Barnes Biarritz : 9 years of real success
Founded in May 2010 by Philippe Thomine-Desmazures, Barnes Biarritz has climbed to the top of the prestige property market in less than a decade. Two more agencies opened their doors in Hossegor and Saint-Jean-de-Luz between 2017 and 2018, also managed by Philippe Thomine-Desmazures, enabling this renowned firm to cover a vast territory including the French Basque coast and that of Les Landes.
“When I created the Barnes Biarritz agency in 2010, we were two: now there are 14 of us in three agencies,” explains Philippe Thomine-Desmazures. “Even though the first years were complicated due to the economic and political context, we managed to weather the storm after three years and develop our activity in the region more efficiently. As from 2013, less rigorous tax regulations and new-found confidence on the part of sellers gave the market a boost : sales looked up and prices began to rise. The past two years have been particularly fruitful, with a considerable increase in sales volume and strong enthusiasm for the region among buyers. Last summer, we in fact opened two new agencies, one in Saint-de-Jean-Luz, the other in Hossegor. 80% of our sales involve holiday homes with average prices around 1.2 M € within a range from 600,000 to 5-6 M € for prestigious residences. Our portfolio contains large and small apartments, houses of character and large luxury properties. We recently sold a magnificent 1930’s property of 600 m2 in Biarritz offering views of the sea and mountains, set in a superb park of 7,700 m2 and priced at over 3 M €. The market is currently characterized by a diminishing number of properties for sale, which is causing buyers to head inland, 5 km from Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. This nearby countryside offers some fine opportunities. Naturally, they do not benefit from a “walk everywhere” lifestyle, but may offer very lovely locations and quiet surroundings. We recently sold a beautiful property in Arbonne with views of the mountains, comprised of three buildings around a patio in extensive grounds of 7,200 m2, at a price over 3 M €.”
Barnes Biarritz, 2 place Bellevue (05 59 51 00 00), Hossegor (05 58 71 77 14), Saint-Jean-de-Luz (05 59 51 00 08).
