee
Year-on-year change in the Notaires-Insee index of existing-home prices: −0.8%; Q2 2026 • Source: Calculated from Insee and notaires data
New homes reserved, against 25,333 a year earlier (−23.6%): 19,356; Q2 2026 • Source: Challenges, October 2026

The residential property market in France in 6 questions

Our analysts’ answers, taken from the study. The full analysis, the charts and the detailed sources are in the report.

How big is the residential property market in France?

According to Insee, France excluding Mayotte has 38.6 million homes at 1 January 2026, including 31.9 million main residences, 3.8 million second homes and 2.9 million vacant homes. The stock grew by about 237,000 homes in a year. Sales of existing homes fell from a peak of 1.2 million to under 900,000 a year after interest rates rose, according to Investir - Le Journal des finances (September 2026).

Are residential property prices falling in France?

Yes, slightly. The Notaires-Insee index of existing-home prices in France fell by about 0.8% between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026 (calculated from Insee data), and by 0.3% in Île-de-France. According to Investir (September 2026), selling times average 105 days and the negotiation margin is 5.2%. Charles Marinakis of Century 21 still expects prices to fall by 3 to 5% in 2027, according to Challenges (October 2026).

How many homes are built in France?

According to Sitadel statistics from the SDES (the French statistical service for the environment and energy), published by Insee, 315,000 homes were started in France excluding Mayotte from October 2025 to September 2026, against 258,600 a year earlier, a rise of about 22%. Authorisations reached 378,200 homes over the same period, against 371,800. Multi-unit and residence-type housing accounts for 238,500 of these authorisations, and Île-de-France for 63,100.

How is the new-build housing market doing in France?

New-build housing remains the most fragile segment of residential property in France. According to Challenges (October 2026), 19,356 new homes were reserved in Q2 2026, against 25,333 a year earlier, down 23.6%, at an average price of €5,034 per square metre according to the FPI (the French property developers’ federation). Sales to private investors fell to 9,469 in 2025 after the end of the Pinel tax scheme.

Who owns and who rents homes in France?

According to Insee, 57.3% of households own their main residence in France in 2026: 37.6% have no mortgage left to repay and 19.8% are still repaying one. Tenants make up 40.4% of households, of which 23.2% rent from a private landlord and 17.3% from a public landlord. According to Investir (September 2026), the shortage of homes to rent supports rents, which are up 1.1% nationally.

What rules govern buying a home in France?

Access to mortgage credit in France is governed by the HCSF (the French High Council for Financial Stability), which sets a maximum debt-to-income ratio of 35%, according to Challenges and L’Express (October 2026). The zero-rate loan (prêt à taux zéro, PTZ) can finance up to 50% of the price of a new flat and 30% of a house, according to Challenges. The private landlord status known as « Jeanbrun » is meant to revive rental investment after the end of the Pinel scheme.

Sources: Insee, annual housing stock estimates, 2026 • SDES, Sitadel, housing construction, October 2026 • Insee and notaires, existing-home price indices, September 2026 • Challenges, September and October 2026 • Investir - Le Journal des finances, September 2026 • L’Express, October 2026 • Le Moniteur des travaux publics et du bâtiment, September 2026 • Trade press (IndexPresse database)

Contents • The residential property market in France

Key figures • The residential property market in France

Free

Browse the study before you buy

The preview shows the real pages of the report: judge the writing, the figures and the sources for yourself.

The purpose of the study and its key figures
The complete table of contents
The layout of the charts and sources

Study contents

Browse the chapters to identify the analyses relevant to your project.

Understand customers and uses
Connect products, businesses and distribution channels
Compare market participants and their models

1. Housing in France: definition and stock
1. 1.1 Existing, new, home-buying and renting
2. 1.2 A stock of 38.6 million homes
3. 1.3 Main residences, second homes and vacant homes
4. 1.4 Houses and flats
2. Activity and prices
1. 2.1 Existing-home transactions since the 2021 peak
2. 2.2 Existing-home prices in France and by region
3. 2.3 Paris, Île-de-France and medium-sized towns
4. 2.4 Selling times and negotiation margins
3. Demand from households and investors
1. 3.1 Owners, buyers with a mortgage and tenants
2. 3.2 Property purchasing power and credit
3. 3.3 First-time buyers and home-buying aid
4. 3.4 Rental investment after the Pinel scheme
5. 3.5 Tension in the rental market
4. Supply and players
1. 4.1 Building permits and housing starts
2. 4.2 Developers and bulk sales to social landlords
3. 4.3 Detached-house builders
4. 4.4 Agency networks, notaires and online platforms
5. Regulation and financing
1. 5.1 HCSF rules on mortgage credit
2. 5.2 Zero-rate loan and bail réel solidaire (social leasehold)
3. 5.3 The « Jeanbrun » private landlord status
4. 5.4 Energy performance certificate and homes rated F or G
6. Housing outlook
1. 6.1 Interest rates and household affordability
2. 6.2 Construction recovery and housing needs
3. 6.3 Energy renovation of the existing stock
4. 6.4 Price and volume scenarios

Why a Businesscoot study

Three ways to answer the same question about a market, compared line by line.

General-purpose AI

A draft to verify

FiguresCited links, variable reliability

Professional pressOutside the public web

ScopeTo restate with every question

AnalysisGeneric, to cross-check

DeliverableText to format

Your timeFast, but to cross-check

CostFree or subscription

Traditional research firm

Thorough, but costly

FiguresOwn sources and estimates

Professional pressVaries by firm

ScopeDefined

AnalysisDense

Deliverable150 to 300 pages

Your timeLong to digest

CostAbout €1,000 to €3,000 excl. VAT

Businesscoot study

Complete and affordable

FiguresSource and period for every figure

Professional press500+ trade journals (IndexPresse)

ScopeFrench market, clearly bounded

AnalysisComplete

DeliverableStructured file with charts

Your timeReady to read

Cost€99 excl. VAT

They bought our studies

Reviews collected after purchase and published as written, in French.

studies sold since 2009: 43,000+
customers trust us: 21,000+
of market studies: 17 years
of IndexPresse press: 35 years

« Etude pertinente avec un rapport qualité prix absolument imbattable. Idéal pour dossier bancaire ou rachat de société. Je recommande. »

Mathieu Petit • Agence Felix

Le marché du karting

« Ces études de marché sont une très bonne synthèse pour tout professionnel qui souhaite gagner du temps. »
Paul Grasset
Le marché du linge de maison
« Etude claire, synthétique et bien structurée (agréable à lire et facile à en tirer la substance souhaitée). »
Sébastien Menand
Le marché du thé
« Étude de marché très précise et documentée, notamment sur les sous-segments de ce marché. »
Jean-Philippe Aboab • Pharmefficare
Le marché de la garde d’enfants

Read all customer reviews

How the study is built

In-house analysts, professional sources and figures checked against their original publication.

17 years of market studies
35 years of professional press
Sources you can open

01
Define
The market is defined before it is measured: products, channels, geographic area. Every figure covers that same scope.
02
Source
Public statistics, professional bodies and more than 500 paid trade journals from the IndexPresse database.
03
Cross-check
Every figure is matched with its original publication and dated. From the study, you can trace each one back to its source.
04
Update
When you order, one of our analysts updates the study with the latest published figures. You receive it within 48 hours.

Guilhem Cournut

Food, retail and consumer goods

Denis Monnoyeur

Industry, energy and construction

Marie-Annick Cournède

Health, beauty and personal services

Arthur Lefeuvre

Digital, media and telecommunications

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about the market, the study and your order.

How big is the residential property market in France?

According to Insee, France excluding Mayotte has 38.6 million homes at 1 January 2026, including 31.9 million main residences. Sales of existing homes have fallen below 900,000 a year, according to Investir, and 315,000 homes were started between October 2025 and September 2026.

What does the study contain and in what format?

A PDF report in French, 2026 edition, organised in six chapters: the market and its scope, activity and prices, demand from households and investors, supply and players, regulation and financing, and the housing outlook.

What sources does the study rely on?

Statistics from Insee and the SDES (the French statistical service for the environment and energy), the Notaires-Insee indices, data from the FPI (the French property developers’ federation), and trade press articles from the IndexPresse database. Every figure comes with its source and period.

Is the data up to date?

Yes. The study is updated before it is sent, within 48 hours at most: it includes the latest published data, and every figure comes with its source and period.

Who is this study for?

Estate agents and agency networks, developers and builders, landlords and investors, banks and brokers, as well as local authorities, consultants and students who need to understand the residential property market in France.

When and how will I receive the study?

By email, as a PDF, within 48 hours of payment. Our analysts use that time to add the latest available data before sending. You then find it in your My studies area.

How is it different from a Google search or an AI?

A Google search or a general-purpose AI returns isolated figures, often with no date or precise scope, and cannot reach the professional press, largely behind paywalls. The study starts from a defined market, crosses public statistics with more than 500 trade journals from the IndexPresse database and links every figure to its original source. You get an up-to-date file you can cite and present as it is, without spending time cross-checking.

Can I get an invoice, pay by bank transfer or ask for a quote?

An invoice with VAT is emailed after every payment, and you can enter your company VAT number. For a quote, a purchase order or a bank transfer, contact us.

What if the study does not match what is announced?

If the report does not match the contents shown on this page, we redo it or refund you, as our terms of sale provide. Before buying, you can browse the free preview and ask the team your questions.

I need several studies: is there a better price?

Yes: the pack of 5 studies costs €370 excl. VAT, that is €74 per study instead of €99. You pick your studies freely for 12 months.

This study

Updated for 2026

The residential property market in France

€99excl. VAT • €104.45 incl. French VAT

PDF, 35 figures and 46 pages, 2026 edition
Sent by email within 48 hours
Invoice with VAT
4.5/5 from 827 reviews

Several markets to study

Related studies

Explore complementary studies to broaden your analysis.

Explore related markets
Compare market dynamics
Refine your project

The residential property market in France

France has 38.6 million homes in 2026, but housing starts have only been recovering for a year and prices of existing homes are still falling.

Exclusive sources: 35 years of IndexPresse trade press, not available in open access. Every cited article can be read as a PDF.

4.5/5 from 827 reviews • More than 43,000 studies sold since 2009

Key figures of the residential property market in France

The residential property market in France

Key figures of the residential property market in France

The residential property market in France in 6 questions

Browse the study before you buy

Study contents