Foreign institutional investment in Latin American real estate

Abstract

Latin America has witnessed many upheavals and controversies in the recent past. However, the region continues to show strong and stable growth as business carries on despite political and social turbulence. Local economies are open to foreign investment. Markets have developed in both depth and sophistication as first risk-seeking frontier investors and then larger Institutional Investors entered the market. Today, open economies, increased market transparency and liquidity, sophisticated local partners, the availability of debt financing from both local and global parties and a variety of structures provide opportunities for Foreign Institutional Investors (FIls) to invest capital in assets in Latin America with attractive risk-return profiles. This thesis will assess the five largest Latin American markets for FIs, describing their economies' evolution and the formation and development of the FDI market. Investing in Latin America has become a central pillar of many international corporations' and developed countries' economic strategies. Many North American, Asian, and European firms have material investments in Latin America's real estate sector. The thesis will outline a series of best practices to follow when sourcing opportunities and managing a portfolio of assets in Latin America, along with the risks that may be encountered.