Foreign interest in Austin housing market most seen from Mexico, China

By Claire Partain

Over $634 million was pumped into the Austin economy from international homebuyers from April 2020 to March 2021, a period that saw unprecedented growth in the housing market despite the pandemic.

According to the 2021 Central Texas International Homebuyers Report by the Austin Board of Realtors, the top international buyers were from five countries: Mexico (14%), China (14%), Canada (6%), India (6%) and Armenia (5%).

As the housing market reached new highs foreign investors continued to show interest in the area, according to ABoR president Susan Horton, although the number was significantly lower than the year prior due to travel restrictions from the pandemic.

“Even in the midst of a global pandemic, international homebuyers continued to invest in residential real estate in the Austin area—a testament to the strength, popularity and resiliency of our local housing market,” Horton said. “The bottom line is that Austin continues to attract people from all over the world, and we welcome them to our community whether they are looking to relocate or invest.”