Vabonne and Sophia Antipolis

Highly international, the clientele of buyers who usually comprise the Valbonne and Sophia Antipolis property market is now being joined by French city-dwellers wanting to benefit from these privileged addresses on the Côte d’Azur.

Nestling at the heart of a peaceful valley with luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation between Le Loup and La Siagne, the village of Valbonne was built in the shadow of an abbey founded in the late 12th century. Its historic centre offers the original feature of being laid out to a rectangular, chequerboard pattern, making the village extremely pleasant to visit. Strolling around its gently sloping narrow streets, discovering its pretty arts-and-crafts boutiques, enjoying its culinary specialities, tasting its famous wine, relaxing on the Renaissance square, sitting down for lunch on a sunny terrace or in the shade of its arcades, visiting the monastery in Romanesque-Gothic style… A short summary of the enticing art of living that reigns here. A striking contrast to the hi-tech atmosphere of Sophia Antipolis, its famous science and technology park, N°1 in western Europe.

Emmanuel Bertein is Sales Manager of the Blue Square group which has eight agencies in the South-East region of France, a group which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2020. “The market in Valbonne stands out from those of neighbouring localities due to its extensive international clientele, particularly Anglo-Saxon, mainly looking for villas with pools, near the village.” Neighbourhoods as close as possible to the centre of Valbonne are thus the most widely sought-after, together with all locations giving fast access to Mougins School and Sophia Antipolis, where many foreign executives are employed. For this type of property, prices start from 1 million euros. “Since the confinement, we have been contacted by numerous Parisian buyers wanting to invest in real estate which offers the double advantage of personal enjoyment and a sound long-term investment, especially in Valbonne where demand remains very strong. For buyers, it is a guarantee of acquiring a property whose value will appreciate and which can, if necessary, be resold very quickly. Our foreign clients are already back : they usually represent more than half of Blue Square’s buyers. We are now seeing a remarkable upturn in activity with figures matching the very good scores chalked up at the beginning of the year.”

For the past ten years, the Octantimmo agency has focused on sales and rentals under the direction of Marie-Jo Battesti, within a perimeter encompassing Biot, Antibes and Sophia Antipolis. “For both year-round and holiday homes, the most sought-after properties are villas, especially since the end of the lockdown, with buyers searching for detached homes with gardens and pools, ideally in peaceful settings such as the protected Parc de la Valmasque, near shops, schools and access to the motorway. Over the past few years, the market has repositioned itself around a clientele of French buyers : foreigners are still present, but to a lesser extent.” The core of demand consists of properties priced from 500,000 to 700,000 €, corresponding to a 3-bedroomed villa of 90 m2 with a garden of 150 to 300 m2 and a pool. The upper end of the market is comprised of properties worth up to 1.5 million euros, though overall, demand clearly outstrips supply. “Over the past three years, prices have remained stable except in the case of certain properties offering exclusive appointments, whose prices can really soar.” On the market for new properties in Sophia, studios and 1-bedroom apartments intended for students see steady demand from rental investors.

Founded in 2003 in Sophia Antipolis, Côte d’Azur Villas handles seasonal rentals, property management and sales. Florence Beglia has been the agency’s manageress since 2013. “Our portfolio of seasonal rentals currently consists of over 400 properties. Which notably gives us access to a unique clientele of buyers and sellers who have placed their trust in us, as landlords or tenants, for several years.” The most highly-prized properties are those combining a quiet location, flat grounds, orientation south/south-west, a view, and a natural leafy setting close to shops and basic amenities. Budgets mostly range from 800,000 to 1.5 million euros, and beyond for outstanding residences sought by the wealthiest foreign clients. “Since the coronavirus crisis, a new clientele, mostly Parisian, has been in contact with us, looking to acquire properties in our region and thus benefit from our proverbial “quality lifestyle”.”