What sacrifices and good resolutions regarding real estate will the French make in 2026?

The study highlights a paradox: the desire remains strong, but the feeling of inaccessibility is growing, while new investment models are gaining visibility. A key signal for 2026: real estate remains a priority, at the cost of very real trade-offs in household budgets.

A real estate dream that's crumbling?

In just four years, the proportion of French people who hope to one day invest in real estate has plummeted from 79% to 51%. At the same time, the feeling of inaccessibility has nearly doubled, from 19% to 37%. Another striking finding is the lack of desire to invest, which has also risen to 12%.

Have the French become more fatalistic or less idealistic in the face of the current economic situation?

Fewer people dream, but more active.

For those who actively continue to believe in real estate, taking action is at the heart of their concerns. In fact, 62% plan to make a real estate-related New Year's resolution in 2026, compared to only 57% in 2024.

These data reveal an interesting aspect: while the French are less dreamy this year, they are more action-oriented and seem to want to regain control over their wealth trajectory.

What are some good resolutions?

Just as in 2024, the priority is clear in 2026: saving at 64% and buying to live in at 57%.

Conversely, the willingness to invest in rental properties has decreased slightly, from 46% to 44%. Finally, interest in crowdfunding has increased by 3 points, rising to 25%.

A more limited effort to save money

The core of the market remains average savings, with 56% planning to put aside €100 to €300 per month. Smaller amounts under €100 are on the rise, reaching 23%. The only slight surprise is the increase in the number of French people able to save more than €500, rising to 3%.

The same sacrifices all the time

Just like in 2022, the biggest sacrifice remains… vacations: 68% are ready to cut back on this budget to invest in real estate. Everyday trade-offs remain significant, as one in two French people are cutting back on transportation (51%), gifts (49%), or leisure activities (46%).

And the psychological threshold for financial contribution is…

The amount of capital needed to invest in real estate seems to be settling around 20.000 to 50.000 euros for 47% of French people (44% in 2022).

High amounts are leveling off (€50.000 – €70.000: 25%, +€70.000: 7%) and the idea of ​​a purchase without a down payment remains marginal (2%).

In 2026, 57% of French people know that it is possible to invest in real estate even from €10 (compared to 32% in 2022)

In 4 years, the democratization of participatory investment is bearing fruit.

Indeed, the shift is clear, with a lack of knowledge falling from 68% to 43%. Most interestingly, however, is the explosion in the number of truly knowledgeable people, which literally doubles from 9% in 2022 to 18% in 2026, and the number of informed but still unsure people, which increases from 23% to 39%.

A map of France showing unchanging real estate dreams?

The ranking of regions where the French would most like to invest in real estate has changed very little in four years. Three regions remain at the top: Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée at 23%, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur at 25%, and Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, which takes the lead with 26%.

The striking fact is that Île-de-France falls to 11%, to the benefit of regions symbolizing a "better quality of life" such as Brittany (18%) or Nouvelle-Aquitaine (19%).

Investment demand follows both a logic of residential desire and of return.

A rosier 2026

While pessimism remains prevalent in 2026, with 37% viewing the real estate market negatively, it has declined significantly over the past two years (42% in 2024). Optimists are therefore increasingly numerous, rising from 23% to 28%. This new year will thus be less bleak, without, however, veering into euphoria, reflecting a real estate market that is slowly recovering.

* Methodology: This survey was conducted using three polls. One poll was carried out in December 2021 with 8.216 participants, another in December 2024 with 2.102 participants, and a third in January 2026 with 3.613 participants. Participants were distributed across France, aged 18 and over, and were representative of the French population. The national poll was conducted online using the BuzzPress France consumer panel (27.700 participants). Responses were then compiled and weighted according to pre-established quotas to ensure the representativeness of the sample and to obtain a representative sample of the target population.

All weightings are based on administrative data and data collected by INSEE.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.