The real estate market in 2024 has reshuffled the cards: a decrease in price pressure, longer selling times, and negotiating power shifting to buyers in many areas. Strategies that worked in a rising market, based on speed and bidding wars, no longer yield the same results. Adapting one’s market reading to the new financing conditions and regulatory constraints on energy performance has become a prerequisite.
Energy Performance Certificate and thermal sieves: the filter that redefines the value of a property
Energy performance is no longer a marketing argument. It is a liquidity criterion that conditions the selling price and transaction speed. Properties rated F or G on the energy performance diagnosis suffer a measurable depreciation, and their attractiveness in the rental market declines as rental bans become clearer.
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Since January 2025, properties rated G can no longer be subject to a new lease. F-rated properties will follow in 2028, and E-rated in 2034. For a rental investor, buying an energy-intensive property without budgeting for renovations amounts to acquiring an asset whose profitability will erode mechanically.
We observe that energy renovation now weighs as heavily as location in buyers’ decision-making. A well-located apartment rated F sells more slowly than a comparable property rated C or D, even in tight markets. The energy performance certificate filters financing applications: some banks already apply differentiated conditions based on the energy label.
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Finding real estate information on Buzzorama allows you to track these regulatory developments and their concrete impact on transactions.
Mortgage conditions: negotiating in a relaxed market
Interest rates have nearly quadrupled between 2022 and the end of 2023, causing a drop in transaction volume (approximately 950,000 sales in 2023, a decrease of 15% compared to the previous year according to Nexity data). This contraction has changed the balance of power.
In 2024, the gradual easing of rates has reopened acquisition windows. We recommend not focusing solely on the nominal rate. The ability to negotiate also extends to processing fees, borrower insurance (systematic delegation), and the conditions for flexibility in repayment terms.
Financing strategies to prioritize
- Early loan buyback should be integrated from the initial simulation. If rates continue to decline, a borrower who locked in their loan in 2023-2024 can renegotiate at a lower cost, provided that early repayment penalties remain capped.
- The zero-interest loan (PTZ), refocused on certain areas and types of properties, remains a lever for first-time buyers. Checking eligibility in advance avoids basing a financing plan on a false assumption.
- Delegating borrower insurance generates substantial savings over the total duration of the loan. This is an area that many applications neglect out of habit or bank pressure.
The relaxed market also offers a rarely exploited advantage: the possibility of conditioning the purchase offer on an extended reflection period or more protective suspensive clauses.
Rental investment: balancing gross yield and regulatory constraints
Rental investment in 2024 is no longer just a calculation of gross yield. Real profitability now includes the cost of energy compliance, applicable taxation based on the chosen regime, and the evolution of the local regulatory framework (rent control, rental permits).
Medium-sized cities and demand shift
The appeal of secondary metropolises and medium-sized cities is confirmed. Partial remote work, now firmly established in practices, fuels rental demand in areas where acquisition prices remain accessible. We note that cities with 50,000 to 150,000 inhabitants are capturing an increasing share of demand, driven by a significant price per square meter differential compared to large urban areas.
Buying in these markets requires a fine analysis of rental vacancy and local demographic dynamics. A high gross yield in a city experiencing demographic decline masks a vacancy risk that nullifies real performance.
Co-ownership and charges: an often underestimated angle
In co-ownership, the multi-year work plan (PPT), mandatory for co-ownerships over fifteen years old, modifies the investment calculation. The projected charges related to the energy renovation of common areas can represent a significant amount. Analyzing the PPT before buying in co-ownership has become as strategic as reading the co-ownership regulations.
Real estate sales in 2024: adjusting the price from the market launch
The market no longer forgives initial overvaluations. In a context where selling times are lengthening, a property listed above market price accumulates time online, which degrades its perception by potential buyers.
We recommend setting the selling price with a reduced negotiation margin, rather than listing a high price “to see.” Market data shows that properties sold at the right price in the first week negotiate less than those that remain online for several months.
- Have the energy performance diagnosis done before listing for sale and, if the rating is unfavorable, estimate the improvement works to provide concrete arguments to buyers.
- Taking care of the technical file (complete diagnostics, recent general assembly minutes, state of charges) reduces the time between the compromise and the authentic deed.
- Adapting the dissemination strategy: the exclusive mandate, often perceived as restrictive, statistically shortens selling times compared to the simple mandate in a relaxed market.
The real estate market of 2024 rewards preparation and precision. Whether the goal is buying, selling, or rental investment, mastering the regulatory framework and financing conditions weighs as heavily as the choice of location. Operators who integrate the energy dimension from the feasibility study gain an edge over those who continue to reason solely in terms of price per square meter.