The year 2025 will be remembered as a major turning point for the property market. After two years marked by wait-and-see caution, buyers regained confidence and relaunched their plans. The sector, supported by the stabilisation of interest rates and a context of contained prices, experienced a new dynamic, which translated into a clear rise in the number of transactions. In Haute-Savoie as elsewhere, buyers favoured quality, seeking properties suited to their lifestyle and their aspirations for their assets.
A second-hand market in clear recovery
Rise in the number of transactions
In 2025, the property market recorded a 16% rise in transactions in the second-hand market compared with the previous year. This rebound marked the end of a period of slowdown that had affected buyer confidence. Families, young working people and investors set their plans in motion again, generating sustained activity in most regions.
In Haute-Savoie, this trend translated into renewed interest in flats close to urban centres and houses offering open views, whether of the lakes or the Alpine massifs. Properties with a good location were particularly sought after, confirming the importance of location as a determining criterion.
Buyers regain confidence
After several months of stagnation linked to economic uncertainty and financing difficulties, buyers regained a certain serenity. Falling inflation and the stabilisation of interest rates played an essential role in this return of confidence.
Households, which had sometimes deferred their purchase plans, decided to take the plunge in 2025. For many, buying property remains a safe haven and a solid investment for their assets. The year was thus marked by renewed optimism, perceptible both in large cities and in attractive mountain areas.
Market stabilisation after two years of decline
The property market had experienced a marked slowdown in 2023 and 2024, with a fall in the number of transactions and reluctance on the part of banks to grant credit. The year 2025 allowed a return to balance, without however returning to the excesses of the period after the health crisis.
This stabilisation was beneficial: sellers adjusted their expectations, buyers regained bargaining power, and the market gained in fluidity. A new balance set in, characterised by faster and clearer exchanges between all parties.
The effect of rates and prices on purchasing decisions
Interest rates stabilised at around 4%
One of the determining factors of 2025 was the stabilisation of interest rates. After a sharp rise between 2022 and 2023, rates settled at around 4 %, offering buyers greater visibility. This stability allowed households to plan their purchases with greater peace of mind.
In Haute-Savoie, where the price level is often high, this stability was essential to unblock situations. Buyers were able to obtain financing on better terms, even if the level of deposit required remained substantial.
A slight rise in prices, but contained
Property prices recorded in 2025 a slight rise, but far from the surges observed in the past. This moderate increase helped to support the recovery without discouraging buyers.
In attractive areas such as Annecy, Chamonix or Évian, premium properties (lake view, mountain chalet, exceptional location) retained a high valuation. Elsewhere, the market was more reasonable, offering real opportunities to patient and well-advised buyers.
A more fluid and balanced market
Thanks to this combination of stabilised rates and contained prices, the market regained a form of balance. Selling times were reduced, negotiations were more targeted, and transactions gained in fluidity.
For agencies such as Althenor, specialising in high-end properties, this fluidity was an asset. It made it possible to support clients better, by offering them properties in line with their expectations and by relying on a local expertise fine and a personalised advice.
The new dynamics of property investment
Taxation that holds back buy-to-let investment
Despite the overall recovery, the buy-to-let investment market experienced a mixed year. Taxation, considered restrictive by many investors, limited certain projects. Measures regulating rents in certain cities, as well as the rise in costs linked to energy renovation, dampened the enthusiasm of some buyers.
However, in Haute-Savoie, the seasonal market linked to tourism continued to attract investors, particularly in ski resorts and areas close to the lakes. Rental yield prospects there remain attractive, especially for quality properties.
Buyers favour the main residence
Faced with tax uncertainties, many households chose to concentrate their efforts on buying their main residence. This trend strengthened demand for family houses, spacious flats and properties offering a pleasant living environment.
Outdoor spaces, open views and proximity to services were particularly sought after, confirming the shift in buyers' priorities.
Growing interest in quality properties
More than ever, 2025 showed that quality takes precedence over quantity. Buyers are no longer satisfied with a standard property: they are looking for a living environment that lives up to their expectations. In Haute-Savoie, this translates into a marked interest in traditional mountain chalets, villas with a view of Lake Annecy, or indeed upmarket flats in the town centre.
The structural changes in the market in 2025
Refocusing on major cities and attractive areas
The property market experienced a phenomenon of refocusing on regional cities and the most attractive areas. Buyers favoured sectors that are dynamic in terms of employment, services and quality of life.
In Haute-Savoie, this trend translated into strong demand around the Annecy basin and the Geneva region, areas with a strong power of attraction for working people and investors.
Renewed dynamism in medium-sized towns and Alpine areas
At the same time, certain medium-sized towns and Alpine areas regained unexpected dynamism. Remote working, now better integrated, allowed many working people to settle outside the major conurbations.
Towns such as Thonon-les-Bains, Sallanches or Cluses thus benefited from renewed interest, supported by an attractive value for money and a privileged natural environment.
Return of foreign buyers, particularly European
Another notable feature of 2025: the return of foreign buyers. After a period of withdrawal, Swiss, Belgian, British and German buyers reinvested in the market, attracted by the regained stability and by the quality of life offered in France, particularly in border and tourist areas.
Trends and outlook for 2026
Demand that should remain sustained
The signals observed in 2025 suggest that demand will remain strong in 2026. Buyers have regained confidence and property remains a safe haven in a still uncertain economic context.
Financing conditions still determining
What happens next will depend largely on the evolution of interest rates and conditions of access to credit. If stability is maintained, the market could prolong its positive dynamic.
Towards a more selective and quality-focused property market
Finally, the market should continue to specialise towards quality properties. Buyers are no longer simply looking for a roof, but for a genuine life project. For agencies such as Althenor, this means supporting each client with a personalised advice, taking into account the specific characteristics of the Alpine and lakeside market.
Conclusion
The year 2025 marked a return of confidence and a recovery in transactions on the property market. Stabilisation of rates, contained prices, refocusing on quality: all factors that enabled buyers to relaunch their projects.
In Haute-Savoie, this dynamic translated into strong demand for exceptional properties, whether mountain chalets, villas with lake views or high-end apartments. For 2026, the outlook remains positive, provided that economic and financial stability is maintained.
Althenor's bespoke support
To bring a property project to fruition, it is essential to rely on a trusted player. Althenor puts its local expertise at the service of its clients, with support from the search for the property through to the finalisation of the purchase.
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