It is starting with properties in Florida and Michigan but have plans to also list properties in New York, California and other key states.
Standard & Poors, JP Morgan and Barclays Capital are just three of the big names that have forecast a significant upturn in prices of US real estate over the coming years. Parts of Florida have seen record sales and prices in the last 12 months with many buyers coming from overseas.
‘Our business in France has grown enormously over the last few years and we thought that the timing was right to tackle the US market. American real estate has been in the doldrums since the late 1990's but international demand and low stock levels have meant that both prices and transaction levels are beginning to rise,’ said chief executive, Trevor Leggett.
‘Florida in particular is an investment hub for Latin American investors and I saw first hand on a recent trip to China that Asian investors also see prime property in the USA as a secure home in a transparent market that is easily available to them,’ he explained.
‘We have spent considerable time sourcing the best agents and developers to work with and we are confident that our clients will have access to some of the finest properties and the most exciting new developments for investors and owner occupiers alike. Leggetts take great pride in our customer service and family values and we believe that this is the ideal time to extend these into other markets,’ he added.
As well as a range of individual houses and apartments Leggett USA will be marketing new developments and even individual building plots. An example is a range of freehold building plots from around $40,000 in Ocala, Florida, the horse capital of the USA.
At the other end of the price spectrum there are the exclusive resorts of Coconut Grove, Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Bal Harbour.
