On August 2, 2025, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced that it is significantly expanding its international outreach initiative to better support the rising influx of foreign home buyers acquiring U.S. residential properties. This move follows a striking 44 percent year-over-year increase in foreign home purchases—jumping from roughly 54,300 homes in the prior period to approximately 78,100 homes in the twelve months ending March 2025.
This surge represents the first annual growth in foreign residential sales since 2017 and amounts to about $56 billion in total transaction volume—up 33 percent from the previous year. Homes purchased by international buyers carried a record median purchase price of $494,400, compared to the national median of near $408,500. Nearly half of these international buyers paid in all cash, a payment rate nearly double that of domestic buyers, highlighting their purchasing power and preference for high-end listings.
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Under the revised program, NAR will provide U.S. real estate brokerages with richer multilingual marketing materials, upgraded training modules tailored to international-client protocols, and digital platforms designed to ease cross-border communication. These tools aim to empower real estate professionals in major gateway markets such as Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City—where foreign buyer activity has spiked.
According to NAR leadership, foreign clientele typically pursue properties priced well above the national median—often at or above $490,000—creating opportunities for deal volumes, commissions, and local economic activity. At the same time, the association emphasized the need for broker engagement with housing affordability groups, warning that unchecked demand from overseas buyers could raise barriers for domestic first-time purchasers and lower-income families.
NAR’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun, placed the renewed foreign interest within the broader context of global economic shifts. He cited weakening currencies in other countries—such as a 24 percent decline in the peso and smaller depreciations in the Canadian dollar, yuan, euro, and pound—as enhancing U.S. real estate’s appeal as both a stable asset and inflation hedge.
The report details that 56 percent of these buyers resided in the U.S. as recent immigrants or on long-term visas. The remaining 44 percent lived abroad. Among foreign buyers, 77 percent purchased detached single-family homes or townhomes, and 47 percent used their purchases as vacation homes, rental properties, or both.
China emerged as the leading country of origin, accounting for about 15 percent of foreign purchases—an estimated 11,700 homes valued at $13.7 billion. Canada followed closely at 14 percent, then Mexico at 8 percent, India at 6 percent, and the United Kingdom at 4 percent. Florida remained the top U.S. destination with 21 percent of international purchases, followed by California at 15 percent, Texas at 10 percent, New York at 7 percent, and Arizona at 5 percent. Notably, California overtook Texas this year in its share of international buyer interest, driven in part by demand from Chinese purchasers.
Real estate professionals are responding to these dynamics. Approximately 20 percent of surveyed Realtors reported working with at least one international client over the past year—a rise from 15 percent in the prior cycle. The majority of international buyer leads—about 72 percent—came through personal networks and referrals, while only 15 percent originated from online listings or websites.
Despite the surge in international activity, global interest has not fully returned to pre-2017 levels, when foreign buyers purchased more than 284,000 homes. Today’s figures still fall short, though the latest rebound reflects renewed international appetite for U.S. housing amid pandemic recovery. At the same time, domestic home sales remain near historic lows, pressured by high interest rates, tight credit, and limited inventory.
NAR also underscored persistent challenges in these transactions. Nearly 69 percent of real estate professionals reported that at least one international client was unable to complete a purchase. The most common reasons cited were inability to find an available property, high prices, and difficulty securing financing.
Meanwhile, brokers and advocacy groups in metropolitan areas hit by rising foreign demand are wary of affordability impacts on local residents. NAR has urged that expanded outreach be paired with collaboration with housing affordability councils, in order to balance marketplace growth with inclusive access—especially for first-time local homebuyers.
Industry analysts believe NAR’s enhanced guidance and agent support could help brokerages capitalize on international market momentum. At the same time, aligning cross-border marketing—with multilingual campaigns, localized pricing intelligence, and digital translator tools—may give U.S. agents a competitive edge.
NAR also promotes global collaboration through formal ties with more than 100 real estate associations in around 80 countries. These partnerships aim to boost referrals, training, networking, and referral workflow optimization for agents serving international buyers.
In summary, NAR’s expanded international outreach program arrives at a moment of rapid growth in foreign home buying—78,100 homes purchased in the past year, $56 billion in spending, and robust median pricing far above national norms. While offering opportunities for agents and local markets, it also raises important questions around affordability and housing equity.
Going forward, NAR’s challenge will be to balance global involvement with responsible growth—helping brokers serve high-end international clients while protecting access for domestic buyers in a market marked by tight inventory and high costs.
