By Vincent Trouche
Fnaim unveiled its 2021 real estate barometer on Thursday. It confirms the Covid effect with a sharp increase in prices on the coast and in medium-sized cities compared to metropolitan areas
In its 2021 barometer, the national real estate federation notes a catching-up effect of medium-sized towns and the coast on large metropolises.
1 – 2021 record year?
1,182,000. This is the number of sales in France estimated in 2021 by the main union of real estate professionals. A record figure after the slight decline in 2020, a year marked by the Covid, during which 1,024,000 homes (158,000 fewer) were sold. Overall, in 10 years, the number of sales has continued to increase despite some decline, 2021 being 50% higher than 2011.
2 – A confirmation of the Covid effect?
But beyond the investment, this barometer confirms above all that the Covid has indeed given buyers the desire for the great outdoors. A Covid effect described many times over for a year. Without speaking of urban exodus, the barometer confirms that the record number of sales is carried by medium-sized towns and seaside resorts. The desire for space is also confirmed in the choice of accommodation. As demand is reflected in supply, house prices have risen by 13% since the onset of the health crisis when that of apartments has increased “only” by 8.6%. Looking by year, we see a change in demand in favor of houses (+ 8.1% in 2021 against + 6.6% in 2020 and + 3.3% in 2019) compared to apartments (+ 5.6 % in 2021 against + 6.2% in 2020 and + 5% in 2019).
3 – Are prices still on the rise?
For the whole of France, Fnaim notes a price increase of 7% in one year. Here again, these are the medium-sized cities (+ 8.4% for the 100 largest cities after the 11 largest cities in France), ski resorts (+ 8.4%), rural municipalities (+ 7%) and seaside resorts (+ 12.2%) which pull the national average up. In particular the coastal municipalities, which together have experienced the greatest increase in prices over the past year, and even over 5 years (+ 36% against 24.4% for France). The effect is particularly obvious when we observe the eleven departments where prices have increased by more than 10%: all or almost all are on the Atlantic coast (all of Brittany, Calvados, Loire-Atlantique and Vendée, as well as than the Aquitaine coast except the Gironde). In this group, only Maine-et-Loire does not touch the water.
4 – Where are the big cities?
To say that the eleven largest cities in France are declining would be an exaggeration, but they are marking time, in particular Paris where prices are stagnant. This does not prevent the capital from remaining very much in the lead with an average price of 10,985 per m². Just behind are Lyon (5,461 euros per m², + 2.5%) and Bordeaux (4,938 euros per m², + 3.8%). The two cities each gain three places to settle on the podium. Behind the top three, La Rochelle is experiencing one of the largest price increases over one year with an increase of 14% (4,843 euros per m²). But the prize for the biggest increase goes to Brest, at the 30e place in the ranking, with + 18.4% in one year (2,213 euros per m²).