We live in a global marketplace. While all real estate is local, not all property buyers are. A significant share of home purchases are made by people whose primary residence is outside of the U.S. Find out which are the top five countries of origin for foreign buyers of U.S. homes, and how these buyers are using the services of REALTORS®. This year's Profile examines purchases of real estate in the United States by international clients for the twelve-month period ending in March 2012.

Highlights

• Total sales volume to international clients is estimated as $82.5 Billion in 2012, up from an estimated $66.4 Billion for the 12 months ending March 2011.
• Twenty-seven percent of Realtors® reported having worked with international clients.
• International buyers came from nearly all over the globe, but five countries accounted for fifty-five percent of transactions: Canada, The People's Republic of China, including Hong Kong, Mexico, India, and the United Kingdom.
• Fifty-one percent of the purchases were in four states: Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas.