This guide is a starting point: the map of the Geneva market and its rules, with, at every step, a link to the article or tool that goes into depth. Whether you are selling, buying, or simply trying to understand, everything begins here.
A unique market — and why
Geneva combines an exhausted supply of land, tightly regulated construction and permanent international demand: supply cannot keep up, and prices bear the consequences. This imbalance is structural, not cyclical — our analysis of the Geneva market breaks down the mechanics: two banks with distinct logics, prices that can only be read commune by commune, and cycles that affect intensity, never the underlying trend.
Prices: where to look — and where not to look
Cantonal averages describe no one in particular, and listing prices are not signed prices. The only reliable references are registered transactions: our transactions map shows them commune by commune, the “how much did your neighbour sell for” tool gives them at street level, and the pages for our Left Bank communes comment on them one by one. To move from a surface area to a price, the full method — weighted m² for an apartment, SIA m³ plus land for a house — is in the price calculation guide; for the top end of the market, our analysis of the luxury segment breaks down the published figures.
Neighbourhoods and communes: the geography of aspiration
The Left Bank concentrates the most sought-after residential areas: Cologny at the pinnacle of prestige, Vandœuvres and Chêne-Bougeries for families and schools, Champel and Eaux-Vives for genteel charm close to the centre, Collonge-Bellerive, Anières and the lakeside communes as far as Hermance for space and views — this is our territory, covered page by page. The Right Bank lives to the international rhythm of Nations and Petit-Saconnex; Carouge cultivates its own distinct atmosphere. Each profile has its geography — and each commune its real prices, to be checked before you dream.
Selling: the six-step method
A successful Geneva sale follows a precise order: an estimation anchored in actual transactions; preparation that removes negotiating arguments before they can arise; a complete file from day one — CECB, PPE documents, plans; a chosen distribution strategy, from public portals to off-market; a price defence prepared in advance; and a controlled timeline — allow four to five months from launch to signing. The complete selling guide sets out each step; the special case of a tenanted property — including LDTR authorisation — has its own guide.
Buying: without missteps
The buyer’s journey has its checkpoints, all of which can be anticipated: confirmed financing before making an offer — it is what gets your file chosen; a budget that includes acquisition costs, reduced for a main residence by Casatax below its ceiling; a technical inspection before purchase — all the more decisive since Geneva deeds almost always exclude the warranty against defects; LFAIE status clarified for foreign buyers; and a negotiation conducted on facts, not percentages. The market can be explored through properties for sale — and through off-market listings, where the best opportunities circulate first.
The Geneva specifics you absolutely need to know
IBGI — the tax on real estate capital gains — reaches up to 50% in the event of resale within two years, then decreases in stages to 2% after 25 years of ownership: the calculator works out your case. Development zones regulate the price of new-builds — approved by the State, monitored for ten years, with an occupancy obligation: our new-build guide details the arrangement. PPE (condominium) has its own language — shares, charges, weighted surface area — which you need to understand before comparing two listings. And every technical term in this guide is defined in the glossary.
The Geneva calendar: the deadlines that decide
In this matter, it is almost never the law that trips people up — it is the calendar. Gathered here are the deadlines that cause you to lose a right or an advantage when they are allowed to pass. Each one is developed in the corresponding article.
| Situation | Deadline | What is lost |
|---|---|---|
| Defect discovered after purchase | notify without delay | the item is deemed accepted |
| Defects in a building | 5 years from transfer | the warranty claim becomes time-barred |
| Error, fraud, well-founded fear | 1 year from discovery | the contract is deemed ratified |
| Right of pre-emption | 3 months from becoming aware of the contract | the right lapses |
| Notice received by a tenant | 30 days | challenge before the conciliation authority |
| Casatax discount | declaration within 2 years of the deed, occupancy 3 years | recovery of registration duties |
| Early withdrawal of the 2nd pillar, after a sale | reinvest within 2 years | mandatory repayment to the pension fund |
| Reinvestment relief for the gains tax, in Geneva | 5 years | the deferral of IBGI |
| Building permit | works started within 2 years (suspended by appeal) | the permit lapses |
| OIBT electrical inspection, on change of owner | required if the last one dates back 5 years | obligation borne by the owner |
Two ways to read this table. For a buyer, it shows where protection is at stake: almost everything is decided before the deed, and what remains afterwards is counted in weeks. For a seller, it is a reminder that certain commitments survive the sale — and that tax follows its own separate timetable. None of these deadlines can be recovered by explaining that you did not know about them: they should be noted at the moment the transaction begins, not when the problem appears.
Where to start?
If you are selling: the estimation, always — it sets the framework for everything else. If you are buying: financing, before any viewing. If you are exploring: the transactions map and the commune pages will give you a genuine understanding of the market in ten minutes. And for anything else, we are a 100% Geneva-based, independent estate agency, rooted on the Left Bank — ask us directly.