The concept of « prestige real estate » has long dominated the high-end property market. Today, it is being joined — and sometimes replaced — by a more nuanced concept: the quality of life property. How do these two approaches differ, and how do you find the property that truly corresponds to you?
Prestige real estate: a definition to be revisited
Traditional prestige real estate is defined by criteria that are largely quantitative and visible: surface area, swimming pool, prestigious address, brand new kitchen, home automation system. It values the demonstrable over the experienced, the impressive over the comfortable.
Quality of life real estate: a different approach
Quality of life real estate starts from a different question: what do I truly need to live well? The answers vary from one person to another, but they often include: natural light, outdoor spaces, acoustic calm, proximity to nature, architectural quality that ages well, a neighbourhood and a territory that suit one’s lifestyle.
Character properties: at the intersection
Character properties occupy an interesting intermediate position: they often possess the aesthetic qualities of prestige real estate (beautiful architecture, quality materials, remarkable settings) while offering the quality of life criteria sought by more sensitive buyers (scale that remains human, relationship with nature, singularity of place).
Finding the right property
The challenge is not finding the most expensive or impressive property — it is finding the property that truly corresponds to one’s life project. This requires taking the time to clarify one’s criteria, visiting properties in very different registers, spending time in different territories, and listening to one’s physical and emotional responses to spaces encountered.