Real estate: Who are these French people who can still buy in Paris?

Socioprofessional category, age group, purchased area, financing mode … Here is the robot portrait of real estate buyers in Paris, where the average price per square meter remains greater than 9,000 euros.

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Real estate crisis obliges, The price per square meter dropped 9.9% in Parisin the past two years, according to the network ofreal estate agencies Century 21 France. Nevertheless, to 9,480 euros In January according to the notaries of Greater Paris, the average price per square meter in the capital is not within the reach of all budgets. And, despite his dive of almost 10% between the end of 2022 and the end of 2024, he still posted a leap of 25% over the last ten years. Apart from the rich foreigners who buy a foot on the ground in the city of Light, who therefore today has the means to acquire accommodation in Paris?

Almost half (49.8%) of people who bought a property in the capital in 2024 are senior managers or liberal professionsaccording to Century 21 France. Next come the medium executives (35.9%), then, far behind, employees and workers (4.7%), traders and craftsmen (2.7%), as well as retirees (6.9%). “It is rare for retirees to buy in Paris. On the contrary, they sell their Parisian apartment to settle in the provinces ”explains Charles Marinakis, president of Century 21 France. In fact, people over the age of 60 represent only 15% of Parisian buyers, against proportions of 30.7% and 20.3% for 30/40s and 40/50s, respectively.

An apartment with an area of ​​less than 50 square meters

What do these senior executives and liberal professions buy quadras or quinquas? A main residencefor more than 60% of them. Rental investments represent barely more than a quarter of real estate purchases made in the capital in 2024, against a peak of 32.5% in 2021. The consequences of the management of rents since 2019, high prices and the progressive prohibition of rental of Thermal TOCKSwhich swarm in Paris. The main residence purchased is an apartment with an average area of ​​… 48.6 square meters. At more than 9,000 euros per square meter, “What is the least well sold in Paris are the great Haussmannian bourgeois apartments. A couple with a child, it must last in 53 square meters in the capital … ”underlines Charles Marinakis. Wondering “If there are many large families in Paris left”.

This small apartment of less than 50 square meters, the sup and liberal professions have spent on average 441,661 euros to become owners. An amount funded at 67.1% by a loan. Our SUP executives do not box in the same category as the Anglo-Saxons, among others, who pay for their end of life or the VII arrondissement, the most upscale districts of the capital.