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South Florida has long been a favorite destination for wealthy Colombian real estate investors, but worsening political and economic volatility at home has sharpened their focus on the Sunshine State.
Although Miami has historically been their favored location, Colombian investors are also expanding their footprint into other Florida markets, from Hollywood to Orlando, as they seek to park their capital in U.S. real estate to secure a stable financial safety net.
“They can invest really anywhere else, but they focus here because they already know the market,” 2026 Miami Realtors residential president-elect Ruben Sanchez tells Realtor.com®. “We speak their language, first and foremost, and they’re comfortable with it because they’re constantly here. And if they’re not here, they have a relative that’s already here.”
The latest Realtor.com international demand report analyzing overseas views of online listings confirms the outsized role of Colombian shoppers in Florida’s housing market. It shows that Miami is the top U.S. market for foreign homebuyer interest.
At the start of the year, more than 55% of international demand from Colombians went to Florida. Miami has maintained its status as the most sought-after metro among Colombian shoppers, commanding nearly 32% of views, up from roughly 29% a year ago.
Orlando came in a distant second, accounting for approximately 7% of international demand from Colombia.
“It is no surprise that Miami ranks as the most popular market for Colombians to buy homes,” says Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu. “The city sits just a three-hour flight from Bogotá. Its deeply rooted Latin culture and large Colombian community make the transition feel seamless.”
Colombian elections supercharge demand
Alejandra O’Connor, senior sales executive at Nexo Residences, a luxury condominium development in North Miami Beach, says that while demand from Colombian buyers has been consistently high for years, it has intensified over the past few months due to the growing geopolitical uncertainty in the South American nation of nearly 54 million people.
The campaign leading up to first-round voting in the country’s presidential election, scheduled for May 31, has been overshadowed by violence, including the assassination of a presidential candidate and a series of bombings.
“They’re definitely mentioning that that is one of the reasons why they’re investing, to kind of have as a Plan B, no matter what happens,” O’Connor tells Realtor.com.
Sanchez says that based on the association’s recent housing data analysis, Colombia is the No. 1 global buyer market for South Florida real estate, accounting for 15% of all international purchases.
Miami is the top choice for 59% of Colombian buyers, anchored by established communities in enclaves such as Kendall, Doral, and South Miami.
What Colombian investors are buying
For Sanchez and O’Connor, Miami’s appeal is obvious: The city is just a short four-hour flight from Bogotá, is home to a large Colombian community, and offers a desirable lifestyle and climate.
Affluent Colombian investors are particularly drawn to new, turnkey luxury condos with waterfront views.
At Nexo Residences, situated along Biscayne Boulevard, where prices range from $600,000 to $1.8 million, O’Connor notes that Colombian investors favor two- to three-bedroom units large enough to accommodate extended families. Social amenities such as rooftop terraces, pool decks, outdoor movie theaters, and summer kitchens are major selling points.
“They really enjoy anything like that social,” she says.
Miami association’s data further reveals that nearly 3 out of 4 Colombian buyers plan to use their properties as rentals, vacation homes, or both, allowing them to generate income in U.S. dollars as a hedge against economic instability in their home country.
“They definitely see it as a secure investment because even if you don’t live here, you are still able to own property here and rent it out and get that money in Colombia,” says O’Connor.
Real estate as a financial safety net
Sanchez and O’Connor agree that the vast majority of Colombian investors do not buy condos in South Florida because they plan to immediately relocate to the U.S. Rather, they seek to establish a foothold as part of a long-term strategy.
Sanchez, a real estate agent with 20 years of experience specializing in luxury properties, says that many of his wealthy Colombian clients are drawn to pre-construction units, which they purchase at current prices, hopefully adding equity over the three- to four-year build cycle.
In that luxury tier of $3 million-plus, Sanchez says buyers’ must-haves include balconies overlooking the water, access to athletic facilities such as pickleball courts, and walkable neighborhoods.
While Colombia’s political volatility often serves as a catalyst for the moneyed set to invest in Florida real estate, experts argue that these buyers are mostly unfazed by uncertainty in the U.S.
“No matter what happens in the United States, in our own government and our own instability, they are still better off having their money here than over there,” says O’Connor. “In the long-term picture, most people understand that this country is going to be more stable than theirs, no matter if we’re going through our own thing here.”
Sanchez adds that for investors across Latin America, not just Colombia, the U.S. dollar remains a powerful economic anchor. They consistently look to bring their capital to the U.S. to shield it from regional turmoil.
“They definitely see it as a secure investment,” he says.
Wealth mobility in action
The new international demand report from Realtor.com indicates that in the first three months of 2026, Miami was the top U.S. destination for overall global shoppers, drawing 10.3% of online views from abroad.
New York City was in second place (4.7%), followed by Los Angeles (4.6%), which has been losing appeal with this foreign buyer demographic since 2020.
Ana Bozovic, a Miami-based real estate agent and founder of Analytics Miami and Miami Deal Sheet, says that what’s happening with Colombian buyers flocking to Miami and other parts of South Florida reflects a broader trend she calls “global wealth mobility in action.”
“Affluent individuals are increasingly diversifying away from jurisdictions perceived as less predictable from a fiscal or political standpoint and toward markets viewed as more stable, business-friendly, and favorable to capital preservation,” Bozovic tells Realtor.com.
As Colombia moves deeper into its 2026 presidential election cycle, wealth taxation and fiscal reforms under incumbent President Gustavo Petro have emerged as part of the national conversation. Ongoing budget pressures are contributing to concerns among high net worth Colombians and business owners that additional taxation measures could still be on the horizon.
“Just as we have seen high earners migrate domestically from high-tax U.S. states like New York and California into Florida, we are seeing a similar dynamic play out in Colombia,” says Bozovic. “Affluent Colombian families are seeking diversification and safeguards against growing long-term uncertainty and fears of hostilities toward capital.”
