International property investment isn’t just about collecting keys to buildings across the globe. It’s about strategic financial growth and creating a portfolio that can weather economics storms.
In my two decades of working with international investors, Jeremy Savory learned that success comes down to one critical skill: knowing how to spread your risk and capital intelligently. At Savory & Partners, he helped clients purchase over 2,000 properties worldwide, and last year alone saw a 70% surge in international property investments.
Why a Single-Market Approach is Risky
Parking all your capital in one country is like sailing without an anchor. Political shifts, interest rate changes, and unpredictable regulatory changes can leave you open to market fluctuations and the potential for capital depreciation. The smart approach? Build a network of properties across different markets and commit to a strategy of portfolio diversification.
Take currency fluctuations, for instance. I’ve watched investors lose substantial value simply because their home market’s currency took an unexpected hit. By holding assets in multiple jurisdictions and making a strong capital play you create a natural buffer against these risks.
Where to Invest and Why
When evaluating markets, I focus on three things: economic growth, rental yields, and the ease of doing business.
Consider high-growth economies like Turkey and Colombia where expanding infrastructure spending combined with an increasingly affluent middle-class is driving economic growth. I’ve seen firsthand how property prices in these regions have surged as a result of broader socio-economic factors. In 2024 alone, 10% of our client’s total property sales were in Turkey, a testament to its capital appreciation potential and investor-friendly climate.
Rental income is another critical metric. I prioritise locations where rental yields are strong, and returns are inflation-linked. For instance, certain Spanish and Italian rental agreements adjust rents based on live inflation rates, thereby ensuring steady returns and creating a recession-proof asset. To date, we have helped investors purchase over 608 properties in Portugal, Greece, and Spain, all of which are known for their stable rental markets.
Lastly, ease and speed of transactions make a difference. Dubai, for example, is one of the fastest places to complete a property transaction, with the process from offer to completion often taking just a few weeks. In contrast, a property sale I completed in Greece took over six months to finalise. In 2024 alone, we facilitated the purchase of over 250 properties worldwide, of which 70 are in Dubai, ensuring clients navigated legal complexities seamlessly.
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