At a glance
2×
Total sales volume in euros, 2021 vs 2017
~3×
Sales above €10M in 2021 vs any other year of the period
100%
Villa sales above €10M handled by Sibarth, 2017–2018
€125M
Former Rockefeller estate, a Caribbean record (2023)
St Barths property transactions, 2017–2021. Proprietary data compiled by Sibarth Real Estate from multiple sources.
Key takeaways
After Hurricane Irma, activity dropped sharply but values held: insured owners chose to rebuild rather than sell.
By 2019, sales volume in euros was already 10% above pre-hurricane levels, with average prices 30% higher than in 2017.
The pandemic fuelled demand for large, secure residences, culminating in a record 2021 as sales volume doubled compared with 2017.
Five Years That Tested the Market
As the largest brokerage firm dedicated solely to real estate transactions in St Barth, built on a business founded nearly 50 years ago, Sibarth Real Estate brings an unmatched depth of market knowledge to every client relationship. That expertise matters all the more on an island where official property data remains scarce and difficult to obtain.
Over the years, our team has built proprietary market intelligence by compiling data from multiple sources. It allows us to measure precisely how the market evolved between 2017 and 2021, five years marked by a devastating hurricane and a global pandemic, and to support our observations with numerical evidence.
2017-2018: Resilience After Hurricane Irma
In September 2017, St Barth was struck by one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded, causing significant damage to most homes and to the island's infrastructure. Between 2017 and 2018, the number of home sales fell by 55%, total property transactions by 26%, and the average sale price by roughly 22%.
These figures did not reflect a depreciation in property values. Most homeowners were fully insured and chose to repair, and often improve, their homes rather than sell. In the rare sales of damaged homes “as is”, prices were generally adjusted only for the cost of repairs, with buyers usually receiving compensation equal to the insurance settlement.
Over the same period, Sibarth Real Estate brokered 100% of villa transactions above €10 million, including a record sale concluded at the end of 2017, after Irma: the Girasol Estate, sold for more than USD 60 million.
2019: Recovery and Resurgence
The island's recovery, and the market's resurgence, began in 2019. Transactions rose by 13% compared with 2018, but the most striking signal lay elsewhere: total sales volume in euros exceeded 2017 levels by 10%.
Average sale prices for both homes and land climbed to 30% above their 2017 level. The infusion of insurance capital, combined with confidence in the island's ability to rebound from even the most severe storms, underscored the market's resilience and enduring desirability.
“Our market consistently exceeds expectations, even amidst the most significant challenges.”
Sibarth Real Estate
The Golden Age of Relocation
Covid-19 brought considerable uncertainty in early 2020. Yet by year end, while transactions were down 13%, the average sale price had risen 24% and total sales volume in euros had grown 9% compared with 2019.
As remote work became the norm, large homes in safe places became a priority. The year also saw Camp David, on St Jean beach, sell for €70 million, while Sibarth Real Estate handled over 60% of all transactions above €10 million.
2021: A Record-Breaking Year
Total transactions in 2021 were only about 8% higher than in 2017, but the most telling indicator was elsewhere: total sales volume in euros essentially doubled compared with that same year.
The number of transactions above €10 million was nearly three times higher than in any other year of the period. While the average sale price rose by around 10% between 2020 and 2021, far more properties changed hands at higher price points, confirming buyers' growing appetite for larger residences.
Beyond 2021: A Market That Keeps Exceeding Expectations
Complete data for 2022 is not yet available, and even less so for 2023, but early indications suggest that activity in 2022 was on par with, or slightly above, the exceptional levels of 2021.
2023 has remained active, and the spotlight returned to St Barth with the sale of the former Rockefeller property in Colombier for €125 million, a new record for both the island and the Caribbean.
€125 million in Colombier.
The 2023 sale of the former Rockefeller estate set a new benchmark for St Barth and for the entire Caribbean, amplifying the momentum of the record years before it.
Reading the Market Through Its Data
Taken together, these figures and landmark sales confirm the enduring strength of the St Barth market, one that has consistently exceeded expectations even through significant challenges.
For buyers and sellers alike, this kind of data-driven perspective is what turns market movements into informed decisions, and it remains at the heart of the guidance Sibarth Real Estate provides to its clients.
Main picture for this article: photo by Hugo Allard
