After two difficult years, the French property market has quietly turned a corner. The recovery is measured rather than dramatic, and it comes with some genuine caveats. But for buyers considering a move to the Grand Sud-Ouest or Provence, the picture at mid-2026 is more encouraging than it has been since 2022.
Here is what the published data tells us.
Transaction volumes are recovering
The most reliable source of French market data is the Notaires de France, whose figures cover every recorded property sale in the country. Their reports take several months to compile, so the most recent complete data runs to the end of 2025.
The headline figure is clear: approximately 945,000 transactions were recorded in the twelve months to December 2025, up around 12% year on year, according to the Notaires de France. This follows two years of significant decline from the 2022 peak. It is a meaningful turnaround, and it is being felt across most regions.
Looking forward, FNAIM, the national federation of property professionals, anticipates continued recovery in 2026, projecting between 960,000 and 980,000 transactions over the full year. That said, FNAIM's analysis also notes that political uncertainty and the absence of a long-term housing strategy remain risks to the pace of recovery. One French banking group, BPCE, has published a more cautious view, forecasting a possible 5% dip in transaction volumes due to geopolitical pressures and rate movements; this reflects a genuine divergence of opinion among analysts rather than settled consensus.
Prices are stable, not surging
For buyers, this is perhaps the most useful thing to understand: prices have not rebounded sharply. The Notaires-INSEE index for second-hand properties recorded a year-on-year rise of 1.11% in the fourth quarter of 2025. House prices rose by around 0.8% nationally over the same period; flat prices rose by around 1.5%.
In rural areas and the regions where BVI operates, the picture is broadly one of stability rather than growth. Your Overseas Home, citing Notaires de France data from spring 2026, records the average price per square metre at around €1,844 in the Dordogne and €1,584 in Corrèze in the Limousin. These are not figures that suggest a heated market. For buyers, that is genuinely good news: the opportunity to buy at considered prices, without the pressure of fast-rising competition.
Prime properties are a different story. My French House's winter 2025 market report notes that well-preserved châteaux and manoirs in the Dordogne and Provence have seen price rises of 2 to 4%, driven by scarcity and sustained international demand. At the prestige end of the market, quality continues to hold its value.
Borrowing conditions have improved
A significant reason for the market recovery is the fall in mortgage rates from their 2024 peaks.
According to Capifrance's June 2026 market barometer, average mortgage rates in France currently range from around 3.02% for a ten-year term to 3.43% for a twenty-five year term for well-qualified borrowers. The best rates available sit lower still. This compares favourably to the highs above 4% seen in 2023 and 2024, and represents a meaningful improvement in purchasing power for buyers financing their acquisition.
For international buyers who do not require a French mortgage, the rate environment has a secondary effect: it brings more domestic buyers back into the market, which supports transaction volumes and price stability.
International demand for rural France remains strong
The appetite among British and American buyers for south-west France and Provence has not diminished. Kyero's 2025 data shows British buyers representing the single largest group of foreign buyers in France, particularly active in the Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, and adjoining areas. American buyer interest has also grown, with one regional agent quoted in Kyero's report noting that American clients had moved from fourth to second place among international buyers in south-west France.
A Place in the Sun's 2026 buyer index places France as the second most popular destination for British buyers searching overseas, with average declared budgets having risen 14% year on year to over £200,000. The report notes that rural France, and the south-west in particular, continues to offer exceptional value by European standards for character properties with land.
Energy ratings: a changing picture
The DPE, France's mandatory energy performance rating, has become an increasingly significant factor in property values and it is one that any buyer needs to understand.
The practical consequences are real. Since January 2025, G-rated properties have been banned from new or renewed rental agreements. F-rated properties will follow in 2028. Notaires de France data shows that A and B-rated properties now command a premium of around 17% over D-rated equivalents, while G-rated properties typically sell at a discount of up to 25%.
From January 2026, the DPE calculation method changed: the electricity conversion coefficient was lowered from 2.3 to 1.9, bringing France into line with European standards. The practical effect, according to Connexion France reporting on government estimates, is that around 850,000 properties previously rated F or G are expected to move into higher categories as a result.
For buyers looking at older stone properties in our regions, there is an important nuance. Maisons Paysannes de France has raised concerns that the DPE system was designed for post-war construction and can unfairly penalise traditional stone buildings, whose thick walls provide natural thermal inertia in ways the software does not fully capture. This is worth bearing in mind when assessing any period property with a lower rating. It does not remove the regulatory reality, but it does mean that DPE scores on old stone houses should be read alongside professional advice rather than taken at face value.
The MaPrimeRénov' government grant scheme remains available to support renovation, and was expanded in early 2025 with additional funding. Buyers intending to improve a property's energy rating may be able to access support, depending on their circumstances and the scale of works.
What this means in practice
The honest summary for anyone considering a purchase in our area is this.
The market has stabilised and is gently recovering. Transaction volumes are rising from a low base. Prices, outside prime property, are broadly flat: not a buyer's fire sale, but not a seller's market either. Borrowing conditions are the best they have been for two years. International demand for rural France is genuine and growing. And at the prestige end, well-presented, well-rated properties continue to sell well to a pool of motivated buyers.
The one area requiring care is energy performance, which has moved from a footnote to a central factor in both value and regulatory compliance. We factor this into every property briefing we prepare, and we are happy to talk it through in detail for any property you are considering.
If you have questions about the market in a specific area, or would like to discuss what the figures mean for a particular type of property, our team is here.
A word for vendors
The figures above paint a broadly positive picture, but they also contain a message for anyone hoping to sell in 2026.
Buyer numbers are rising, but today's buyers have more choice than at any point since 2022, and they know it. They are taking their time, comparing carefully, and making offers that reflect the market rather than the asking price.
Properties that are priced realistically and presented well are selling. Those that are not are sitting.
Rural asking prices in particular have been slow to adjust to the post-2022 reality, and the gap between vendor expectations and what the market will actually support remains one of the main reasons properties stall. An agent's pricing advice, based on comparable sales rather than optimism, is the single most effective tool a vendor has.
If you are hoping to complete a sale before the end of 2026, the window is open. But it rewards those who are prepared to price for the market as it is, not as it was.
Sources: Notaires de France / Connexion France (February 2026); INSEE Notaires-INSEE index Q4 2025; FNAIM 2026 market forecast; BPCE L'Observatoire 2026; Capifrance mortgage barometer June 2026; Your Overseas Home spring 2026 market spotlight; My French House winter 2025 market report; Kyero France market guide July 2025; A Place in the Sun 2026 buyer index; Connexion France DPE reporting (November 2025, June 2026); Maisons Paysannes de France.