Investing in French Real Estate from Singapore
Living in Singapore, buying in France almost always comes down to one of three projects: a pied-Ă -terre, a well-prepared return, or a straightforward investment. The real challenge is not the intent, it is finding the right property nearly 11,000 kilometres away, and anywhere in France, not just Paris.
That is exactly what we do.
In short:
- A pied-Ă -terre, a return from expatriation or a buy-to-let investment
- Euro-denominated wealth, to diversify away from the Singapore dollar
- A search run anywhere in France, in your home region as much as in Paris
- Viewings and video calls scheduled around the time difference
- A secure purchase, with signing possible by power of attorney
Singapore is home to one of the largest French communities in Asia, alongside a wider international community working in finance, commodities trading, tech and shipping, with high incomes and a real capacity to save. Building a property portfolio locally, however, is close to impossible: the Singapore market is one of the most expensive in the world and heavily taxed for foreign buyers. France then becomes the obvious choice for long-term wealth, and Homelike Home has supported expats buying property in France from a distance since 2003, from the search mandate through to signing.
Why buy in France when you live in Singapore
Your income is in Singapore dollars, a strong currency. Building wealth in euros diversifies your exposure and financially prepares a possible return. To that comes the emotional dimension, often the deciding one: keeping a tangible anchor in France, a home for your stays, for your children while they study, or for the day you move back. Depending on your project the method differs, but the standard stays the same.
Three projects, one standard
| Your project | What you are looking for | What Homelike Home does for you |
|---|---|---|
| A pied-Ă -terre | A base in Paris or in your home region, for your stays or your children | Targets the right neighbourhood, views and filters properties on your behalf |
| A return from expatriation | A home ready for your return, with no rush on arrival | Anticipates the search from Singapore and aligns the timeline with your return date |
| A buy-to-let investment | Yield and controlled taxation | Selects the strongest markets across France and optimises through the LMNP scheme |
The six to seven hour time difference and the distance make going it alone difficult: a well-priced property often sells within days, at a moment when it is midnight for you. This is precisely where support makes the difference.
France-Singapore taxation: what to anticipate
France and Singapore have signed a tax treaty preventing double taxation. French-source property income is taxed in France, and the Singapore territoriality principle means income that is not remitted to Singapore is generally not taxed locally. Three points deserve to be framed with a tax adviser before you buy.
First, social levies. As a resident of Singapore, outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, you pay French social levies at the full rate of 17.2% on your rental income, on top of income tax. The most effective lever to neutralise this charge remains furnished rental under the real accounting regime (LMNP): the accounting depreciation of the property, the works and the furniture brings the taxable base to zero in most cases, and with it both the income tax and the base on which social levies are calculated. Finally, above 1.3 million euros of net French property assets, the ImpÎt sur la Fortune ImmobiliÚre applies, even to non-residents: a threshold to watch if you buy more than once.
The Homelike Home difference: searching for you, anywhere in France
Most property finders cover a single city. That is our real difference for an expat based in Singapore: wherever you want to buy, we search for you. Our hunters work in more than fifteen cities, in Paris and Greater Paris, but also in Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Lille, Normandy, Brittany and the Basque Country. Whether you are targeting a pied-à -terre with our property finders in Paris or a return to the region you come from, you have a single point of contact for the whole of France. Discover our property finder agencies across France.
Unlike an estate agent, who is instructed by the seller, a property finder is the exclusive representative of the buyer. We act for your interests alone, which is decisive when you cannot judge a property for yourself. In practice, from Singapore, Homelike Home brings you:
- A tailored search mandate, built from your brief and your budget in euros
- Access to off-market properties, outside the usual listing channels
- Physical pre-visits carried out in your name, with full reports, photos and videos within 24 to 48 hours
- Calls and video meetings scheduled around the Singapore time zone
- A technical and legal analysis of every property: co-ownership, AGM minutes, survey reports, easements
- Price negotiation handled for you, on the basis of concrete market data
- Full coordination through to signing, which can be completed by power of attorney at the notary’s office
One last point that counts: our fees are payable only on success, on the day the final deed is signed. You commit no fees until you own your property. It is this standard, since 2003, that allows clients based in Singapore, Dubai, Geneva or New York to delegate their entire project with complete confidence. To frame both your return and your pied-à -terre, our view on why invest in French real estate usefully complements this page.
Financing and signing your purchase remotely
French banks specialising in non-resident lending know Asian expat files well. Plan for a personal contribution of 20 to 30% and thorough documentation: salary slips in Singapore dollars with a conversion, bank statements and proof of residence, sometimes translated. A broker specialising in expat clients speeds up the process and directs you toward the most responsive lenders for your profile. Signing can be handled by power of attorney at the notary’s office, with no long trip back.
This remote purchasing logic is the same as that of investors buying French property from Dubai, from Switzerland or from the United States.
Delegating your project to a property finder
Whether you are looking for a pied-à -terre, preparing your return or targeting an investment, buying in France from Singapore rests on controlled delegation and a search run wherever in France you want it. To frame your project, contact our property hunting team in France.
