Antibes, more stable prices
Radia Amar - 25 June 2018
More discreet than Cannes though no less chic, Antibes is highly-prized by both an international clientele and the locally employed who appreciate its convenient location between Nice and Cannes, close to Sophia-Antipolis.
Elegant and cosmopolitan, Antibes is one of the flagship towns on the Côte d’Azur, situated between Nice and Cannes. A corner of paradise, Cap d’Antibes plays host to billionaires’ residences and palatial hotels such as Eden Roc. The liveliest part of town, Juan-les-Pins, is a magnet for night-owls in summer with its clubs, casino and fashion boutiques open until late into the night. Focusing on culture, tourism and sailing, Antibes is a seaside town with important museums, up-market restaurants, a harbour of international renown, and popular music events such as the legendary “Jazz à Juan” festival, which has welcomed the greatest names in jazz for the past four decades.
Based in Antibes since 1970, the Cabinet Morere specializes in sales and expertise in the agglomeration of Antibes, Juan-les-Pins and Golfe-Juan, as well as Biot, Vallauris and the entrance to Cannes. “While posting stabler prices, the market in Antibes has been something of a rollercoaster over the past year, swinging from very busy periods to quieter weeks,” says Daniel Dolmen, manager of this agency whose clientele is shared out between the locally employed, Parisian retirees and foreign buyers : Swedish, Norwegian, Swiss, Dutch, and a few Italians. “Locals are looking for permanent homes, ideally houses, with budgets ranging from 400,000 to 500,000 €. Unfortunately, the rare properties available in this price bracket often require substantial renovation. These clients thus set their sights on building plots, which are rare, and sell very quickly.” Daniel Dolmen’s portfolio of properties includes apartments in the town centre priced from 4,000 € per sq.m and high-class villas, such as one property on the hills of Golfe Juan offering elevated panoramic views, currently on offer at around 2 million euros.
Opened in 1990, JJC International was acquired in 2015 by three go-ahead partners : Patrick Kinsella, Suzanna Huins and Jean-Michel Bodone. Specializing in sales and rentals of high-end properties in Antibes, on Cap d’Antibes and in Juan-les-Pins, this agency mainly deals with an international clientele including many Scandinavians. “Most of the sales we handle involve holiday residences and rental investments in flagship areas consisting of the centre of Antibes, Cap d’Antibes and desirable addresses on the seafront,” says Jean-Michel Bodone. “Today, the market is healthy with prices that have stabilized. Demand is still greater than supply. This year, we have mainly sold apartments and villas worth around 1 million euros. We are, however, seeing a return on the part of French clients who had become rare over the past few years.”