Do you need an estimate for your house or apartment? Or are you simply curious to know how much your neighbor bought his house for? Bercy has made its database freely available.
Since 2011, there has been a database called DVF or "demandes de valeurs foncières". It lists all property sales over the last 5 years, both in mainland France (except Alsace-Moselle) and in the French overseas departments and territories (except Mayotte). Both built (houses, etc.) and unbuilt (land, etc.) properties are included. These data are collected by notaries when they register their deeds, and by information supplied by the land registry. It can be accessed at https://app.dvf.etalab.gouv.fr/
It was the ESSOC law of August 10, 2018 that imposed the liberalization of the data in order to "contribute to the transparency of the land and real estate markets." As a result, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance has made this real estate database public, enabling private individuals to access it.
The site is easy to use. Simply select the département and commune, then click on the cadastral section of your choice to obtain detailed information for every property sold since 2014: price (excluding notary and agency fees), transaction date, surface area, number of rooms, plot size... This gives you access to the latest prices for sales in your area, for example. Please note: under no circumstances will you make an estimate of your property online! It just gives you an idea of the prices in your area.
A word of caution about privacy... Even if you don't have access to the seller's or buyer's name, you can still find out how much your neighbor paid for his house... enough to fuel the village gossip!
Stéphanie Swiklinski