Bassin d’Arcachon, a prestige property market

Famous for the sand dune of Le Pilat, its oysters and, of course, its beaches, the Bay of Arcachon offers a lifestyle of incomparable quality. 50 km from Bordeaux and 2 hrs 45 mins. from Paris by TGV, it has convinced many Parisians to treat themselves to semi-main residences here.

Bassin d’Arcachon, a prestige property market Famous for the sand dune of Le Pilat, its oysters and, of course, its beaches, the Bay of Arcachon offers a lifestyle of incomparable quality. 50 km from Bordeaux and 2 hrs 45 mins. from Paris by TGV, it has convinced many Parisians to treat themselves to semi-main residences here.

Founded by Héloïse Martin, a real-estate professional and an expert on the Bassin d'Arcachon for several years, the agency Les Belles Propriétés specializes in sales of prestigious residences, outstanding villas, properties to renovate and building plots, all around the Bay of Arcachon.

"One third of our clientele is comprised of ex-pats, buyers from Switzerland and Luxembourg, one-third of Parisians, and one-third of clients from Bordeaux, all in search of a new lifestyle project, a future main residence, a pied-à-terre for holidays, or a longterm investment."

Heloïse Martin - Les Belles Propriétés. (06 95 77 10 10)

Héloïse Martin's portfolio ranges from properties priced from 450,000-500,000 € as, for example, a renovated old villa of 63 m2 near shops and the beach of La Hume, to prestigious front-row residences in Le Pyla fetching several million euros.

"The market remains lively and prices are slightly but constantly rising." Most transactions are completed at the price posted, or very close as, due to the market's current situation, clients immediately take up position as soon as a property meets their requirements, especially in historically prized neighbourhoods : Le Pyla, Le Moulleau, Pereire and Cap Ferret.

Based for a decade on the Bassin d’Arcachon, the Barnes International group has three agencies in the area : in Le Pyla, Arcachon, and on Cap Ferret.

"85 % from Paris and large French and European cities, from England, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany, our clientele is especially fond of Le Pyla, due in particular to its motorway access placing the commune a 6-hour drive from Paris, or 2 hrs 45 mins. by TGV," says Jean Anselyn, Manager of the three agencies.

Jean Anselyn - Barnes Bassin d’Arcachon. (05 56 54 58 78)

Very buoyant, the market is characterized by a visible gap between supply and demand, naturally resulting in rising prices. "Most of the sales we have orchestrated since the start of the pandemic took place off-market. We propose a property directly to a client whose requirements we already know. Due to the current context, it is not rare that a buyer will accept the price while viewing a virtual tour, aware that he will risk "losing" the property if he waits to actually visit it." Appreciating the charm, climate, lifestyle and security of the most appealing neighbourhoods in the Bassin d’Arcachon, ie.

Le Pyla, Le Moulleau and Cap Ferret, a good number of Barnes clients decide to install their main family homes there while making weekly round-trips to and from Paris. So what about prices ?"With Barnes, residences in Le Pyla start from 2.5 million euros and can attain 10 million euros for a seafront villa," explains Jean Anselyn, mentioning by way of example the recent sale of a villa in need of renovation on the front row in Le Pyla. Enthroned in grounds of over 2,000 m²v, it just found a new owner at around 8 million euros.