Huge prices, voyeurism, loaded stories… In Paris, stars' properties are struggling to sell

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A magnet for curious people, that’s undeniable. A magnet for buyers, nothing is less certain. Real estate having belonged to personalities undeniably eye-catching. The portfolio still needs to follow. Claude François' apartment, located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, has just been put up for sale. Will it meet the same fate as Johnny Hallyday's villa in Marnes-la-Coquette (Hauts-de-Seine)?

“The fans can’t afford it”

The youth idol's residence has been on the market for six years and is struggling to find a buyer. As pointed out The Parisian recently, the property was offered at 10.5 million euros, compared to 26 million euros in 2018. “The price is still too expensive,” notes Nicolas Hug, associate director of the real estate agency Philippe Menager & Nicolas Hug . According to him, this case is a textbook case. “It's typically someone who puts a high price on an apartment thinking that the name of its owner or its former owner will give it added value. But no,” thunders the man who was responsible for the sale of this property more than a year ago. And to continue: “The singer’s fans don’t have the means. We are at least 20 to 30% above the real price. »

Before the rocker's house, Alain Delon's apartment had been paralyzed on the market. The 780 m² triplex overlooking the Seine from Avenue du Président-Kennedy (16th) was offered at 46 million euros in 2012. Or 60,000 euros per square meter. A record. “This apartment remained on the market for quite a long time because the owner who bought it from Alain Delon wanted it at a very high price at the time,” says Nicolas Hug.

Conversely, certain cases require removing the property from the market. Like Gérard Depardieu's private mansion, rue du Cherche-Midi (6th), on sale sporadically for more than ten years. “It is for sale without being for sale,” the agent tries to summarize. The 75-year-old actor is accused of sexual assault by around twenty women and has been indicted for “rape” since December 2020. Gérard Depardieu “is a salesman but I think thathe lets the pressure drop a little because of his problems with the law. It no longer pushes agencies to take care of it,” explains Nicolas Hug.

Curiosity during and after the sale

The walls that have known celebrity intimacy can arouse a certain voyeurism. In Montmartre, don't Dalida's windows still see flocks of fans and tourists passing by every day? Rue de Verneuil, isn't the facade of Serge Gainsbourg's house still blackened with graffiti and poems today?

Also, many indiscreet people do not hesitate to put on an act to visit properties with illustrious pasts. Under cover, they pretend to be potential buyers. It’s up to real estate agents to unmask them. “Currently, Karl Lagerfeld's former office is attracting the curious,” notes Nicolas Hug, who is forced to go through the files for each visit request. Profession, business, company balance sheets… Everything is scrutinized to find out the assets of the person concerned. Real estate professionals are subject to the obligation of vigilance and reporting of suspicions to Tracfin. This intelligence service, placed under the authority of the Economic and Financial Ministries, is used in particular to combat money laundering.

A purchase for the future

The growing audience for the reality TV show L'Agence clearly demonstrates the popularity aroused by these bird's nests in the upper echelons. Dadju, François Berléand and even Tony Parker… Many personalities call on this family of real estate agents from Hauts-de-Seine to sell or buy properties. “The Agency brings the viewer into an unreal worldwho does not seem concerned by the political or economic issues that we perceive or undergo”, analyzes elsewhere Philosophy Magazine.

In the episodes, the apartments and luxurious houses follow one another before the eyes visitors looking for a cocoon which they can model in their own image. Regardless of the past, buyers are more focused on the future. As illustrated by the visit of Mr Brainwash in season 5 currently broadcast by TMC. The famous street artist discovered a 250 m² apartment, one of the rooms of which was used to print the Resistance newspapers, one of the 1st century walls demarcated the borders of the Lutetia enclosure and one of the staircases was designed by the architect of the Channel Tunnel. However, the busy history does not help the potential buyer to plan ahead. He only sees it as a simple “studio for painting”.

Drawing on his experience, Nicolas Hug also remembers visits to Yves Saint-Laurent's apartmentlocated rue de Babylone (7th). “We can’t say that we have had customers who are fans of Saint-Laurent. Besides, the person who bought it had no connection with fashion,” he recalls. Ultimately, the past doesn't matter as long as there is the budget, peace of mind and the project.

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