New-York-based brokerage Douglas Elliman announced on 28 October its entry into France, Monaco and Saint-Barthélemy through an alliance with luxury-property veterans Philippe Curutchet and Fredrik Lilloe. The partnership will launch 14 offices along the French Riviera before expanding to Paris and the Alps, giving Elliman a direct footprint in Europe’s second-largest prime-property market.
For global-mobility teams, the move broadens executive-housing options at a time when Paris faces a shortfall of family-sized rentals ahead of the 2026 Winter Games and the full return of expatriate assignments delayed by COVID-19. Elliman says cross-border clients spent more than US $10.5 billion on properties above €5.5 million on the Côte d’Azur in 2024 alone—a 30 % share of transactions.
The firm will integrate relocation-management company (RMC) workflows directly into its client portal, promising assignment managers real-time availability of furnished villas and long-stay apartments. It also plans to offer visa-compliance concierge services in partnership with French immigration lawyers, streamlining the OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration) registration appointments required within 90 days of arrival.
By anchoring in France, Elliman joins a growing list of US brokerages—Compass and Keller Williams among them—seeking to monetise transatlantic assignment flows as American and Middle-East multinationals reopen Paris and Nice HQs. Employers can expect heightened competition for top-tier accommodation and may need to budget higher housing allowances or lock in leases six months in advance, mobility consultants warn.
Beyond housing, Elliman says it will leverage its partnership network to advise on school placement and tax optimisation, signalling a tilt toward end-to-end destination services traditionally dominated by European relocation firms.
For global-mobility teams, the move broadens executive-housing options at a time when Paris faces a shortfall of family-sized rentals ahead of the 2026 Winter Games and the full return of expatriate assignments delayed by COVID-19. Elliman says cross-border clients spent more than US $10.5 billion on properties above €5.5 million on the Côte d’Azur in 2024 alone—a 30 % share of transactions.
The firm will integrate relocation-management company (RMC) workflows directly into its client portal, promising assignment managers real-time availability of furnished villas and long-stay apartments. It also plans to offer visa-compliance concierge services in partnership with French immigration lawyers, streamlining the OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration) registration appointments required within 90 days of arrival.
By anchoring in France, Elliman joins a growing list of US brokerages—Compass and Keller Williams among them—seeking to monetise transatlantic assignment flows as American and Middle-East multinationals reopen Paris and Nice HQs. Employers can expect heightened competition for top-tier accommodation and may need to budget higher housing allowances or lock in leases six months in advance, mobility consultants warn.
Beyond housing, Elliman says it will leverage its partnership network to advise on school placement and tax optimisation, signalling a tilt toward end-to-end destination services traditionally dominated by European relocation firms.
