For American expats, the takeaway is that you're not part of an established buyer community anymore. The infrastructure that helped Britons navigate French property law—English-speaking notaires, familiar mortgage processes, established expat networks—is still there, but it's less dominant. You'll need to work harder to find English-speaking professionals and may pay more for their services.
The other shift: properties that used to appeal mainly to British retirees—countryside estates, village houses—are now attracting younger European buyers looking for second homes or investment. Prices in popular areas have risen accordingly. If you're planning to buy in France, expect more competition and higher prices than five years ago.
Before Brexit, roughly 15 percent of foreign property sales in France went to British buyers. That figure has dropped to around 8 to 10 percent as of 2023-2024, according to French notary data. German and Belgian buyers have filled much of that gap, now representing 12 to 15 percent of foreign purchases combined. Dutch buyers, too, have increased their share. The shift is most visible in regions that were historically British strongholds: Dordogne, Provence, and the Côte d'Azur. In Dordogne alone, British purchases fell from roughly 30 percent of foreign sales in 2015 to under 15 percent by 2023.
Why did Brexit change the math so dramatically? Before January 2020, a British citizen could move to France and establish residency relatively easily under EU freedom of movement rules. You could rent or buy a home, open a bank account, and access healthcare without a visa or residency permit. Many Britons treated French property as a natural retirement destination or a second home they could occupy for months at a time without paperwork.
That ended on January 1, 2021. Now, British citizens need a visa or residency permit to stay in France for more than 90 days in any 180-day period. The most common route for retirees is the visitor visa, which allows 90 days but requires proof of income (typically €1,500 to €2,000 per month), health insurance, and accommodation. It's renewable, but it's not a path to permanent residency. For those wanting to stay longer, the long-stay visa requires sponsorship from a French employer or family member, or proof of self-sufficiency—a much higher bar than before.
The practical effect: a British retiree who once could buy a cottage in the Dordogne and spend six months a year there now faces visa complications. Many have chosen to sell rather than navigate the new rules. Those still buying tend to be younger, working remotely, or wealthy enough to hire professional help. The casual, semi-retired buyer who drove the British property boom has largely exited the market.
EU citizens, by contrast, still have freedom of movement. A German or Belgian can move to France, buy property, and establish residency without a visa. They can work remotely, start a business, or retire without the paperwork that now confronts British buyers. This regulatory advantage has made France more attractive to continental European buyers than it is to Britons.
Currency has amplified the effect. The pound has weakened against the euro over the past five years. In 2015, £1 bought roughly €1.40. By 2023, it bought closer to €1.15. For a British buyer with a £500,000 budget, that's a loss of purchasing power equivalent to roughly €125,000. A property that cost €700,000 in 2015 now represents a much larger portion of that budget. German and Dutch buyers, whose currencies have held steadier, haven't faced the same squeeze.
The result is a market that has become less accessible to British buyers and more competitive for everyone else. Prices in popular regions have risen 15 to 25 percent over the past five years, driven partly by increased demand from continental Europe and partly by the general post-pandemic appetite for rural property. A three-bedroom cottage in Dordogne that sold for €400,000 in 2018 might now list for €520,000 to €580,000.
For Americans, Canadians, Australians, and other non-EU buyers, the implications are different but real. You were never part of the dominant British buyer cohort, so you don't face a loss of market share. But you do face the same visa and residency barriers that now confront British buyers—in some cases, stricter ones. An American cannot simply move to France and buy property. You need a long-stay visa, which typically requires either a job offer from a French employer, family sponsorship, or proof of self-sufficiency (usually €1,500 to €2,000 per month). Some Americans use the visitor visa and buy property as a non-resident, but that complicates financing and tax obligations.
The English-speaking professional infrastructure that served British buyers is still present but thinner. English-speaking notaires exist in major cities and popular expat regions, but they're fewer than they were ten years ago. Many have retired or shifted focus to other services. Those who remain often charge 15 to 25 percent premiums over French-speaking notaires for the same work. Mortgage brokers who specialize in foreign buyers are still available, but they're concentrated in Paris, Lyon, and tourist regions. If you're buying in a smaller town, you may need to work through a French-speaking broker or hire a bilingual lawyer to manage the process.
The property types that have shifted most dramatically are rural homes and village properties. Ten years ago, these attracted primarily British retirees looking for a quiet base in the countryside. Now they attract younger European buyers—often couples in their 40s and 50s—who want a second home or a rental investment. This has pushed prices up and competition up with them. A restored farmhouse in Provence that might have sold for €450,000 in 2018 now lists for €650,000 or more. The buyer pool is simply larger and more diverse.
Popular regions have felt this shift most acutely. Dordogne, Provence, the Loire Valley, and parts of Brittany have all seen price increases and increased competition. Less-known regions—Auvergne, parts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, rural Occitanie—remain more affordable and less competitive, but they also have fewer English-speaking services and less established expat infrastructure.
If you're an American, Canadian, or other non-EU buyer planning to purchase in France, the current environment requires more homework and more patience than it did ten years ago. You need to secure your visa or residency status before or during the buying process. You need to budget for professional help—a bilingual lawyer, a mortgage broker, a tax advisor—because the process is more complex for non-residents. You need to expect higher prices and more competition in popular regions. And you need to accept that the informal British expat networks that once eased the way are no longer the dominant force in the market.
The silver lining: the market is now more diverse, which means more resources exist for different types of buyers. German and Dutch expat communities have grown, bringing their own professionals and networks. French notaries and brokers have become more accustomed to working with non-EU buyers. The process is more formal and more expensive than it was for Britons ten years ago, but it's also more transparent and better documented. If you do the work upfront, you can still buy property in France as an American or other non-EU expat. You just can't rely on the shortcuts that once existed.
