The period from October to December is said to be the least auspicious for the real estate market, with potential buyers having their minds more on Christmas than onbuying a house with garden. The evolution of credit rate could lead them to reverse their priorities. While rates have stagnated since April, after having fallen by one point since their peak at more than 4% at the end of 2023, here they are started to decline again in several banksbased on the first scales that they sent to brokers for the month of November.
Sandrine Allonier, spokesperson for Vousfinancer, quotes Capital a decrease of 0.05 points in one mutual bank and a decrease of 0.10 points in another. This, over all credit periods. She also mentions rate cuts of between 0.07 and 0.20 points in a large bank, depending on the income brackets of borrowers, “in order to expand its customer base”. Rates “are announced to be lower in certain banks», Confirms Caroline Arnould, general director of Cafpi, in a press release published this Thursday, October 30.
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The floodgates of real estate credit are not closed at all
Banks that do not lower their rates in November leave them stable, like those of the European Central Bank, which observed a new status quo on its key rates this Thursday. “A mutual bank, which has already met its credit production objectives for 2025, raises its rates by 0.10 points but only for the best files. It remains very competitive for other profiles”specifies Sandrine Allonier. In total, the average rates for November stand at 3.15% over 15 years, 3.26% over 20 years, the most common duration, and at 3.34% over 25 years, according to Pretto.
“The French economy is going through a period of uncertainty but the banks are not turning off the credit tap”observes the broker. “The credit floodgates are not closed at all !”adds to Capital Caroline Pasquereau, director of marketing and communications at Empruntis, is also convinced that banks will continue in 2026 part of the loans at subsidized rates (lower than market rates) put in place this year.
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Banks conquering customers for 2026
It must be said that despite the political instability in France, the yield on the equivalent Treasury bond (OAT) at 10 years, one of the banks’ compasses for setting their mortgage rates, remains limited to 3.4%. Above all, “Credit applications submitted in November will be counted in the 2026 production of banks»explains Sandrine Allonier. However, they intend to start next year as well as in 2025, hence these rate cuts to attract customers. This is particularly the case for the big bank which lowers them by 0.07 to 0.20 points: “It is strongly gaining customers for 2026”illustrates Caroline Pasquereau.
