Mercure Forbes Global Properties
This French group which came into being in 1936 now relies on a team of 120 experts in luxury real estate, active all over France. Since entering into partnership with Forbes, it has benefited from global visibility. Its General Manager, Olivier de Chabot, takes a backward glance.
Mercure Forbes Global Properties has widened its expertise to cover large urban centres, tourist destinations such as the Basque country, Brittany and the Côte d’Azur, as well as winter sports resorts.
In 2020, despite the onset of the global pandemic, its turnover rose by 30 %. Over the past 18 months, the group has proudly laid claim to 22 recruitments and the launch of two new agencies, in Nantes and on the Right Bank of Paris. The market for châteaux is undergoing readjustment : prices are not soaring, but negotiations are nevertheless limited. Property markets in the big cities of Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse, Lyon and Montpellier give preference to generous surface areas with terraces and gardens.
At the right price, such properties sell within one month. Apartments with no outdoor areas are struggling. Houses on the Atlantic coast, in the Basque country, around the Bassin d’Arcachon, in Les Sables d’Olonne, La Baule and on the Gulf of Le Morbihan are drawing lots of interest, together with apartments in perfect condition, with views of the ocean. Bordeaux and its surrounding area is as appealing as ever, since the launch of the LGV. Paris is benefiting from the impact of Brexit with the arrival of bankers from the City of London. Finally, on the Côte d’Azur, foreign clients have been sorely missed on the market for prestigious seasonal rentals and acquisitions over and above 1.5 million euros.
Their return to the region is beginning to make itself felt. "In the modern world, supreme luxury is composed of spaciousness, views and peacefulness, together with a fondness for the past," says Olivier de Chabot. "Which explains why our experts will propose a superb villa priced at 15 million euros, on the hills of Menton, enjoying total peace and quiet in 3.95 acres of grounds, a ravishing family residence in Mougins, in immediate proximity to shops, with a garden, swimming pool and views of the sea, for less than 3 million euros, and a fully restored 17th-C. château, offered at 6.9 million euros."
Groupe Mercure - www.groupe-mercure.fr - cotedazur@groupe-mercure.fr
