Real estate and investment counsel in France
We handle French real estate as an investment class: acquisitions of residential, commercial and hospitality assets, SCI and other holding structures, the 3-6-9 commercial lease, financing and security, and the tax that travels with property — transfer duties, VAT and the IFI wealth tax for non-residents. The notarial process is French; the explanation does not have to be.
When this practice applies
This practice applies from the first offer on a Paris apartment to the structuring of a portfolio: asset versus share deals, vehicle choice, financing terms and the leases that determine an asset's real yield.
It also serves owners over time — refinancing, restructuring of holdings, family transmission planning and disposals.
Our approach
- Define the acquisition: asset or shares, direct or through a vehicle, and why
- Structure: SCI or alternatives, transparency elections, financing and security package
- Diligence: title, planning, leases, environmental and the litigation map
- Execute: promesse, conditions, notarial completion and funds flow
- Hold and exit: leases, works, refinancing, transmission and disposal
Scenarios we handle
Acquisitions
Residential, offices, retail, logistics and hospitality — asset and share deals.
Structures
SCI and company holding, transparency elections, family and fund designs.
Leases
Commercial 3-6-9 negotiations, restructurings and disputes.
Financing
Mortgage and privilege packages, lease assignments, refinancing.
The team on this
Selected matters
- Acting for a Gulf family on the acquisition and SCI structuring of a prime Paris residential asset.
- Advising a foreign operator on the lease package for its first French flagship premises.
- Structuring the refinancing of a mixed commercial portfolio held by a non-resident group.
Fees
Acquisitions are quoted as fixed fees scaled to the transaction's actual complexity, alongside the notarial costs which are tariff-based and disclosed by the notaire. Structuring and lease work is fixed-fee per deliverable. Amounts are discussed at the first call.
FAQ
Should we hold French property through an SCI?
An SCI earns its keep when there are several holders, a transmission plan, or financing to organise — it makes shares, not bricks, the thing transferred, and it allows tailored governance. It is not a tax shelter: transparency rules, the IFI and registration duties still reach it, and for a single owner-occupier it can add cost without benefit. The honest analysis starts from who will own, fund and inherit the asset, then chooses the wrapper.
Which taxes apply when buying French real estate?
On acquisition: transfer duties on existing buildings, or VAT plus reduced duties on new builds, plus notarial fees under the regulated tariff. During holding: local property taxes, income tax on rents under one of two regimes, and the IFI wealth tax where the portfolio exceeds the statutory threshold — non-residents included, for their French assets. On exit: capital-gains tax with holding-period allowances and, for some non-resident structures, specific representation rules. Each figure carries a year; we always cite the current loi de finances.
Does the IFI wealth tax apply to non-residents?
Yes, on French-situs real estate: non-residents are within the IFI for property located in France, including indirect holdings through French or foreign companies to the extent of the real-estate fraction. Debt deductibility is framed by specific anti-abuse limits, and valuation is the taxpayer's responsibility. Whether the threshold is crossed — and what is deductible against it — is exactly the kind of question a short structured note answers before the purchase, not after.
General information, current as of 18 June 2026. Not legal advice. Subject to applicable law.