There has been a significant increase in Americans buying property in Nice and the Cote d’Azur in the southeast of France, property experts have said, citing the election of President Trump as a major factor.
“There has been widespread panic for several months,” said Kirkor Ajderhanyan, president of the international property commission of FNAIM in Nice, to France Bleu’s ici Matin radio programme.
“Americans who did not vote for [Mr Trump] are buying in a panic,” he said, adding: “There is demand all along the Riviera and even inland, but people are increasingly looking in Nice.”
Olivier Roquin, at the Winter agency in the city, has noted that there are currently more American buyers than usual. He told France 3: “Half of our sales are to Americans. Since the second half of March, and even more so in the last week, things have been picking up.”
He said that the buyers tend to be aged 50+, have money, and typically pay cash. Properties sold at €400,000 to €800,000 are doing the best.
Some estate agencies have reported that 50% of the clients interested in their listings, and confirming purchases, are from the US, and are mainly wealthier customers.
Read also: Americans moving to France are increasingly choosing Nice
Read more: Trump win spikes interest in moving to France
Edward de Mallet Morgan, head of the private office for Knight Frank Estate Prestige, predicts that this trend will continue.
On the estate agent’s website, he said: “More and more American buyers are looking to secure iconic properties in the most exclusive locations on the French Riviera. Many of these estates, although prestigious, require significant renovation to meet modern luxury standards.
“However, these buyers are willing to take on the challenge if it means acquiring an exceptional property in an irreplaceable location…the opportunity to own a piece of Riviera history is one that investors do not want to miss, even if it involves renovation work.
“Our most motivated buyers for exceptional properties on the Riviera today are American. [They] are looking to acquire heritage properties, not only to enjoy them immediately, but also to pass them on to future generations,” he said.
‘Our ideal French city’
But Mr Trump is not the only incentive for Americans looking to move to France.
“Americans especially love the image of our President Macron, who is pro-European and defends European stability,” said Mr Ajderhanyan at FNAIM. “[But they also] like buildings with character, Belle Époque style, and appreciate being able to do everything on foot.”
Henri Zavadsky, president of the Nice-based collective ‘France États-Unis’ said that the spike in American purchases was not only due to Mr Trump. It is also “linked to the departure of Russians [due to the war in Ukraine]”, he said.
Similarly, Shae Clements, vice-president of the American Club of the Riviera, who moved to the area four years ago, said: “I don't think the main reason they come here is political. It's mainly for the beauty of the place and the quality of life.”
An Scott, an American who moved to Nice last year with her husband, a retired architect, did not cite Mr Trump as a reason for her move.
“We have found our ideal French city,” she said. “There's the sea, good hospitals, you can get around without a car... And we spend almost half as much as we did in Florida.” Family and friends come to visit the couple all year round, she added.
Similarly, Jacob, a doctor in his 40s from Nashville (Tennessee) moved to Nice with his family for a sabbatical year, after buying a flat near Place Masséna. The couple plans to move there permanently when their children are older, due to a variety of factors.
“The city is beautiful, the food is delicious, there's an international airport…” he said. There is also a strong expat community; every Friday evening the couple meet up for a picnic with around 50 other Americans living in the city.
Estate agency Sotheby’s International Realty has suggested that the spike in property sales and American relocation has been caused by factors including:
Americans' long-standing love of the French Riviera, including historical associations with author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, and later other figures including Ernest Hemingway, Grace Kelly, and Rita Hayworth
A “gentle way of life” that differs to that in most major US cities, including the culture, architecture, artistic heritage, close access to the sea and the city centre, and Provençal cuisine
Easy access to nature, including for hiking, visiting hilltop villages, nearby winter skiing mountains, and other activities including golf, tennis, sailing, paddleboarding, and cycling
Easy access to the international airport, which now offers flights to New York, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia and Montreal
A selection of international and bilingual schools
High-quality medical facilities
A cosmopolitan atmosphere, and high level of spoken English
Rise in tourism
It comes after tourism agencies have also been reporting a significant rise in US visitors to France, with this interest in France (particularly Paris and Nice) translating in many cases to Americans buying a second property in the country, or even relocating completely.
Amid increasing traffic at Nice airport overall, the airport noted a 40% increase in passenger numbers from the US in 2024. There are now more US-Nice flights in operation, and from May 23 this year, a new Nice-Washington route will open.
In 2019, there was only one daily flight between Nice to New York. In 2022, United added another, and in 2023, American Airlines added a daily route to Atlanta, and then to Philadelphia in 2024.
Read also: Nice airport records passenger boom as tourists flock to city
Similarly, tourist agency Côte d’Azur France Tourisme counted a 10% increase in 2024 from 2019 of US tourists in Nice’s hotels.
Americans now outstrip British, German, or Dutch tourists to the city, “and even Italians, for the first time ever in 2024”, said Claire Behar, director of Côte d'Azur France Tourisme, to Le Monde.
US tourists have been attracted largely by:
The strong dollar against the euro, and high disposable income compared to people in France
The history and art museums
The fresh food
The increase in flights between Nice and the US
More and improved hotel offers
The historical links between the Riviera and the United States
American tourists are particularly welcomed by some, including Nice mayor Christian Estrosi, who has said that the market is “essential to the Côte d'Azur's tourist economy”, particularly as Americans tend to spend €170 per day when visiting the city, compared to the average of €75 spent by French visitors.
‘Anti-American sentiment’?
However, the sentiment may not be entirely mutual across France.
Thierry Chevallier, president of the France-USA association based in Menton (near Nice), told France 3 that he has noticed a “growing sense of anti-Americanism”, largely spurred on by Mr Trump’s attitudes to Ukraine, Russia, and his ‘trade war’ tariffs.
Mr Chevallier even sent out a press release reiterating the two countries’ “shared values”.
He said: “Following certain anti-American statements in France, we have received over a hundred messages from French and American citizens fearing for the future of relations between our two nations [in the wake of Mr Trump’s election].”
It comes as tourism figures show that French tourists have been snubbing travel to the US this year (also considered largely due to the political situation), in favour of heading to Mexico and/or Canada instead.
Read also: People in France snubbing US travel, report travel agents
