Buying a forest is an investment that is attracting more and more French investors, but acquiring a forest massif directly is not within everyone’s budget, nor suited to every investor profile. This is where an alternative and efficient solution comes in: buying group shares. This page details everything you need to know about this specific market, which you can also explore further by consulting our buying guides.
Overview of Forestry Land Group (GFF) Shares for Sale – ma-propriete.fr in France
The Groupement Foncier Forestier (GFF), or Forestry Investment Group (GFI), are civil companies whose purpose is the establishment, improvement, equipping, conservation or management of one or more forest massifs. In other words, acquiring shares in these groups means becoming co-owner of a forest, without having to deal with the day-to-day management constraints. This is what is known as “paper real estate” applied to nature. To master the subtleties of this investment, we recommend downloading our dedicated white papers.
Unlike a traditional agricultural property, this type of asset does not require the purchase of farm buildings or livestock. The “equipment” concerned by your investment is mainly related to silviculture: development of forest tracks for machinery access, timber storage areas, or drainage works. The asset is essentially based on the land and the standing timber stock.
France is a major forestry nation. Forests cover more than 17 million hectares, or around 31% of metropolitan territory. It is a tangible, living asset that continues to grow. While forests are found everywhere, certain regions are particularly dynamic for this type of financial investment:
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine, with the Landes de Gascogne massif.
- Grand Est and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, renowned for their high-quality hardwoods and softwoods.
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, rich in diverse species.
By opting for the subscription of shares, you invest in an asset class that is uncorrelated with traditional financial markets, offering healthy diversification for your wealth.
Key criteria to consider when buying Forestry Group Shares for sale – Buying GFF
Buying GFF or GFI shares should not be done randomly. This is a long-term investment that meets specific objectives, combining yield, ecology and taxation.
Accessibility and Profitability
The first advantage is the entry ticket. Buying a forest directly often requires several hundred thousand euros. By contrast, the unit value of a group share is often between a few hundred and a few thousand euros, making the investment accessible to more modest savings.
The return on this investment comes from two sources:
- Dividends paid out from operating income (timber sales following a logging operation, hunting rights).
- The potential capital gain when selling the shares or liquidating the group, linked to the natural growth of the trees and the increase in land prices.
However, it should be noted that the capital is not guaranteed and liquidity depends on the secondary market. For GFIs making a public offering, the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) approval is a guarantee of transparency regarding risks and fees.
A powerful tax optimisation tool
Taxation is often the main driver of this type of purchase. The State encourages the sustainable management of forests through attractive tax incentives:
- Income tax reduction (IR): The investment offers immediate tax relief (DEFI Forêt scheme or IR-PME for some GFIs) subject to holding the shares for a minimum period.
- IFI (French real estate wealth tax): There is a partial, often 75%, or even total exemption of the value of the shares included in the taxable base, as forests are considered an ecological working asset.
- Inheritance and transfer: This is a major advantage. In the event of a gift or inheritance, a 75% allowance applies to the value of the shares (subject to conditions, including the Monichon regime), making it much easier to pass on wealth to future generations.
Management and Ecology
Investing in a GFF also means delegating management to professionals. You do not have to worry about reforestation, maintenance or timber sales. Moreover, it is a virtuous investment. Forests are the main terrestrial carbon sink. By financing their growth, you help combat global warming while holding real assets.
Services provided by ma-propriete.fr for users wishing to acquire shares
Ma-propriete.fr is the reference portal for finding the opportunity that matches your wealth strategy. We have designed specific tools to make it easier for you to search for GFF and GFI shares.
- Advanced search engine: You can filter listings not only by region or department, but also by budget. Although the notion of “surface area in hectares” applies to the overall massif held by the group, our listings detail the nature of the underlying assets.
- Email alerts: The share market is sometimes confidential and the best opportunities go quickly. By creating an alert, you are notified as soon as a new GFF or GFI offer is published.
- Direct contact: Our platform promotes transparency. You are put directly in touch with the seller, whether it is a management company, a specialist wealth advisory firm or a private individual selling their shares on the secondary market.
- Geolocation: See where the forest massifs held by the group are located to better understand the area in which you are investing.
Services provided by ma-propriete.fr for users wishing to sell shares
Do you own Forestry Land Group Shares and want to free up cash or rebalance your portfolio? Ma-propriete.fr is the ideal showcase for selling these specific assets.
- Targeted visibility: With a large number of qualified monthly visitors specifically looking for rural real estate and alternative investments, your listing reaches its core audience (investors, nature enthusiasts).
- Buyer base: We have an active community of potential buyers on the lookout for wealth diversification opportunities.
- Controlled confidentiality: Selling company shares sometimes requires discretion. Our tool allows you to choose the level of geolocation of the listing (by department or region) to preserve the confidentiality of the group while still attracting buyers.
- Multi-broadcasting: To maximise your chances, your listings benefit from increased visibility thanks to our presence on social networks, particularly Facebook groups specialising in rural and forestry real estate.
Other services offered by ma-propriete.fr
Beyond simply publishing listings, ma-propriete.fr positions itself as a real partner in your land and forestry projects. We provide you with a complete ecosystem of services:
- Putting you in touch with experts: Buying shares, just like buying a forest directly, often requires specialist advice (forest experts, wealth managers, notaries). We facilitate these contacts via our dedicated page.
- Valuation studies: If you own land and want to know its price before investing or selling, our valuation tools and land appraisal studies are there to help.
- Information and monitoring: The rural and forestry world is technical. To train yourself and understand the issues (such as taxation or logging techniques), consult our blog articles. There you will find detailed buying guides, such as the one on agricultural holdings, which share similarities with the forestry sector.
- White papers: To take your thinking about rural investment even further, download our comprehensive reports.
Investing in forestry group shares means choosing to combine potential income, tax benefits and environmental protection. Discover all our current offers to build your green portfolio.
