France property enquiries soar for february

France is becoming a more popular country for overseas buyers as the number of internet searches for real estate rises, according to a new report.

Germany is also increasingly popular, registering a 49.48% rise in searches, the latest monthly report from Rightmove Overseas shows. Top 10 climbers included several French regions.

The Midi-Pyrénées was up 6.87%, Alpes-Maritimes up 6.53%, the Loire Valley up 5.59% and the Pays de la Loire up 2.5%. In the country chart, top climbers were Ireland, up four places and Germany, up one place, with price making a big difference according to Robin Wilson, head of Overseas at Rightmove.

‘Bargain hunters are out in force, primarily focused on Spain and Ireland, both markets with well documented supply/demand problems and negative headlines. This interest helped properties in Ireland rise four places up to 11th, in our search chart, an all time record for the Emerald Isle,’ he said.

‘For vendors in these countries it’s not so good news as the headlines are driving expectations that prices haven’t bottomed out. Some advertisers we work with are reporting offers coming in 10% to 20% below asking prices that are already hugely reduced which puts vendors in a really tricky situation, take the money and run, or pull up the drawbridge and just ride it out,’ he explained.

Source: Property Wire