Séverine Jaulent is in charge of legal affairs, human resources and business development at Beaux Villages Immobilier.
SÉVERINE, TELL US ABOUT THE BEAUX VILLAGES GROUP ?
Beaux Villages Immobilier is the first choice of many French and international customers when looking for or purchasing property. With a total of 22 agencies across south-west France and 250 employees, the group works with a global clientele and offers top-of-the-range services. Voted Best Real Estate Agency in France for 7 years and Best in Europe for two years, every Beaux Village employee is proud to work within this group, and the many testimonials we receive from our customers encourage us to go further and better.
PARTNERING WITH SAVILLS, THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERT : WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS ?
The objectives of Savills and Beaux Villages are complementary: our shared ambition is to be “top of the class”, and together we can achieve our goals. Savills brings us a wealth of innovations, values we hold dear and a worldwide reputation. On a purely international marketing level, we work with Savills partners in France and elsewhere, to attract buyers who have fallen under the spell of our regions, and offer them the ideal property for their customers.
PORT-MARSEILLAN : FOR LOCAL, NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS ?
Résidence Port-Marseillan – project led by Miguel Espada of Propriétés & Co – has something for everyone, with its unique setting and exceptional quality. Here, investors looking for an exclusive lifestyle and services, while respecting local biodiversity, will find more than enough assets to compare, so unique is Port-Marseillan! Lovers of wine and water sports will find an atypical package to their liking.
THE BASSIN DE THAU AND THE COMMUNE OF MARSEILLAN: SEDUCTIVE AUTHENTICITY !
We’re in the heart of a protected natural environment, with an incomparable biodiversity that stems mainly from the quality of its water and the care provided by the surrounding communities. Bordered by vineyards, the Thau lagoon is a focal point of local identity, harmoniously turned between land and sea since the dawn of time, offering local residents a quality lifestyle, as well as a number of gourmet restaurants, some overlooking the basin, for a taste of the local oysters that are the pride of the area. Local tourism figures speak for themselves: in 2022, over 9 million overnight stays were recorded, an increase of +15.1% on the previous year. Foreign customers increased by +47.8%, while French customers remained very present, with +6.1% compared to 2021. The number of French (non-Hérault) and foreign day-trippers exceeded 11 million, representing an increase of 52% compared to 2021, to which 769,602 Hérault day-trippers were added.
The total number of visitors to the Thau Archipelago in 2022 is 13,331,888, up 47% on 2021 and 47.18% on 2019. This figure represents an additional annual population equivalent of 57,966 people (the population of Sète Agglo pole: 127,927 inhabitants – 2020 census (source Insee).
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES ABOUT THE PORT MARSEILLAN PROJECT ?
We are a real estate brand specializing in exceptional properties. Port-Marseillan fits naturally into this category, because of the services it offers and the rarity of its setting and offering.Respect for the environment is an important argument for our customers. Living in Carcassonne, Marseillan remains my favorite destination on the Mediterranean coast. The soul of the place won us over as soon as we arrived, and we convinced several friends without forcing ourselves.It’s much easier to sell a product you love and believe in !
WHICH AREAS AROUND THE BASSIN DE THAU ARE THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER IN TERMS OF LUXURY REAL ESTATE ?
The Bassin de Thau and its surrounding communities have witnessed a number of large-scale projects with bright prospects. Frontignan and Loupian, for example, both boast a remarkable historical heritage : ramparts, Renaissance facades, winegrowers’ houses, the Romanesque chapel of Saint-Hyppolyte, the Gothic church of Sainte-Cécile, the remains of the early Christian church and, of course, the unmissable Gallo-Roman villa.
With its 12 km of fine sandy beaches, and the Mont Saint-Clair site offering an exceptional panorama stretching from the Mediterranean to the Pyrenees, Sète is a sparkling city.Veined by numerous canals, the town has the air of a little Venice. Marseillan is the pearl of Thau, with an authentic harbor and an attractive Life Style.It’s not surprising that Marseillan has attracted such prestigious brands as Tarbouriech oysters and Noilly Prat Vermouth.
Nevertheless, as in any protected environment, obtaining planning permission on the outskirts of the Thau Basin remains very complicated, if not impossible at times. In other words, with the exception of what already exists, the basin remains protected and virtually inaccessible to new development.
This is why the Port Marseillan project, which will combine the luxury of a 5-star hotel and top-quality residences with a protected environment, already benefits from an image of high standing. It will, I think, be difficult to match this level in this region.
GROWTH PROSPECTS AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE REAL ESTATE MARKET AROUND THE ÉTANG DE THAU ?
Montpellier airport is just 40 minutes from the basin, as are other local airports, which offer numerous scheduled flights and contribute significantly to the development of tourism. Confidential brands are already investing here, and some of Marseillan’s offerings will stand out from the crowd, enhancing the local quality of life. Our customers’ demand for this destination is a reflex, even before we have been able to offer it to them, and they are right to do so, even if the coastal real estate on the Bassin de Thau is naturally limited. As real estate experts, we value location above all else: opportunities like this come along very rarely. We’re delighted to be able to pass them on to our customers.
IS IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SELL A NEW-BUILD PROPERTY EN VEFA THAN AN OLDER PROPERTY ?
Sales “en état futur d’achèvement” (in the future state of completion) have specific features that are little known to the general public. It’s essential for a real estate expert to master his or her offer to perfection, so as to be able to present it clearly to any customer in an effective and appropriate manner, since this offer comes with attractive advantages: numerous guarantees on the work, staggered payments, tax advantages, reduced notary fees, etc. These arguments appeal to a wide range of customers who are prepared to wait for the work to be completed (on average, this type of property takes 24 months to deliver).
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE “BRANDED RESIDENCE” CONCEPT, WHICH IS RELATIVELY NEW IN FRANCE ?
The branded residence concept is not all that new in France. What is new is the level of quality of Port-Marseillan’s partner brand, and the quality of its offers and services. We are real estate experts, advisors and intermediaries. Our philosophy is based on customer service. Our teams have been trained to provide this support and guarantee our customers. We also put this expertise at the service of quality projects such as Port Marseillan.