PIONEERS IN A GROWING INDUSTRY
Only Provence was founded by John & Lydia Dean, an American and Canadian couple who moved to Provence in 2001 and transformed a neglected farmhouse into one of the region’s first successful large villa rentals. At the time, the vacation rental market had only just begun to develop globally and there was no road-map or system to follow. The Deans carefully learned the ins and outs of renting their home to visitors, managing everything themselves— from marketing and booking, to check-ins and cleaning. Over the years the couple turned their attention to building an agency that offered similar high standards across a much broader collection of properties.
In 2007, Only Provence was incorporated in the US and would later become the region’s market leader in luxury villas and chateaux rentals with a portfolio of 200 hand-selected properties. In 2018, the Deans returned to the region to launch Provence Life— offering property owners renovation, decoration and sales services to further optimize their property investments.
From the beginning, a small, family business has grown into a trusted regional leader, deeply rooted in the values held dear from the beginning— a devotion to fairness, quality and authenticity.
REASONS TO PARTNER WITH ONLY PROVENCE
MARKET LEADER: LUXURY SPECIALISTS
For over 15 years, we have focused solely on luxury properties in Inland Provence. We are proud of our “best in class” reputation.
RENTAL CONSULTANCY
We help property owners build and optimize rental businesses for success, sharing decades of vast experience.
HIGH-END INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS
We maintain a long-standing, loyal client base, many of whom return year after year (15%) for multi-week rentals.
STRONG NORTH AMERICAN CLIENTELE
Nearly 50% of renters come from North America, with our secondary market from the United Kingdom (25-30%).
LONGER, MORE PROFITABLE SEASONS
North American clientele travel from April through the end of October, giving Only Provence a distinct advantage of European counterparts. Almost half of our annual bookings come from off-season clients.
DEVOTED & BILINGUAL STAFF
We have a deep network of local support for problem-solving and vast regional expertise.
DAMAGES COVERAGE
All Only Provence homeowners are protected with a renter security deposit.
OUR PERFORMANCE
The numbers speak for themselves.
190+
property listings
4000
average clients/year
100000+
new website visitors/year
70000+
Instagram followers
18%
return clients
75%
of our ratings are 5-stars
30
#1 Google rankings
(We appear first in Google searches!)
Client Nationalities: 50% North America – 30% United Kingdom – 20% Other
OUR COLLECTION
The villa rental market is full of agencies listing properties of all kinds, meeting the needs of a vast range of visitors. Only Provence is known for its luxury brand and clientele. Over the years we continue to successfully match discerning clients with a carefully curated collection of properties meeting the following key criteria.
- Beautifully built or restored properties with quality furnishings and modern amenities.
- Properties that reflect the charm and authenticity unique to Provence.
- Carefully maintained properties with knowledgeable staff, empowered and invested in providing high quality service to guests.
- Property owners who see the value in a long lasting, trusting partnership with their rental agency.
CHEF, TOUR & CONCIERGE SERVICES
Making planning easier on you.
Our clients enjoy a wide array of concierge services prior to, and during their stay. We partner with locally run and bilingual businesses offering chef services and a vast selection of custom designed tours and activities ranging from wine tasting to truffle hunting. Offering these unique, authentic experiences is one of the many ways that help us maintain our lead in the rental market. These important ancillary services also make the rental experience hassle-free for our valued property owners.
RESPONSIVE GROUND SUPPORT
What matters most in difficult moments.
It’s inevitable that problems will arise during the tourist season—internet can malfunction, dishwashers can clog, or guests have important, unforeseen needs. Even in our earliest days we knew that offering responsive ground support was an essential component to building our business.
We are proud to have a knowledgeable and bilingual team on the ground to help support your house staff when challenges arise.
RENOVATION, DECORATION, AND REAL ESTATE
Simplifying every step of the process.
There is a natural life cycle of a rental property— moments that demand renovation and upgrades to decoration, and other times that suggest that selling is the appropriate next step. Founders John and Lydia Dean established Provence Life in 2018 to support the needs of Only Provence owners at any point in this process.
Renovation and Decoration: Provence Life offers renovation and decoration services for all of Only Provence’s property owners — new and existing, in order to optimize the best returns from their luxury rental activities.
Real Estate: When owners are ready to sell, Provence Life provides a natural bridge to the thousands of Only Provence renters who have visited over the years, many of whom want to buy their own “paradise” in Provence.
Take a look at the Owner Journey which provides an overview of what you can expect when your property is rented with Only Provence
