By Andrew Batt:
EXCLUSIVE: Pattaya has overtaken Phuket as the most-searched destination in Thailand for potential property buyers and investors on one leading overseas property website.
Interest in Thailand also jumped last month in The Move Channel’s monthly ‘Top of the Props’ chart which ranks countries in popularity of searches conducted on its website. The Land of Smiles was the 12th most-searched destination on the U.K.-based website, accounting for 1.29 percent of all searches.
Thailand is also the only country from Asia to make it into the top 40.
Dan Johnson, Managing Director of TheMoveChannel.com, spoke exclusively to DDproperty.com. He said: “Property in Thailand jumped up two places to hover just below the Top 10 in October’s Top of the Props, a sign that investors are continuing to return to the market following last year’s tragic flooding.
“With the economy back on track, demand for real estate is growing again. Phuket and Pattaya are still proving to be the most popular among investors. Pattaya overtook Phuket for the first time since June 2012 to become the destination of choice for buyers, accounting for 46 per cent of Thai property enquiries last month compared to Phuket’s 41 per cent.”
Andrew Batt, International Group Editor of PropertyGuru, said: “The rise in interest in Thailand highlighted by TheMoveChannel is entirely in line with what we’ve been seeing in Southeast Asia. Singaporeans, for example, have been snapping up Thai properties in greater numbers this year than in previous years.”
America was the most-searched destination during October, the first time it has claimed the top spot in the monthly rankings since December 2011. One in five visitors to TheMoveChannel were looking for property from the United States.
The support for US property was so strong that not even Spain, America’s long-standing real estate rival, could compete. Searches for U.S.property accoounted for a record 20.91 per cent of all enquiries – the largest share ever recorded by a country since Top of the Props reports began.
Johnson added: "Go back several years and US property always came out on top of TheMoveChannel.com’s polls. It is only in recent years that Spain and the eurozone have dominated the overseas real estate market.
"Over the past year, the U.S. has become the main rival to Spain’s lifestyle appeal. It replaced France as buyers’ second favourite property destination several months ago. Now the country’s recovery is really gathering steam that demand keeps on increasing.”
Top of the Props – October 2012 Most-searched countries on TheMoveChannel.com
1. United States of America
2. Spain
3. Portugal
4. France
5. Italy
6. Cyprus
7. Turkey
8. Brazil
9. Bulgaria
10. UAE
11. Malta
12. Thailand
13. Greece
14. Barbados
15. Dominican Republic.
Andrew Batt, International Group Editor of PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact him about this or other stories email andrew@allproperty.com.sg
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