Defying the Odds – First Half of 2020 Up Over Same Period Last Year
In late March, our world, and everything in it, came to a screeching halt, as Turks & Caicos Islands closed its borders to tourists and visitors through the end of June. Resorts, restaurants, airports and businesses closed and real estate deals, after a strong Q1, were either canceled or deferred.
However, unlike the aftermath of the financial crisis of September 2009, where we had weak fundamentals and luxury buyers disappeared, the opposite has occurred, with luxury and other buyers remaining in the game and continuing to shop and purchase real estate. Reports from our Sotheby’s International Realty network echo similar strength and trends in the US and Canada, and many countries internationally. In this regard, our market demand has shown much greater resilience and further, there has not been a flight to list property. So far, at least, our market has backed up prior assertions that we are stronger and fundamentally healthier. There are several reasons for this. First, we do not have an oversupply of inventory; second, we have very few speculators in the market; third, our debt–to–equity ratio is very low; fourth, throughout North America and beyond, there has been a COVID-19 surge to quality, open space and “safe” havens, and TCI checks all of these boxes. Finally, and most importantly, we continue to work diligently to communicate and serve our clients and customers. From our regular virtual internal team meetings to participation in Industry Zoom conferences, and virtual showings with customers and clients across the globe, we have placed quality communication at the forefront. In this regard, it is inspiring that we feel more connected with our network, team and community than ever.
Turks & Caicos Real Estate | Caribbean 