There is a French phrase that has quietly become the defining real estate concept of the hybrid work era. Pied-à-terre — literally “foot on the ground” — describes a small, secondary home kept in a city, used not as a primary residence but as a stylish, convenient base for the times you need to be there. Once the exclusive preserve of the wealthy, the pied-à-terre has been radically democratised by two forces: the remote work revolution and the rise of co-ownership property models.
For a new generation of professionals who split their week between countryside tranquility and urban energy, the pied-à-terre has evolved from a luxury indulgence into a practical lifestyle tool. Paris for Monday meetings, back to Provence by Thursday. A base in Miami during the European winter, a home in the English countryside through summer. The rhythm of modern professional life increasingly demands it — and a co-ownership share in a city property is how the smartest buyers are making it happen without committing millions to a second full purchase.
The Changing City
Why Remote Work Has Reinvented the Urban Second Home
The mass shift to remote and hybrid working has reshaped the geography of how professionals live. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 22% of the American workforce now works remotely or in a hybrid arrangement in a typical week — a figure that shows no sign of retreating. In the UK, the Office for National Statistics found that over a third of workers regularly worked from home at least one day per week as of 2025, with concentrations highest among high-income professional and creative sectors.
What this means in practice is a class of mobile, high-earning professionals with a paradoxical housing need: they don’t need to be in the city every day, but they absolutely need the city when they do. Hotels are expensive, transient, and impersonal. Long-term city rentals tie you into leases and commutes that no longer reflect your actual life. The solution is a quality, permanent urban base you control — but sized and priced for how you actually use it: part-time, purposeful, premium.
The Savills Portfolio report on the ‘Return of the Pied-à-Terre’ identified this exact shift — noting surging demand in prime central London neighbourhoods like Marylebone (+86%), Belgravia (+85%), and Mayfair (+78%) as professionals who relocated to the country during the pandemic returned to needing a quality city base without returning to a full-time city life. The same pattern has emerged in Paris’s Marais, Miami’s Brickell, and New York’s Upper East Side. The modern pied-à-terre is not about replacing your primary home — it is about completing your lifestyle.
Practical Guide
What to Look For in a City Co-Ownership Property
Not all city properties are equal as pied-à-terre investments. Location within the city matters enormously: a co-ownership apartment three tube stops from central London is a very different product from one in Mayfair. When evaluating a city co-ownership opportunity, prioritise walkability to key business districts, proximity to transport hubs, and the density of amenities — restaurants, cultural venues, retail — within walking distance. A genuine pied-à-terre should reduce friction, not add it.
Concierge services and management quality are critical. The entire value proposition of a city pied-à-terre is frictionless access — you arrive, the apartment is ready, your belongings are in place, and your city life begins immediately. Co-Ownership Property management handles all of this: cleaning, maintenance, booking coordination, and owner communication, so co-owners never need to manage anything themselves or coordinate with other stakeholders.
Consider the booking flexibility and notice periods offered by the platform. The best co-ownership models allow reservations from 48 hours to two years in advance via a dedicated app, with no fixed rotation schedules. This matters enormously for the hybrid professional lifestyle — spontaneous city trips should be possible, not just planned ones. Finally, understand the exit route before purchasing: a sell co-ownership share process should be straightforward, with clear processes for listing and selling when your lifestyle or priorities evolve.
Several structural forces suggest the pied-à-terre trend has significant runway. Remote work adoption, while past its peak growth phase, has stabilised at levels that are permanently higher than pre-pandemic norms. The International Workplace Group reported in 2025 that 83% of workers globally prefer a hybrid arrangement to a full-time office return — a preference that is now a hiring expectation as much as a lifestyle one.
Simultaneously, urban property in the world’s best cities is a chronically scarce asset class. Paris has strict building height restrictions; London’s prime postcodes are essentially fully developed; Miami’s waterfront is finite. Supply constraints compound demand from a growing global high-net-worth population — Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2025 projected that the global ultra-high-net-worth population will grow 28% by 2029. City pied-à-terres sit at the intersection of scarce supply and growing demand.
Co-ownership models are uniquely positioned to capitalise on this shift. By allowing multiple owners to share not just the cost but the custody and management complexity of a property, these structures make the asset class accessible to a broader professional cohort. The running costs of co-ownership are a fraction of solo ownership, while the lifestyle benefits are equivalent. As awareness of this model grows among affluent professionals, demand for co-ownership shares in prime city locations is set to accelerate. Browse all available properties to see current city co-ownership opportunities.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a pied-à-terre and how does it differ from a full second home?
A pied-à-terre is a secondary property kept specifically in a city, designed for part-time use rather than as a primary residence. Unlike a full second home (which might be a holiday villa or rural retreat), a pied-à-terre is urban, compact, and practical — a base for when professional or personal life demands you be in the city. Co-ownership models are ideal for pied-à-terres because they match ownership cost to actual usage patterns.
How many days per year does a co-ownership share typically allow?
A standard 1/8th co-ownership share provides approximately 45 days per year of exclusive access. Booking is managed through a dedicated app, allowing reservations from as little as 48 hours to up to two years in advance — no fixed rotation weeks, and no need to coordinate directly with other co-owners.
Is co-ownership of a city property the same as a timeshare?
No — co-ownership is fundamentally different from timeshare. In a co-ownership structure, each buyer holds a legal, deeded equity stake in a registered LLC that owns the property title. This is genuine real estate ownership: your share can appreciate or depreciate in value, you can sell it on the open market at any time, and you hold a legal interest in a real asset — not a right-to-use product that typically depreciates and cannot be resold at market value.
Can I rent out my co-ownership share when I am not using it?
This depends on the specific property and its location, as rental regulations vary significantly between cities and countries. Where rental is permitted (Miami is notably permissive), it is fully managed by Co-Ownership Property — owners simply receive their proportionate share of income without needing to manage bookings, guests, or logistics themselves.
How do I sell my co-ownership share if my circumstances change?
Shares can be listed for sale at any time. The management company first offers the share to existing co-owners in the same property. It is then listed for external sale. Co-Ownership Property reports average resale times of under one month — significantly faster than selling a full luxury property, which can take 6–18 months in prime city markets.
Which cities does Co-Ownership Property offer city properties in?
Co-Ownership Property has a growing portfolio of urban co-ownership opportunities across Europe and the USA, with a focus on the world’s most desirable city destinations including Paris, London, Miami and more. Browse the full portfolio to see current availability — stock is limited and shares sell quickly, particularly in prime European capitals.
Get in Touch
Speak to an expert
Tell us what you're looking for and one of our co-ownership specialists will be in touch within 24 hours.