Do you have properties for sale?

No. We hold no listings and represent no sellers. Every search begins with your brief and covers the entire market, including properties that are never publicly advertised. Nothing we send you is shaped by what we need to sell.

Can you find properties that are not listed online?

Yes, and this is often where the most interesting properties are found. A significant share of quality assets in Marseille, Cassis, Aix-en-Provence, and broader Provence trade through private networks before they reach any platform. Some never reach a platform at all. Our relationships in this market give you access to those opportunities.

Do I need to visit France during the search?

No. We handle viewings on your behalf, film the property and its surroundings in detail, and present our findings so you can make decisions remotely. If you wish to attend viewings in person, we arrange and accompany them. Many of our clients complete the entire process without visiting until after the purchase is agreed.

What languages do you work in?

English and French, with equal depth in both. Every stage of the process, from the initial brief to negotiation to the transaction with the notaire, is handled bilingually. You are never dependent on navigating a French-language process alone.

How long does a typical lifestyle property search take?

It depends on the brief, the budget, and the area. A well-defined brief in a market where we have strong existing relationships can produce a shortlist within two to four weeks. Broader briefs or more specific requirements in less liquid markets take longer. We give you a realistic timeline at the start of the engagement, not an optimistic one.

What does the process cost?

An advisory and search fee applies as a percentage of the acquisition price, confirmed in the engagement letter before any commitment. A retainer of €3,500 is paid at mandate signature, of which €1,000 is withheld to cover search work performed and €2,500 is credited against your fee on completion. Both fees are charged on success only.

What happens if I need renovation work done after the purchase?

We can connect you with vetted architects and contractors from our network. For lifestyle purchases we coordinate introductions rather than managing the project commercially, unless you specifically require full project management as a separate service.

Can you help with the rental of the property when I am not using it?

Yes. We can connect you with rental management partners in the relevant area. Details will be confirmed on this page as those partnerships are formalised.

What are the ongoing costs of owning a property in France?

Taxe foncière (annual property tax), building insurance, co-ownership charges if the property is in a copropriété, utility contracts, and potentially rental management fees if applicable. We provide a full cost model for your specific property before you commit.

Is a French mortgage available to non-resident buyers?

Yes. French banks lend to non-residents, typically at 70 to 80% loan-to-value depending on your profile and nationality. We can refer you to a specialist mortgage broker who works with international buyers specifically.

Discreet · Full Market Access · Off-Market Included

Your Second Home
in the South of France,
Found For You

We find it · You choose · We handle the rest.

A coastal apartment in Marseille

Sea views, private terraces, the Calanques within reach. The 7th and 8th arrondissements. Addresses that are found, not stumbled upon.

A mas in Provence

Stone walls, lavender, land. Properties exchanged privately, rarely listed, rarely available. This is where we work hardest.

A home in Cassis or the Calanques

One of the most protected environments in France. A village that has resisted mass development. Rare stock, nothing like it on the Mediterranean.

A pied-à-terre in Aix-en-Provence

Plane trees, fountains, centuries of civic character. Twenty-five minutes from Marseille. The address of choice for buyers who know Provence.

What is the lifestyle property search

You are not looking for a return. You are looking for a home.

A mas in the Luberon. A villa above Cassis. An apartment in Marseille’s 7th with sea views from every room. A farmhouse in the Var with land and a view that has not changed in fifty years. Whatever it is, you know it when you see it. The problem is finding it, verifying it, and completing a purchase in a foreign market, in a foreign language, through agents whose interests are not aligned with yours.

The lifestyle property search is a fully managed property search service for international buyers who want the right home in the South of France and want someone independent on their side throughout the process. We search the entire market, including properties that are never advertised publicly, and we bring you only what genuinely fits your brief. Nothing shaped by what is easy to sell. Nothing filtered by agency relationships.

Who we work with

Not every buyer is a fit for the way we work, and that is intentional. The clients who choose us tend to share the same expectations.

Discerning, not browsing

You know what exceptional looks like. You have looked at what is available online and found it lacking. You want access to the part of the market that never reaches a platform.

Distant and time-poor

You are not based in France. You cannot visit every lead, attend every viewing, or manage a process conducted in French from abroad.

Quality over speed

You want the right property, not the fastest transaction. You understand that the best homes take time to find and that rushing leads to compromise.

Independence matters

You want someone on your side who holds no listings, represents no sellers, and has no incentive to push a specific property.

Honest, transparent partners

You expect clear answers on pricing, condition, risk, and what is genuinely worth your attention versus what is not. No sales theatre.

The full picture, not just the search

You want to know what happens after the purchase: renovation, design, rental, administration. Not a handshake at the notaire and then silence.

Where we search

The South of France is not one market. It is a collection of highly distinct micro-markets, each with its own character, its own pricing logic, and its own network of brokers, notaires, and private sellers. Knowing where to search is as important as knowing what to search for. These are the areas we know, the networks we hold, and the markets where our sourcing runs deepest.

Marseille Coastline (7e, 8e, 9e)

The most coveted residential addresses in Marseille. The 7th arrondissement offers sea views, proximity to the Calanques national park, and private beaches within walking distance of some properties. The 8th is classic residential Marseille: the Prado, the Carré d'Or, consistent demand from established local and international buyers. The 9th gives access to larger properties and direct park access. These are addresses that take years to understand and a network to access properly.

Cassis and the Calanques

Fourteen kilometres east of Marseille. A protected site of outstanding natural beauty. White limestone cliffs, turquoise water, one of the most distinctive natural environments in France. No high-rise development. No mass tourism. A small and carefully controlled market where exceptional properties change hands privately, between people who already know the area. Limited stock, strong long-term value, and a character that cannot be replicated elsewhere on the Mediterranean.

Aix-en-Provence

Thirty kilometres north of Marseille. Provençal fountains, plane tree-lined boulevards, a refined cultural life, and strong transport connections to Paris and the rest of France. A consistent favourite among European and international buyers seeking a primary or secondary residence with genuine architectural and civic character. The market here rewards buyers who understand what they are looking for and move when the right property appears.

Broader Provence

The Luberon, the Alpilles, the Var, the Vaucluse. Farmhouses, mas, and village properties with land. Properties that are sold once a generation and very rarely listed publicly. For buyers seeking privacy, space, and the unhurried pace of rural Provence. This is where our off-market network matters most.

We hold no listings and we represent no sellers

Every traditional French agency you speak to has a financial interest in selling you a specific property. Their fee comes from the seller. Their relationship is with the seller. The advice they give you is shaped, consciously or not, by what they need to sell.

We work differently. We hold no listings. We have no properties to sell. We have no seller relationships to protect. Our mandate is to find the right property for you, from the entire market, at the right price, with no conflict of interest at any stage of the process.

That means the shortlist we send you contains only properties that fit your brief. The negotiation we conduct is built entirely on your position and on market data. The advice we give you is the advice we would give ourselves.

It is a simple distinction. In practice it changes everything.

What does Advisors France manage
across your search

A fully managed search from brief to keys, with independent representation at every stage.

Lifestyle brief

We begin with a detailed conversation about how you intend to use the property, your preferred areas, your budget, your non-negotiables, and what you are willing to trade. The brief drives the search from day one.

Full-market search

Every listing across every agency, every private network, and our off-market relationships searched on your brief. You are accessing the full market, including the part that never reaches a platform. Nothing is sent to you until it fits the brief.

Curated shortlist with supporting data

A shortlist of verified properties, each with price per sqm benchmarks, comparable transactions, area notes, our honest assessment of the asset, and a clear view of what is priced correctly and what is not.

Viewings and due diligence

We attend on your behalf, film the property and its surroundings in detail, ask the difficult questions, and join a call with you directly so you can ask questions in real time. If you prefer to attend viewings in person, we arrange and accompany them.

Negotiation

We negotiate with no attachment to the property and no relationship with the seller. The offer is built on market data, comparable transactions, and your position. Not on the agent's timeline.

Transaction coordination

Every legal and administrative step coordinated through our licensed carte T expert and the notaire. You are represented at every stage. Nothing is lost in translation.

What happens after you have the keys

For buyers who are not based in France, what happens after the acte de vente is signed matters as much as the search itself. France has a full administrative layer of property ownership that continues long after the purchase is complete.

Renovation and works

If the property requires work, we coordinate architect and contractor introductions from our vetted network. We do not manage renovation as a standalone commercial service for lifestyle purchases, but we ensure you have the right people around the table from the start.

Interior design

We can connect you with trusted interior designers who understand the Provençal and Mediterranean aesthetic and have worked with international clients before.

Rental management

If you want the property to generate income when you are not using it, we can connect you with a rental management partner in the relevant area. Details to be confirmed when partnerships are formalised.

Property administration

Utility setup, insurance, service contracts, syndic liaison for copropriété properties, and ongoing maintenance coordination can be configured at a cost. The administrative layer of French property ownership, handled so you do not have to navigate it from abroad.

What does the fee structure look like

Full fee disclosure is provided in the engagement letter before any commitment is made. If renovation is required after purchase, project management is available as a separate service.

Advisory and search fee

A percentage of the acquisition price. Confirmed in the engagement letter before any commitment is made. Payable at acte de vente only.

Negotiation bonus

10% of the saving below the FAI asking price is credited against your fee.
You retain 90% of the saving in full.

Retainer

€3,500 paid at mandate signature.
€1,000 is withheld to cover search work performed regardless of outcome.
€2,500 is credited against your fee on completion.

Is lifestyle property the right fit for you

GOOD FIT FOR	NOT THE RIGHT FIT FOR
You are looking for a second home, lifestyle property, or primary residence in the South of France and want independent representation throughout the purchase.	You want to manage the search yourself and only need occasional advice.
You value discretion, quality, and a curated approach over speed and volume.	You are looking for a selling agent or a developer representative.
You want access to the full market, including properties that never appear on listing platforms.	You need a guaranteed timeline. The right property takes the time it takes.
You want a bilingual team that can navigate the French legal and administrative process on your behalf.	You are purchasing solely for investment return. Investment property is the better fit.
You are not looking for the cheapest solution. You are looking for the right one.

Questions buyers ask about buying a lifestyle property in the South of France

Ready to start your search in the South of France?

Book a private consultation. We will discuss your brief, your areas of interest, and how the search works.

Your Second Home in the South of France, Found For You