Political and economic instabilities are prompting an increasing number of Americans to emulate the actions of affluent individuals from mainland China and Hong Kong, who have been acquiring properties and residency rights abroad.
Among the preferred locations are the UK, Australia, and Portugal, where real estate agencies have observed a notable rise in the number of U.S.-based clients looking to secure housing alternatives.
Although official statistics are limited, immigration consultants and real estate agents report that this trend became more pronounced after the re-election of Donald Trump. His policies have increased ambiguity around topics ranging from economic matters to legal governance.
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"Basil Mohr-Elzeki, who leads the North American division at Henley & Partners, a London-based consultancy for residence and citizenship through investment programs, noted that many Americans recognized the risks associated with depending solely on one passport and became uncomfortable with this reliance," he stated.
In 2024, the number of American clients utilizing the firm’s services surged over tenfold from what it was in 2019. U.S. citizens made up roughly one-quarter of all applications handled by the consultancy last year—almost equaling the total submissions from the following four nationalities grouped together.
The change in perspective remains strong," Mohr-Elzeki stated. "Moreover, in 2025, the appetite for alternative residences and citizenship keeps growing. Henley & Partners reports having more U.S. clients than at any time previously who are pursuing a secondary passport or foreign residency, with wealthy individuals seeing investment migration as crucial protection against financial and political instability within the United States.
This tendency can also be observed in Portugal, as reported by the Lisbon-based real estate agency Maia International Properties.
Following the November 2024 U.S. presidential election, there has been a significant surge in American interest in Portuguese property," stated Director Luiz Felipe Maia. "Prior to the election, we received between 30 and 50 inquiries per month from American buyers; however, this figure has now doubled.
Currently, the agency is collaborating with 15 prospective U.S. buyers who plan to tour properties in Portugal’s main city next month.
"Our primary focus is California, but we also see potential in Seattle and Arizona," he stated. Maia noted that despite delivering a substantial win for Trump, Florida hadn’t generated any interest from them yet.
The growing interest of Americans in purchasing properties in Portugal is evident from the airline schedules as well, with the national carrier TAP Air Portugal introducing new routes such as Los Angeles to Lisbon and Boston to Porto.
It's similar to what happens following an emigration wave Hong Kong in 2019 "Maia commented on the era of civil discontent in the city when the demand from Hong Kong residents for Portuguese real estate increased. 'The sentiment remains unchanged,'" she noted.
In Sydney, Australian-based agent Ken Jacobs mentioned that they have observed a consistent rise in American inquiries regarding premium properties in Australia ever since President Trump secured his re-election.
Considering the constraints on foreign property investments in Canberra, most Americans searching for real estate there aimed at "permanent resettlement," he mentioned.
Qi Chen, CEO and founder of the Australian property website OpenLot.com.au, stated that they have witnessed "an influx of new American users" following the recent election.
He mentioned that the website saw a 42 percent increase in active American users looking for new house-and-land packages in Australia between January and February. Additionally, website visits from U.S. users went up by 91 percent during this period.
Houses and lands represent new properties," Chen stated. "Buyers have the option to purchase them along with a contract for home construction or choose to arrange the building process independently at a later time.
Under Australia’s stringent foreign investment regulations, even purchasers from countries such as the United States can acquire newly constructed homes, brand-new apartments, and land-package deals. However, these overseas investors are prohibited from buying resale properties; only freshly built ones fall within permissible limits.
According to David Johnson, the managing director of property consultancy Inhous, the UK has experienced a notable increase in American buyers interested in purchasing or renting properties.
Although individuals from mainland China and Hong Kong continue to be the biggest group of overseas property purchasers in the UK, according to Johnson, "there has been a notable increase in inquiries from American citizens" following Trump’s victory in November, and this interest "has stayed consistent when compared to earlier years."
During the final quarter of 2024, the UK Home Office processed over 1,700 petitions for British citizenship from American citizens, marking the largest such figure within this timeframe in over twenty years. Throughout all of 2024, a total of 6,100 applications were submitted by individuals from the United States, representing a rise of more than 25 percent compared to the year 2023.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, American interest in obtaining secondary citizenships has increased. Meanwhile, the population of Chinese nationals residing in major expatriate centers such as Malaysia has grown threefold following the reopening of China’s borders in 2023, according to Kashif Ansari, co-founder and group CEO of property listings platform Juwai IQI. Currently, approximately 12 million people originating from Mainland China and Hong Kong, along with around 5 million U.S.-born individuals, reside overseas.
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The article initially appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), which is the premier source for news coverage of China and Asia.
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