An evening like this doesn’t come together without extraordinary people, and we want to begin by saying thank you.
To our co-hosts Walter Dickerson & Nicole Pritchard, to Anna Kloots for bringing her warmth, wit, and hard-won wisdom to the room, and to Maître Pierre-Alain Conil for making the complex feel entirely approachable – we are truly grateful. And to every guest who joined us on June 3rd: thank you for bringing the energy, the curiosity, and the conversation that made the evening what it was.
A special thank you to the MR Agency team, whose care and attention made every detail feel effortless. The room was set with wine and gorgeous cheese platters crafted by our events team, and from the very first glass, it felt exactly the kind of evening Paris was made for.
On June 3rd, we hosted Making the French Dream a Reality – an invitation-only evening in Paris bringing together expats already living in France, future buyers exploring property in Paris, and professionals who work alongside them every day. The room was full of different backgrounds and different stories, united by one thing: a genuine, considered desire to build a life in France.
Anna Kloots- New York Times bestselling author, content creator, and one of Paris’s most beloved adopted residents – spoke with the candor and optimism her community knows well. For anyone thinking about relocating to France, one of her most practical pieces of advice was this: have your dossier ready before you begin your search. Whether you are looking to rent or buy property in Paris, the process moves quickly, and arriving prepared makes all the difference.
Putting together a strong dossier is also one of the first ways we support our clients. If you are considering a move to France and are not sure where to start, get in touch – we will walk you through exactly what you need.
Maître Pierre-Alain Conil, Associate Partner at Morel d’Arleaux Notaires and specialist in cross-border acquisitions, brought clarity to the questions that stop many foreign buyers before they even begin.
On taxes when buying property in France: One of the most common misconceptions among Americans is that purchasing property in France triggers significant tax exposure. For non-residents, it does not. The taxes linked to an acquisition are local property taxes, the IFI (Impôt sur la Fortune Immobilière), and inheritance taxes – and each comes with important nuances.
On the IFI – France’s real estate wealth tax: The IFI only applies when the value of French real estate exceeds €1.3 million. For most buyers, it remains lower than comparable property taxes in New York or California. On a €2 million property, for example, the annual IFI sits at approximately €7,400.
On inheritance law in France: France’s réserve héréditaire means children cannot be fully disinherited – but practical, legal solutions exist. Through a will structured under European succession regulation 650/2012, American buyers can elect for their home state law to govern their estate, allowing them to leave 100% to a surviving spouse. A family SCI (société civile immobilière) offers another route for passing property across generations with significantly reduced inheritance tax exposure.
On trusts: A question that comes up often – and Maître Conil was direct: in the vast majority of cases, a trust is not the right structure for property ownership in France. French tax regulation around trusts is strict, and since France has no probate process, the primary reason Americans create trusts at home simply does not apply here.
The conversation ended with a thoughtful Q&A that covered everything from French mortgage structures for non-residents and family ownership solutions to inheritance planning and the realities of relocating to France for the first time.
Whether you are thinking about buying property in Paris, planning a move to France, or simply trying to understand what is possible, we would love to hear from you. Our role is to make the process clear, considered, and entirely personal to you.
Contact us today for a free consultation.