Your French Riviera buyer's agent, from Cap Ferrat to Saint-Tropez

A French Riviera buyer's agent searches for, negotiates and secures a prime property on behalf of the purchaser alone, with no fee or loyalty owed to the seller. Between Saint-Tropez and Menton, the Côte d'Azur holds some of the most expensive residential addresses in Europe, and a meaningful share of its best villas changes hands without ever appearing on a property portal. Acropolis Real Estate guides international buyers through that market, from the first brief to the handover of the keys.

Why hire a French Riviera buyer's agent

Three features of the Riviera's prime market make independent representation worthwhile.

• Scarce, fragmented supply. On the capes, large estates rarely come to market; Savills notes that some trade less than once a generation. The same villa may be offered by several agencies at different prices, or quietly by none.
• Wide price gaps. Within a single commune, values per square metre can vary fivefold depending on sea views, orientation, waterfront access, condition and remaining building rights.
• Demanding regulation. Coastal planning law, natural-risk zoning, permit history and rights of way can turn an exceptional villa into an expensive problem.

A French estate agent is usually instructed and paid by the vendor. A buyer's agent works the other side of the table: filtering, checking, comparing and negotiating for you. Our guide to buyer's agents vs luxury estate agencies explains the two models in detail.

Riviera micro-markets and prices per square metre

The ranges below are indicative prime-market figures, mainly from the Savills Spotlight Côte d'Azur 2024 report and, for Monaco, from the Principality's statistics office (IMSEE). Every property is priced on its own merits.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Still the benchmark. Savills puts the few village apartments at roughly €7,000/m² in need of renovation up to €20,000/m² turnkey, with waterfront estates sometimes exceeding €80,000/m². Engel & Völkers' 2026 waterfront ranking recorded asking prices of up to about €113,000/m², a ceiling for listed homes rather than an average. According to Savills, €15 million is unlikely to secure a sea view here.

Cap d'Antibes

One of the last protected green headlands on the coast, the Cap is largely made up of villas on generous plots, often inside gated estates. The highest values are found on the waterfront of the so-called Bay of Billionaires.

Cannes: La Californie and La Croix-des-Gardes

On the hill of La Californie, Belle Époque villas and panoramic apartments attract international buyers. To the west, La Croix-des-Gardes offers quieter, greener villas at generally lower levels: Côte d'Azur Sotheby's International Realty estimates the 2026 median, all property types combined, at around €5,800/m², with exceptional homes trading well above it.

Mougins

Mougins, Valbonne and Saint-Paul-de-Vence appeal to families settling year-round, not least for the international schools. Savills puts the Mougins average at around €10,000/m².

Saint-Tropez and Ramatuelle

Together with Gassin and La Croix-Valmer, this is the Riviera's most seasonal market. Supply is constrained by the protection of natural areas and strict planning rules.

Villefranche, Èze and the approaches to Monaco

The sheltered bay of Villefranche and Beaulieu draws a cosmopolitan clientele. At Èze-Bord-de-Mer, Savills cites homes on compact plots at about €15,000–20,000/m². Cap-d'Ail and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin suit those who work in Monaco, where IMSEE calculated an average of €57,569/m² in 2025.

Off-market villas on the French Riviera

An off-market villa is sold without public marketing: no listing, few photographs, sometimes no written mandate at first. Owners want discretion, wish to test a price, or simply refuse curiosity viewings.

Access runs through local agencies, which reserve confidential listings for qualified, represented buyers; through notaries, wealth managers and architects across the region; and occasionally through a direct approach to an owner whose home matches the brief. To be shown these properties, a buyer must be credible: a precise brief, verified funds and the ability to decide quickly. Preparing that profile and screening what comes back is the buyer's agent's job. Our guide to off-market villas on the French Riviera explains these channels further.

Seasonality: when to search and when to buy

• Spring: many homes are brought to market ahead of the summer and owners are on site.
• Summer: villas are occupied or let, so viewings are harder, but it is the moment to judge noise, traffic and neighbourhood life.
• Autumn and winter: fewer competing buyers and more available vendors. Savills notes that Saint-Tropez quietens down markedly from November to March.

To move in for a summer, it is wise to start searching the autumn before: allow around two to three months between the preliminary contract and completion.

Due diligence on the coast

Alongside the notary and, where needed, a lawyer and an architect, we check in particular:

• The Loi Littoral: within 100 metres of the shoreline, new construction is in principle prohibited outside built-up areas. A public coastal footpath easement may also cross certain properties.
• Planning permissions: every floor area, terrace or outbuilding should match an authorisation; otherwise resale, insurance and works become complicated.
• Swimming pools: a prior declaration or a building permit depending on size, and an approved safety device is mandatory.
• Risk zoning: the statutory risk report lists natural-hazard plans (wildfire, landslide, coastal flooding). Clearing vegetation around buildings is a legal obligation in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var.
• Horizontal co-ownership: many villas sit within gated estates run by a co-ownership or owners' association, whose rules can restrict works, subdivision and lettings.
• Technical condition: structure, roofing, private drainage, retaining walls on sloping plots.

Buying in France as a non-resident

France places no restrictions on foreign buyers. The process runs from offer to preliminary contract, with a 10-day cooling-off period for private buyers of a home, then to the notarial deed of sale. Acquisition costs on resale property are usually around 7–8% of the price.

Plan ahead for proof of source of funds, required by notaries and banks; financing from a private bank, often with a larger deposit; the ownership structure (a foreign entity may be liable to the annual 3% tax on the value of French property it holds, subject to exemptions); and the French real estate wealth tax (IFI), which applies to non-residents' French property above €1.3 million net. Please have your position confirmed by a tax lawyer. If residency is part of your plans, see our page on residency by investment in Europe.

How we work: a typical mission

1. Brief: intended use, target areas, overall budget and timing.
2. Market study: listed and confidential homes, reference prices by area.
3. Shortlist and accompanied viewings, with initial planning checks.
4. Negotiation of price and conditions.
5. Coordination with the notary, lawyer and bank through to completion.

Our fees start from 2% of the purchase price (VAT included), with a minimum fee quoted on request; see our article on property finder fees in France.

Acropolis Real Estate was founded by Nicolas Milonas, chairman of Acropolis Group since 1999 and a specialist in cross-border investment: learn more about our approach. We also act as a Paris luxury property finder. For a confidential first conversation, contact our team.