The immigration policies adopted by the Trump Administration have created frustrations among Latin American real estate investors in the United States, who are eager to get their money out of their countries, but now face an uncertain situation.
“A lot of our demand comes from South America and Latin America. And I think, given the current political context with our Administration and the deportations, I feel that our buyers in those markets are a little frustrated and reluctant to invest here,” Related Group real estate president Jon Paul Perez told EFE during the Real Estate Forum 2025 in Miami, whose main sponsor is Abanca USA.
Latin American investment is held back
Perez said during the forum, organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the U.S., that investments from Latin America “have slowed down” for this reason.
However, he maintained that “with time the situation will return to the way it was before”.
And although he indicated that the tariffs adopted by the Trump Administration have also affected the sector, raising the prices of construction materials, it is especially the immigration policies that are the most worrisome.
Since it is already causing some construction workers to stay away from their jobs.
Regarding the impact of the tariffs, Key International’s co-president, Íñigo Ardid, explained that the cost overruns had been absorbed by other companies before reaching the real estate developers.
He expressed that the initial uncertainty has given way to tranquility.
A meeting between real estate leaders and investors
The forum also included panels on the transformation of office and retail spaces.
As well as residential and multifamily development, innovation in the hotel industry and mixed-use models.
As well as the role of real estate financing in driving growth, among others.
“It has been a forum where the most important thing is that a communications platform has been created between the major real estate leaders and investors.”
“There has been a lot of communication, very open conversations about opportunities, challenges and difficulties,” Mónica Vázquez, CEO of Abanca USA, told EFE.
This event comes at a time of growth for the U.S. real estate sector.
Which could reach a market valued at $3.11 trillion by 2030.
According to a statement from the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, of which Vázquez is president.
“We have a very good outlook for what’s ahead,” said The Estates Company principal Alejandro Arrieta, who participated in the forum.
He added that “South Florida is the strongest market, if not in the world, then particularly in the US”.
However, another speaker at the event, Rilea Group CEO Alan Ojeda, noted that the trend was very different in South Florida compared to the rest of the United States.
He indicated that he is “suffering a lot right now”.
Permits and financing: the main challenges
To access this market, Abanca’s director of credit relations, Margarita Sánchez, revealed that some of the challenges faced by Latin American investors are “permitting, which is very different from that of their countries of origin”.
As well as access to financing, since for them “local banking is quite closed”.
Vázquez stressed that the United States is a strategic market for Abanca, a Spanish bank headquartered in Betanzos, La Coruña.
In six years of activity in the U.S., the country has become the third most important market in terms of business volume.
Surpassed only by Spain and Portugal.
Abanca USA began operating in the United States in 2019 through its Miami headquarters.
From where it serves the entire nation and the Latin American region.
Since then, it has supported its clients in more than 60 development projects in the country, reported EFE.
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
