eXpcon Paris 2026: When Real Estate in Dordogne Connects with the World By Delphine Panissod – eXp Real Estate Advisor in Dordogne

600 real estate professionals from around the world, more than 150 from France, three days of meetings, conferences, ideas and international connections… From 15 to 17 July 2026, eXpcon Paris turned the Hyatt Regency into an incredible international real estate hub.

I came home with plenty of business cards, some amazing coincidences, countless new ideas… and, above all, an incredible boost of energy!

The world is huge… and sometimes surprisingly small

That is probably what I will remember most from these three days.

When you work in real estate in Dordogne, it would be easy to imagine that your business stops at the boundaries of your local market.

And yet…

On the very first day, a speed networking session gave us the opportunity to meet agents from India, the United States, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Canada and many other countries.

Just a few minutes to introduce ourselves, talk about our markets, exchange contact details… and then move on to the next person.

Fast. Intense. And incredibly effective!

eXpcon Paris 2026 – international meetings – © Delphine Panissod

And as the conversations continued, the world suddenly started to feel much smaller.

I met an agent from Seattle. That happens to be where my daughter's boyfriend's family lives.

Then I met an agent from Montreal. And where does one of my clients from the Dordogne currently live? Montreal!

I also spoke with future agents in Switzerland, where I spent a large part of my career and where I still have so many professional contacts. Some of them could actually make excellent real estate agents themselves…

And then there was my French-Portuguese colleague, originally from Strasbourg.

We started talking.

One thing led to another, and he mentioned a project he was working on and the architect he had chosen.

His architect?

My cousin!

At that point, you have to admit that the world has a pretty good sense of humour.

International real estate suddenly becomes personal

These encounters reminded me of something essential.

Having an international network on paper is fantastic.

Actually knowing the people who make up that network changes everything.

Because tomorrow, if one of my clients tells me:

"I'm moving to Montreal."

"My daughter is looking for a home in Seattle."

"I'd like to invest in Portugal."

Or if an American, Canadian or European colleague tells me:

"I have clients dreaming of moving to Dordogne…"

I won't simply be looking for a name in a directory.

I'll think of someone I've actually met. Someone I've spoken with, laughed with, shared a coffee with or spent an evening getting to know.

And that's when the word referral really starts to mean something.

eXpcon Paris 2026 – international meetings – © Delphine Panissod

And for Dordogne, this international dimension really matters

I already see it every day in my work as a real estate advisor in Dordogne.

Our beautiful region attracts buyers from the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States and many other parts of the world, all searching for space, heritage, nature and a different quality of life.

Having trusted professionals in different countries is therefore far more than a nice extra.

A property owner may live abroad while selling a house in Dordogne.

A buyer may start planning a move to France from the United States or Canada.

A French client may sell a property here before moving abroad.

Our markets may be local.

Our clients are not necessarily local anymore.

Two days thinking about the future of real estate

After a first day focused heavily on meeting and connecting, days two and three were packed with conferences.

And it is difficult to summarise everything we covered!

Artificial intelligence, task automation, time management, entrepreneurship, human relationships, and strategies used in different real estate markets around the world…

We also discovered new tools designed to centralise our information and ultimately allow us to have all our files and business information right in our pocket.

AI and automation naturally played an important part in the discussions.

But what I particularly appreciated was that technology was never presented as the end goal.

The real objective remains the same: freeing up more of our time for the one thing technology cannot replace – human relationships.

eXpcon Paris 2026 – international meetings – © Delphine Panissod

We also compared the realities of different international property markets, discussed government policies and discovered new opportunities, including Canada's initiatives to attract French-speaking newcomers to certain provinces.

And then there were inspiring entrepreneurs and speakers, including Jonathan Anguelov.

Plenty of notes to take… and plenty of ideas to process!

Sometimes the best networking happens over coffee

And then there is everything that doesn't necessarily appear on the official programme.

A conversation that starts over a cup of coffee.

A connection with a team.

A discussion that leads to discovering an interesting all-in-one financing solution for my clients.

A colleague mentioning a property that may soon be coming onto the market.

A potential referral.

An appointment arranged to explore an idea further after the conference.

That's probably one of the things I love most about events like this.

You never know which conversation might turn into an opportunity six months or even two years from now.

But for those opportunities to exist, first you have to meet each other.

And of course… eXpcon was in Paris!

We needed a little French sparkle to accompany all those serious discussions. ✨

The evenings gave us the opportunity to continue connecting in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

Dinner at the legendary Paradis Latin, an amazing performance by the French Twins, conversations continuing over drinks…

eXpcon Paris 2026 – international meetings – © Delphine Panissod

And all of this with the Football World Cup happening in the background!

International real estate, networking, Paris, entertainment and football…

I'd say the atmosphere was pretty special!

Three days later…

I came home with contacts from all over the world.

Ideas.

Meetings to organise.

Potential collaborations.

New solutions to explore for my clients.

Possible referrals.

Recruitment opportunities.

And a few brainstorming sessions that definitely need to continue…

But above all, I came home with a genuine shot of motivation.

These three days reminded me why I chose to join eXp.

Because I can work in a deeply local profession, drive along the little country roads around Bergerac, and sell a beautiful stone house in the heart of Dordogne…

…while being connected with real estate professionals in Seattle, Montreal, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Geneva or New Delhi.

The world is huge.

But when we take the time to meet, talk and build genuine relationships, suddenly it feels much smaller.

And professionally, much richer.

I returned to Dordogne with one certainty stronger than ever:

I'm exactly where I belong.

And already with one more thought…

Bring on eXpcon 2027! ✨

Delphine Panissod
eXp Real Estate Advisor – Bergerac & Dordogne

I help buyers and sellers with their property projects throughout Dordogne and, thanks to eXp's international network, I can also connect my clients with trusted real estate professionals across France and around the world.