Côte d'Azur.

The French Riviera is the oldest international real-estate market in Europe — it has been priced for foreign capital since the Belle Époque. Pricing reflects that: per-square-metre values on the Cap d'Antibes and Cap-Ferrat are among the highest in the world.

Inventory is heavily existing-stock and tightly controlled by a network of established agents. Off-plan in the prime sub-markets is rare; Onora's coverage focuses on the new-build segment in the broader Riviera — Mougins, Théoule-sur-Mer, the back-country of Saint-Tropez — where land is still being released.

The French legal framework around real-estate transactions is well-codified: a Notaire is mandatory, the compromis (preliminary contract) and the acte authentique (final deed) are both notarial, and the rights of the buyer are robustly protected. Translation: slow, expensive, but unambiguous.