A new breed of real estate investor has emerged over the past few years, it has been claimed. Favouring safe secondary markets over more risky emerging ones, they are looking for quality, high levels of customer service and long-term stability.
Robin Wilson, head of overseas at Rightmove and the man who identified the trend, believes that it can only be viewed as good news for the property sector.
He explained that the seasonal slowdown in real estate searches continued in October, although certain destinations did see an increase in interest. The US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Austria were among the countries which enjoyed a growth in search numbers.
This, Mr Wilson added, is because they are pretty safe secondary markets with established infrastructure.
"It might be too early to call, but we may be seeing the emergence of a new breed of disciplined investors, more interested in long term gains than quick bucks. That kind of buyer will demand a level of quality and service from opportunities that will require developers and agents to really step up their game and that can only be good for the industry," said Mr Wilson.