The Luberon : back to charm and nature

Offering magnificent landscapes, villages known worldwide for their charm and laidback lifestyle, renowned hotels, excellent restaurants and cultural centres, the peaceful Luberon embodies everyone’s dream of Provence.

In 2008, Michaël Zingraf extended his development beyond the Côte d’Azur to Provence where he acquired several estate agencies. He wants to keep part of the teams present on-site, including Claude Ségalin. “We have two agencies in the Luberon : in Gordes and Lourmarin,” says this expert with in-depth knowledge of the Luberon, its past, all its little nooks and crannies. Focusing on sales and seasonal rentals of prestigious properties, Michaël Zingraf Real Estate agencies, exclusive members of the Christie’s International Real Estate network for the Provence-Alps Côte d’Azur region, normally orchestrate numerous transactions for a foreign clientele in search of the perfect holiday home in Provence. “Before the coronavirus crisis, 65% of our clientele were foreigners : British, American, Belgian, Swiss, Scandinavian..., with, however, a prevalence of French buyers in Provence. Today, for obvious reasons, our clientele has consisted of French, Belgian and Swiss buyers over the past three months.” Whether in Gordes, Ménerbes, Joucas, Lacoste, Bonnieux, Goult, Lourmarin or Oppède, they are all looking for a house, ideally built of stone, enthroned in the midst of a luxuriant environment, offering splendid views, and located within easy reach of the centre of a village in order to treat themselves to a perfect Provençal lifestyle that includes morning strolls around a market followed by coffee on a café terrace. “Our property market is made up of three parts. Properties on offer from 400,000 to 1 M € are in high demand from our Parisian clients. They are now facing scarce availabilities due to demand outstripping supply. The second category consists of houses from 1 to 2.5 M €. In this segment, we are seeing a decline in foreign demand except for Belgians who, together with French buyers, are still active on this market offering stable prices. Finally, properties on offer from 2.5 M € - tastefully renovated stone “mas” offering high-spec appointments, vast grounds and annexes - are still highly prized.” Another strong trend this season : rising demand for seasonal rentals. “This summer, activity is proving to be very lively as many French clients have opted for the Luberon for their holidays. Though today, due to the post-Covid effect, there are fewer availabilities, with more owners deciding to take advantage of their homes.”

Giving precedence to quality rather than quantity, the Joys of Provence agencies set up by Joy Mason set their sights on an international clientele wanting to acquire second residences, often destined to become their main homes when they retire, or even straight away, given the global health crisis. Presenting offerings in Gordes, Goult, Ménerbes, Bonnieux, Saint-Saturnin, Roussillon, Apt etc., as well as in the Alpilles where Joy Mason has just inaugurated an agency in Eygalières, this independent structure on a human scale handles a clientele with a wide variety of budgets. “The current healthcare situation has led to a rise in demand. We can clearly see that many city-dwellers want to leave large towns and are finding ways of bringing their plans to fruition. The Luberon and Alpilles are still highly sought-after addresses, synonymous with a peaceful lifestyle. Real estate is also seen as a sound investment,” says Joy Mason. Buyers from Paris and Marseille are among the agency’s current clients. “The Luberon is popular among a clientele in search of quietness and authentic scenery. The Alpilles have a more up-market image, attracting those who want to preserve a more active social life.” In the Alpilles, budgets for a house start from 700,000-800,000 €. In the Luberon, they range from 300,000 to 600,000 €. “There are lots of buyers. The two markets are dominated by sellers. So far, prices have remained stable, though the prices posted are often actual sales prices.”

Specializing in sales, the Pierres et Tradition agency launched in Apt 20 years ago has two branches based in Céreste and Roussillon, enabling the agency to cover the entire Grand and Petit Luberon. “Our portfolio currently contains almost 300 properties for sale, and stands out for its wide diversity : the first properties are priced around 250,000 €, with certain outstanding residences fetching over 2 M €,” says Alice Sanchez who runs the agencies with her husband, François. A good number of French, Swiss, Belgian and German clients are currently acquiring properties in the area, so many that the number of sales completed exceeds that of new mandates : offerings are thus tending to shrink, especially for properties in the 250,000 to 400,000 € range. “At the moment, houses close to a village sell quickly, with no bargaining, and properties in need of renovation or a revamp have met with great success, to the extent that we now have very few on offer.” Over and above 400,000 €, properties of quality are now proposed by the agency, like a traditional 1-storey house of 210 m2 at the heart of the Luberon, close to basic amenities. Enjoying sweeping views of the countryside, this property offering a very large living-room with a fire­place is on offer at 475,000 €.