PACA property market: house prices are cooling, but there is no general decline

28 May 2026

The official figures for the first quarter of 2026 present a more nuanced picture than the simple description of a “recovering market” might suggest.

Nationwide, prices of existing homes remained virtually stable. Compared with the first quarter of 2025, they increased by 0.1%. Apartment prices rose by an average of 0.6%, while house prices declined by 0.2%.

In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA), prices of existing homes fell by 0.4% compared with the fourth quarter of 2025. On an annual basis, however, they were still 0.7% higher.

The slowdown was more pronounced for houses specifically: prices declined by 1.3% compared with the previous quarter. Compared with the first quarter of 2025, they still recorded a modest increase of 0.3%. House prices were therefore broadly in line with their level one year earlier. These figures do not indicate a widespread or structural decline in prices.

They do, however, underline that sellers can no longer automatically rely on the peak prices recorded during the COVID-19 period. Realistic pricing and comparisons with recent transactions are therefore becoming increasingly important.

Source: INSEE and Notaires de France, Existing-home prices in the first quarter of 2026