Barnes International has created the first global “Art de Vivre” luxury real estate company

Sotheby’s could have done it, but it was Barnes that made it happen!

Founded by American Heidi Barnes in 1996 and presided over by her husband, Frenchman Thibault de Saint Vincent, since the early 2000s, Barnes International is now the leading, fully integrated international firm in high-end residential real estate. The first of its kind.

As a brokerage firm, Barnes is a real powerhouse. With 130 offices in 20 countries, agencies in major international cities, and 1,300 brokers, the Paris-headquartered realty group offers its 150,000 French and international clients comprehensive and fully personalized services through its various branches: the sale of exclusive properties and new developments, the rental and management of luxury properties.

In 2023 Barnes and the luxury division of Compass, the number one American real estate brokerage and largest real estate database stateside, entered into a strategic partnership enabling the latter to refer its American clients to the appropriate Barnes contacts in order to direct them to the most sought-after properties in prestigious international destinations such as Paris, Geneva, London or Dubai, as well as in highly sought-after holiday destinations such as Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Monaco. On the other hand, the Barnes network now redirects its clients looking to buy or sell a property in the United States in one of the states where the firm does not have a presence, to one of the 300 Compass offices in the country.

I hear you saying “Great!” But wait. It doesn’t stop there.

Blazing Trails

A company specialized in HNWNIs (high net worth individuals) and UHNWIs (ultra high net worth individuals), two categories that are constantly growing and are highly mobile, looking for different residences in top locations worldwide, Barnes must be at all times adaptive and responsive to meet the challenges it entails. As a means of constantly enhancing brand appeal and customer loyalty, the business savvy French realty firm has developed a whole range of additional services that provide its discerning and highly demanding clientele with the type of experience that it craves, as well as a sense of exclusive community. Global services for affluent global customers in search of tailor-made solutions: that’s truly trailblazing in the real estate scene.

“For wealthy buyers looking for houses, apartments, seafront villas and countryside properties, the world is their oyster”, Thibault de Saint Vincent explains. “It is up to us to provide our assistance and to offer a global service – going beyond a simple property hunt, including legal and tax advice, personalized guidance, various refitting, renovation and decoration services – in the city or region of their choice. Globalization is a real game-changer, and that goes for the real estate industry, too.”

To do so, Barnes calls on the services of specialists in each concerned field, all of whom are leading actors in the luxury industry.

In addition to helping buyers realize a perfect acquisition by assisting them from the legal arrangement to the final decoration, including financing, international administrative formalities, insurance, or rental management, the upscale realty firm launched Barnes Family Office by Côme in 2016.

This division of the business offers clients a comprehensive range of patrimonial services connected with the firm’s real estate business. Made up of seasoned industry professionals, asset managers, wealth diversification and optimization specialists, and experts from other horizons, the family office’s stated goal is to identify outstanding opportunities in personal real estate, professional real estate (offices, shops, buildings), and “passion real estate“ (vineyards, hotel residences, hunting estates, stud farms, golf courses, castles, yachts, vintage cars, art), France and abroad.

Through their management services and listed and unlisted investments, Barnes family officers forge new links between real estate, works of art, collectors’ items and financial assets. They support clients in all aspects of their assets and their growth, in terms of analysis and advice, management and reporting, administrative follow-up, compliance, and relations with all stakeholders (lawyers, insurers, notaries, bankers, etc.)

Unparalleled Experience

Available 24/7 through annual, seasonal or weekly memberships, Barnes Global Office is a tailor-made concierge service which consists of a team of specialists drawing on an international network of local advisors in 70 cities to offer customized support and personalized solutions for travel, events and catering in every destination based on the passions and interests of the client – i.e. luxury destination suggestion and bookings, first-class event organization, private chef recruitment, childcare, VIP access to exceptional events, expert advice and recommendations...

As part of Barnes Global Office, Barnes Private Aviation manages flights and travels, in France or internationally, for business or leisure: the client provides the destination, schedule, and number of passengers, and Barnes takes care of everything, with the promise of delivering a unique and unparalleled experience.

Barnes has launched three brands dedicated to hospitality and to promoting the French art of living. Two debuted this May: Maison Barnes in New York City and Maison Boissière by Barnes in Paris.

Located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side at 575 Park Avenue, in the famed Beekman building, Maison Barnes is comprised of a restaurant, bar, dining salon and private dining rooms, as well as a speakeasy and a wine cellar table in a Belle Époque era-inspired decoration created by Stéphanie de Ricou and Kevin Ouvre that embarks the guests on a journey back to Gilded Age Paris.

Maison Barnes seeks to offer a global French Art de Vivre experience that combines hospitality, gastronomy, savoir-faire, and excellence – from the distinctive culinary approach of the Big Apple-based, Michelin-starred French chef Daniel Boulud, available at the establishment’s own Café Boulud, to artistic and cultural programs featuring presentations of unique and limited edition objects created by the craftsmen of the most renowned French Houses, such as Christofle, Bernardaud, Hermès, or Saint-Louis.

First Hotel Residence

After several months of works, two buildings located at 49 rue Boissière and 93 rue Lauriston, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, were brought together to create Maison Boissière by Barnes – the company’s first hotel residence. “We wanted to create a house far from home for all customers who love beauty and excellence,” said Thibault de Saint-Vincent. The two buildings are connected to each other by a common garden. The luxury residence has 16 apartments from 45m2 to 125m2, including four exceptional ones with terrace or balcony. High-end hotel services are available to guests: a reception open 24/7, a concierge, a cleaning service, breakfasts by Ladurée, organization of private dinners...

For this project, Barnes hired Philippe Daraux, artistic director of the bespoke interior design concept Mis en Demeure, and interior architect Manon Mallac Koenig. Both worked under the direct supervision of Heidi Barnes. They were inspired by the atmosphere of boudoirs to offer intimate spaces, allowing guests to find calm and relaxation in the heart of Paris. The establishment is managed by Tristan Delmas, a luxury hotel industry expert since he previously worked for Four Seasons, Hyatt or One&Only.

Moments Barnes, the third Barnes hospitality brand, is scheduled to open next June in the Provençal town of Mougins, a picturesque tourist destination near Cannes. Located next to a Barnes agency, the place will offer a catering space, a wine cellar and a bookstore.

The combination of the creative personality of its arts- and lifestyle-oriented founder with the entrepreneurial drive of its president, has enabled the company to build a real success story in the real estate business. It is now a major provider of luxury real estate services and ambassador of French Art de Vivre. With an ever-expanding number of high-net worth individuals around the world, the future looks bright for Barnes.