After two years of waiting, the French real estate market is picking up. Sales volumes, which had hit their lowest point at the end of 2024, picked up steam in the spring of 2025, once again surpassing the 800,000 annual transaction mark. This improvement was driven by interest rates falling back to around 3%, by the stabilization of inflation, and by slightly corrected prices in several major cities, down to -13% in Nantes. The result: first-time buyers are returning, as are investors, and banks are gradually reopening the credit tap. However, the equation remains fragile. Prices appear to have bottomed out, but their recovery is expected to be moderate (between 1 and 3% by 2026 according to forecasts). The international environment and economic upheavals can always reshuffle the cards. For the moment, conditions have rarely appeared so favorable in five years: more affordable rates, more accessible properties and less fierce competition between buyers.
Buy quickly or wait longer?
The temptation is great to jump in before prices rise again. Advocates of immediate purchases cite an ideal "window of opportunity": property inventories have become substantial again, negotiating margins have returned, and financing conditions have stabilized. For first-time buyers, the situation is conducive to a strong comeback, while seasoned investors can target up-and-coming sectors or bet on properties in need of renovation. The eternal question of timing remains. Waiting could allow for a few additional drops, but the risk is seeing prices rise again when rates are unlikely to fall much further. The key, therefore, remains the balance between personal project, financial security, and borrowing capacity. One thing is clear: the French real estate market is no longer in freefall but in a phase of normalization. This is neither a bubble nor a collapse. Those who are ready, financially and psychologically, now have a rare opportunity to make their project a reality without the frenzy of past years. For others, waiting a few months won't necessarily be a bad move.
