Florida tops foreign buyer rankings again in NAR's 2026 report

Florida drew 20% of international residential real estate purchases in the National Association of REALTORS®' 2026 report, keeping the state in the No. 1 spot for foreign buyers. In South Florida, MIAMI REALTORS® data also shows Turkish buyers rising to the top tier in new construction and pre-construction sales.

Why it matters: - International buyers drove $45.3 billion in U.S. residential real estate purchases, and Florida captured the largest share of that demand. - The findings reinforce South Florida's role as a magnet for global capital, especially in coastal and pre-construction markets. - High levels of cash buying show foreign purchasers remain a resilient source of demand even in a higher-rate environment.

What happened: - The National Association of REALTORS® released its 2026 "International Transactions in U.S. Residential Real Estate" report on Aug. 19, 2026. - Florida accounted for 20% of all international transactions, ranking first nationally again. - California followed with 19%, and Texas was third with 12%. - MIAMI REALTORS® data showed Turkish buyers ranked fifth among top foreign buyer groups in local new construction, pre-construction and condo-conversion developments. - Florida-licensed real estate professional Ozan Hoşgör reviewed the national report alongside South Florida market data.

The details: - International buyers paid an average of $669,500 per purchase, with a median price of $465,000. - The U.S. national median home price during the same period was $413,600. - Forty-eight percent of international purchases were all-cash transactions. - By comparison, 28% of all U.S. existing-home buyers paid all cash. - Hoşgör said international buyers are using available liquidity to avoid traditional financing in a higher interest rate environment. - Hoşgör also said foreign capital remains a strong force in the U.S. housing market. - South Florida foreign investors are concentrating in Brickell, Downtown Miami and Miami Beach. - Hoşgör said buyers in the region are evaluating developer track records, payment schedules during construction, projected completion timelines, HOA fees, insurance costs and intended use before buying. - Hoşgör holds the Certified International Property Specialist and Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist designations. - Hoşgör is a Florida-licensed real estate professional with United Realty Group in Miami. - Hoşgör is an active member of NAR, MIAMI REALTORS® and FIABCI. - Hoşgör offers bilingual advisory and real estate services to international buyers in Miami, Miami Beach, Brickell and South Florida. - The release listed www.ozanhosgor.com as the general real estate contact and www.miamitr.com for Miami pre-construction projects. - The release also included social links for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X and miamitr.com.

Between the lines: - Florida's continued lead suggests international buyers still favor markets with deep liquidity, global recognition and access to condo and new-development inventory. - Turkish buyers showing up in the top five locally points to a more segmented foreign-buyer market than national rankings alone capture. - The emphasis on ownership costs signals international demand is becoming more selective, not just more active.

What's next: - South Florida's pre-construction and new-development pipeline will likely remain a key test of foreign buyer demand. - If cash-heavy international buying stays elevated, it could help support pricing in select Florida submarkets even as borrowing costs remain high. - Local agents and developers are likely to keep targeting overseas buyers with multilingual marketing and investment-focused sales strategies.