International Home Buying Activity Reports
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 home buyers, how these buyers are using the services of REALTORS®, and more about international buyers in Florida and Miami in the following reports.
- Profile of International Home Buying Activity 2011
- Profile of International Home Buyers in Florida
- 2011 Survey of International Home Purchases in Greater Miami
Profile of International Home Buying Activity 2011
This year’s Profile examines purchases of real estate in the United States by international clients for the twelve-month period ending in March 2011.
Highlights
- Of the approximately $1.07 trillion in existing-home sales between March 2010 and March 2011, approximate $41 billion dollars-worth were purchased by foreign buyers.
- Recent immigrants—those who have moved to the U.S. within the past 2 years—and individuals with visas for more than 6 months, purchased an additional $41 billion.
- Therefore, total purchases by foreign or foreign-born buyers were $82 billion, up from $66 billion reported in 2010.
Read more > (PDF: 2.2 MB)
Watch Economist Jed Smith discuss the profile >
Profile of International Home Buyers in Florida
To assess the significance of foreign home buyers in Florida, the National Association of REALTORS®, in cooperation with the Florida REALTORS® Association conducted a survey of Florida REALTORS®, asking the membership about their experiences in working with international clients. The survey was conducted during the late June/early July 2011, and requested information on REALTOR® experience with international buyers over the previous 12 months. Accordingly, the conclusions for this year's survey are applicable to the 12 months ending June 2011. A total of 1024 responses were received, of which 787 (77 percent of respondents) reported having served foreign clients.
Read Profile > (PDF: 1.9 MB)
2011 Survey of International Home Purchases in Greater Miami
In October 2011, NAR Research conducted a survey for the Miami Association of REALTORS®. They received 726 responses to questions that focused on REALTORS®' experiences during past 12 months. The analysis indicates that international sales are an important niche, yet growing, market; are based mostly on referrals; and result in transactions significantly above current median prices.
Read survey results > (PDF: 1 MB)
