From the end of February, i.e. immediately after the start of the special operation, the Russians accelerated the purchase of real estate abroad, massively “escaped” from the country in order to wait out the geopolitical upheavals. According to Kommersant newspaper, representatives of the IT sector are in the lead.
In an interview with the publication, Deputy Director of the Banking Development Institute Yulia Makarenko said that 70,000 IT specialists left Russia in February and March, and by the end of April, another 100,000 developers and programmers are expected to join them. Topping the list of the most preferred countries where the middle class of Russians aspire to long-term residence and where they buy housing is Turkey. Wealthier immigrants prefer Dubai.
Elena Marinicheva, vice president of Russia Sotheby's International Realty, a luxury real estate agency, noted that the demand for buying a home from Russian citizens increased by 10 percent in Georgia, by 60-70 percent in Dubai and Thailand, and by a record 250 percent in Turkey . According to the expert, in Turkey, due to the hype, the number of offers for the sale of housing has decreased, and some private owners have raised prices, so it is too early to give an objective dynamics of the price index on the market.
“For example, in Turkey, the average real estate price increased by no more than 3%, but due to increased demand, objects at the most attractive price were bought back in the first ten days of March, and more expensive lots remained in free supply. The same goes for the rental market. Plus, do not forget about the growth of the exchange rate: of course, in terms of the new exchange rate, the cost of housing will seem higher, although in fact the price in foreign currency has not changed,” she said.
At the same time, the rush demand for such countries , as Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal, in which the Russians have traditionally shown interest, decreased due to sanctions barriers. In particular, the complexity of money transfers has negatively affected demand, although these regions are the easiest to obtain a residence permit and the easiest to emigrate to, experts say. At the same time, the interlocutors of the publication noted that despite all the obstacles, the Russians continue to buy real estate in these countries too.
Earlier, Turprom wrote that “Turkey called the main problem with Russian tourists: it was proposed to pay for them by barter” .
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