Key facts
- Foreign buyers spent $45.3 billion on U.S. existing homes between April 2025 and March 2026.
- This marks a 19.1% decrease in dollar volume and a 14% decrease in property count year-over-year.
- An estimated 67,100 homes were purchased by international buyers, the second-lowest figure since 2009.
- The median purchase price for foreign buyers was $465,000, compared to $413,600 for all buyers.
- 48% of foreign buyers paid in cash, significantly higher than the 28% for all buyers.
- Canada and Mexico led in the number of purchases, while China accounted for the largest dollar volume.
Foreign buyers purchased $45.3 billion in U.S. existing homes between April 2025 and March 2026, marking a significant decline in both dollar volume and the number of properties transacted, according to the National Association of Realtors' (NAR) latest report. The 19.1% drop in dollar volume and 14% decrease in property count reflect a broader slowdown in international visitor activity to the United States.
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun noted that a slightly weaker U.S. dollar did not stimulate more foreign purchasing power. The report, based on a survey of 4,970 Realtors, indicated that international buyers acquired an estimated 67,100 existing homes during the 12-month period, the second-lowest level since NAR began tracking this data in 2009. This represents 1.7% of total existing-home sales and 2.0% of the total sales volume.
The median purchase price for foreign buyers was $465,000, higher than the $413,600 median for all existing-home buyers. However, the average foreign purchase price decreased by 6.9% year-over-year, suggesting a shift towards lower price points due to borrowing costs and limited inventory. Despite these challenges, 48% of foreign buyers paid all cash, a stark contrast to the 28% of all existing-home buyers who did so.
Resident foreign buyers, including recent immigrants and visa holders living in the U.S., accounted for 56% of foreign transactions, totaling $21.8 billion. Non-resident foreign buyers, whose primary residences remain abroad, made up 44% of purchases, totaling $23.5 billion, and spent more on average per transaction.
Canada emerged as the top country of origin by purchase volume, with 16% of foreign buyers, while Mexico followed at 14%. China, despite falling to third in unit count with 11%, remained the largest source of dollar volume at $7.6 billion, with an average purchase price near $1 million, heavily concentrated in high-cost markets like California and New York. India ranked fourth with 9% of buyers, and the United Kingdom accounted for 4%.
Florida continued to lead as the top destination, attracting 20% of foreign buyers, followed by California with 19% and Texas with 12%. New Jersey and Georgia each attracted 4% of international buyers.