INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE AGENCY
PARIS - FRANCE
A Brief History of the Agency
Over thirty five years ago, Philip Hawkes, a British Solicitor, and his wife Patricia, decided to share their unrivalled knowledge, firsthand experience and amazing network of contacts, with a select few who saw the good sense of owning a beautiful historic Château in France.
Philip Hawkes, the pioneer Anglo-Saxon agency in the French residential market, has been growing in reputation and stature ever since.
"This agency grew out of my fascination with the country houses of Europe and in particular my love of French Châteaux, their architectural flair and style and the deeply diverse influences involved in the construction of these remarkable edifices throughout the ages ; in the early 1970s, I could not bear to see these Châteaux being neglected, some falling down around our ears, and thought that perhaps by finding some new owners to introduce investment into this market, we might be able to help save some of them. And it seems, we have, many of them.
It has been very satisfactory!"
The Hawkes have owned a very beautiful moated château in Burgundy, which dates from before the 18th Century, since 1979. When they talk about French lifestyle and 'La Vie de Château', they know, first-hand, what they are talking about.
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Having established the agency as leaders in the field of the sale of historic properties and Châteaux throughout France, Philip Hawkes expanded the Paris Department to meet the growing demand from home and overseas buyers and investors as well as the cross business generated by the Châteaux clients.
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Over time, the Hawkes have sold hundreds of Châteaux and visited well over 10.000 properties during the course of their careers. In 2005, they sold the most expensive Château ever to come on the market, at €23 million, to a well-known French bank, exceeding that with a (second) sale of another château, in the Paris region. In 2020, they achieved two ‘firsts’ : one selling a Château for the third time; another selling a mid-19th century Château to a direct descendant of the original constructor (it left the family some 40 years ago and has just now been bought by the great great grandson!).
Properties on the Paris listing also achieved record levels. For example, in the early 21st century, an exquisite, fully furnished property on their books with idyllic views had an asking price of €uros 73 million, and one of the last, intact, private family mansions in Paris was on the market through Hawkes for €100 million, at the time unsurpassed, although the market has moved onwards and upwards since then ! Rest assured that is the top of the market, and the agency also has more modest listings, albeit always of the best quality, location and 'standing', as the French say.
The Philip Hawkes Agency often makes an appearance in the press, particularly in the UK, attracting an interesting cross-section of clients, both buyers and sellers.
Journalists are welcome to contact Philip Hawkes for further information on the current market conditions and on any particular property in their portfolio.
The Philip Hawkes Agency, Paris
+ 33 6 80 40 65 99 - + 33 1 42 68 11 11