Finding the Next Emerging Market in Real Estate

Finding the Next Emerging Market in Real Estate

by Pauline Felward

Ahead of the curve, in at the ground floor, before the rush - all of these terms are music to the ears of professional property investors, and are the keys to successful portfolios. Getting into a new market before the majority of the growth curve has happened is the way to make money, and the real skill comes in spotting where those markets are going to be before other people do. But how do you about it?

Unsurprisingly, it takes research. Full-time investors will spend hours following tip-offs and trying to get in right at the beginning of the market growth, but for the majority of us, this simply isn't possible. However, there are some strategies that you can adopt to make sure your investments work as hard as possible for you - and some signs to look out for the Next Big Thing.

Some of the ideas are simple and logical; others take a little more thinking around the subject. For example, pay attention to the websites of the low-cost airlines for announcements of new routes. An improvement in access to a country or region can be a huge factor in the development of the property market there. Property in Cape Verde started to grow significantly in value when airlines announced the first direct flights to the UK in 2006, and the property boom in Morocco has been largely driven by the fact that more than 20 low-cost airline routes are in operation or planned for the country.

Recent years have seen huge growth in the original 'emerging markets' of Bulgaria, Croatia, along with property markets in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries. Those countries which are undergoing changes to their political systems, international standing, or even major social revolutions can be the next emerging markets for overseas property investors. Property in Turkey has recently become much more popular, not only because access to the main resorts is getting easier, but also because the country is planning to join the EU as soon as it can, likely to be sometime around 2014. Many property investors are looking to buy property in Turkey at the moment as a way of getting into the market before joining the EU brings even more prosperity and stability to the country.

Even the most experienced and successful of property investors will never claim to be able to predict the future. However, with careful reading of the signs, some general research around the subject and a keen eye for the logic of the overseas property buying process, it is possible to make a good, educated guess as to where the next investment markets will be. For investors looking for solid, new, investment opportunities, it is advisable to try to make sure your investment does not rely solely on just one of the above factors. As we have seen recently, travel prices, governments and even borders can change quickly, and if you can have some 'insurance' against these changes, you will be in much better shape than otherwise.