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You are a French expatriate, returning to Paris in the coming months or looking to invest from abroad, and you are hesitating between renting or buying? It’s a legitimate question, and the answer depends on your personal situation, but also on a few key current trends.
Here is a straightforward perspective, based on our on-the-ground experience with clients living in London, New York, Geneva, Hong Kong, and Dubai, to help you make the right choice.
Buy or rent in Paris in 2025? Discover the advantages and disadvantages of each option for expatriates and non-residents.
Renting may seem like the obvious short-term solution, especially if you are returning to France urgently or have no clear visibility on how long you’ll be staying.
It does indeed offer more flexibility (particularly when it comes to choosing neighborhoods or moving easily) and requires less upfront financial effort (no notary fees, no mortgage to arrange).
But it also has its limits:
- Rental applications are often complicated for expatriates (foreign income, no French tax return, etc.).
- High rents in desirable neighborhoods (often between €35 and €55/m²/month for furnished apartments within Paris).
- No wealth-building: you pay rent without building assets, which can quickly represent several tens of thousands of euros per year.
In 2025, conditions for buying in Paris remain generally favorable for non-residents who anticipate a return or family needs in the years to come.
Why?
- Prices have dropped by around 7–10% since 2021 in many districts.
- Interest rates have risen but seem to be stabilizing around 3.8–4.2%, still manageable within a long-term wealth strategy.
- You benefit from a healthier market, where quality properties are easier to negotiate.
- Finally, you avoid rental pressure (applications, guarantees, waiting times, rent increases).
A concrete example
An expatriate client based in Hong Kong contacted us in late 2024. He knew he would return to Paris in spring 2026 but wanted to anticipate buying his main residence. We found him a suitable property in a central neighborhood with strong long-term value, which we then rented out furnished for one year.
He was able to buy at a good price, prepare his return calmly, and optimize his trip to Paris in one go: property visit after negotiation, validation, meetings with architects and contractors. Thanks to our preparation, only one trip was necessary to visit, confirm, and organize everything.
This is a common situation among our expatriate clients: their child is coming to study in Paris and needs accommodation. Rather than paying high rental prices, buying a studio or a small one-bedroom apartment in a good neighborhood (Batignolles, Latin Quarter, South 9th, 7th, 15th) allows you to:
House your child in good conditions,
Avoid the fierce rental competition during the academic year,
Build capital that can later be resold or kept for future use (pied-à-terre, rental, secondary residence, etc.).
Yes, absolutely. Thanks to our organization, we assist several expatriate clients each year in buying remotely, but never blindly.
We provide them with:
- Detailed, commented video tours,
- Technical reports,
- Regular updates (WhatsApp, Zoom, etc.),
- Coordination with notary, banker, architects…
And most importantly: our clients always travel once negotiations are complete, to visit the property in person, confirm their choice, and attend the necessary meetings (second viewing, contractors, inspections, etc.).
This single trip is made possible thanks to the preparation we do in advance. You save time without losing control.
It all depends on your personal situation. Here are some common cases:
- If you are returning urgently to Paris without long-term clarity, renting remains the most flexible solution.
- If you anticipate a return within 1–2 years, buying now can be wise: you benefit from a smoother market, avoid rental stress, and can rent out the property temporarily in the meantime.
- If you need to house a student child, buying a small apartment in a strong-value neighborhood is often a smart and useful choice.
-If you are well-settled abroad with stable employment and savings capacity, buying allows you to secure part of your assets and prepare your return—or simply diversify your portfolio.
Buying property in Paris as an expatriate is not necessarily more complicated, provided you are well supported.
At Fairway Luxury Real Estate, we have designed our services to adapt to the constraints of French expatriates: flexible availability, 100% digital documentation, collaborative tools, a network of reliable partners… and one single point of contact from start to finish.
Looking for tailored support for your real estate project in Paris? Get in touch with us today.
1. Is it possible to buy property in Paris without being physically present?
Yes, as long as you are properly guided. The search, selection, negotiation, and coordination with banks and notaries can all be managed remotely. However, at Fairway, our clients always visit the property before signing. Everything is organized so that this trip is unique, centralized, and optimized.
2. Can expatriates obtain a mortgage in France?
Yes. Many banks finance expatriates, provided you present a solid file. A higher down payment (usually 20–40%), a French bank account, and translated documents are often required.
3. Should I wait until I return to France to buy?
Not necessarily. If you know your return timeline, buying in advance can allow you to secure good opportunities, avoid rental competition, and settle into a property you’ve truly chosen.
4. What if I’m uncertain about the length of my stay?
In that case, renting is better at first, while keeping an eye on the market. But if you have a long-term wealth strategy, investing in a well-located property can also make sense, even if you don’t move in right away.
5. Why go through an agency like Fairway?
Because our organization is designed for French expatriates. We are responsive, thorough, comfortable with remote tools, and capable of coordinating an entire project—even a complex one—without you having to manage everything from the other side of the world.
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