By Andrew Batt:
Demand for property in Thailand grew at the start of 2013 grew in the first month of 2013 according to searches on TheMoveChannel.com, one of the UK’s leading overseas property portals.
Interest in the country’s real estate increased during January, ranking Thailand among the 10 most popular destinations on the property portal for the first time.
Thailand’s share of enquiries only increased by 0.73 per cent, but it was enough to see the country climb to 10th place in the Top of the Props chart. This compares to 16th place in the same month last year. Indeed, Thailand overtook familiar contenders Bulgaria and Turkey while the two established markets both dropped out of top 10.
The traditional markets in the chart remained the same, though, with USA, Spain, Portugal and France still firm favourites among investors. After toppling Spanish property last year, United States real estate has ruled the global property chart for four months in a row. However, each of the top four countries’ shares of enquiries slipped at the start of 2013 as investors looked further afield for investment opportunities.
Cape Verde was one of the most popular alternatives, bouncing back after a dip at the end of last year to replace Turkey at number five. Brazil also saw buyer attention grow, rising four places to seize 6th spot from Bulgaria. The biggest climber was the Dominican Republic, which increased its share of enquiries from 0.31 per cent to 1.71 per cent, enough to drive it up15 places into 14th.
TheMoveChannel.com’s Director Dan Johnson said: “The USA may be the best property market for investors right now, but Thailand’s popularity has been building up for a long period of time. Demand has steadily increased over the last 12 months, driven by both lifestyle and investment appeal, to push the country into the big league. The only other Top 10 countries to see interest increase significantly last month were Brazil and Cape Verde, a sign that while America and Europe win points for low prices, emerging countries may have a big role to play in 2013."
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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