Our report about the real estate market in Panama City describes the trends in real estate prices in Panama City in 2019 and gives an outlook for the year 2020. Since the real estate market in Panama City is very diverse, we concentrate in our report on the locations and qualities in which ourselves and our customers are active as buyers. These are the prime locations in Panama City, located in the UNESCO Old Town “Casco Viejo”, in the promenade street “Avenida Balboa” and in Punta Pacifica. These are basically residential properties of very good quality in unique locations.

To understand Panama and the real estate market in particular, it makes sense to use the following link to familiarize yourself with the main events and historical real estate market trends in Panama City. The following real estate prices in Panama City are prices & rents realized by us and/or our customers in the year 2019.

We concentrate on the locations and districts mentioned because they are unique, stable in value and good to rent.

Apartments in the promenade street “Avenida Balboa” are characterized by the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean, the islands and the ocean tankers waiting for the entrance to the Panama Canal. They are close to metro stations, workplaces, shopping malls and are therefore popular with the multinational companies in Panama and their employees who are looking for apartments to rent in Panama City. Panama City is the headquarters of 250 multinational corporations. Most of these companies control their activities in Central and South America from here.

We concentrate on the best quality residential towers in relation to construction quality, property management and amenities. The same applies to selected properties in Punta Pacifica. Properties in the prime seaside locations in metropolises are in demand all over the world and will remain so in the future, as the supply is limited.

We are currently seeing a buyer’s market that, with the right strategy, delivers very interesting return figures. While many locations in the world have to struggle with high purchase prices and correspondingly low rental yields, we buy in the first row at the Pacific for approx. 2,300 – 2,500 USD / sqm and rent furnished for approx. 15 USD / sqm in the prime location mentioned above. This enables us to achieve gross rental yields of approx. 7% in USD in the fastest growing country in the western world.

In general, the supply of living space in the modern city has grown strongly in recent years, which has led to falling prices in some locations. As described above, we focus on a specific part of the Panama City property market, where supply is limited and demand good.

In these locations, the prices for buying and renting have not changed significantly since 2018.

Panama City Town Casco Viejo

Directly in front of the skyline of Panama City you will find the UNESCO Old Town “Casco Viejo” (Info Link), where about 850 buildings are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Many years ago, the Old Town was considered the most dangerous part of Panama City. But with the beginning of the restorations of the beautiful colonial buildings since 2003, the Casco Viejo has successively transformed into a very charming and popular district, in which meanwhile about 50% of the buildings have been restored or are under restoration. As the buildings vary a lot in terms of location, floor plan, quality and equipment, it is much more difficult to name flat purchase prices and rents. In some streets of the old town of Panama City it can be very noisy due to restaurants, renovation work and traffic, whereas in other locations you can enjoy the charm and peace of the old town on your own roof terrace. It depends very much on the right choice of property. Since the number of buildings on the peninsula is naturally limited, it is basically a very unique and stable property location. In our preferred locations and qualities within the old town of Panama City you pay for used real estate approx. 3,000 – 3,500 USD per square meter and rent at 14-18 USD. New restoration projects are much more expensive and usually range between 4,000 – 5,500 USD per square meter.

Ocean Reef Panama City

Outlook for the year 2020

Since July 2019, the new government of Panama has been in office (Info-Link) and here people are waiting for the new projects that promote the economy and bring new workers to Panama. These have a positive influence on the real estate market in Panama through their rental demand. Among the most important major projects are the construction of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal, on which Metro Line 3 will run and connect the districts on the other side of the canal with the city center. Construction is scheduled to start in 2020. The first cruise terminal and the new exhibition centre in Panama City will also be completed in 2020. Both will lead to a strong increase in foreign visitors to Panama City. The economy will benefit from this and new real estate investors will arrive in Panama City.

And of course the planned beach for Panama City, which would significantly upgrade the attractiveness of the entire city and have a significant impact on real estate prices on the Pacific Promenade (Info-Link).

Panama serves as a “safe haven” for investors and companies in the USD region. The current crisis in the neighboring South American countries reinforces this effect. Rich people in these crisis countries are looking for safe USD investment locations such as Panama for their capital. And those who want to invest in the Latin American region will probably also have Panama on their agenda right now for lack of alternatives. As real estate investors, we are noticing this these days, as we are facing increasing international competition when buying real estate in Panama. However, this should have a very positive effect on prices.

Here is our report “The impact of the South American crisis on Panama“.

In Panama, one of the world’s largest copper mines went into operation in 2019, which will further support the already strong GDP growth. So far, the raw materials sector has had little impact on the Panamanian economy. This will change in the future.

Panama’s population is very young with an average age of 26 years (Germany 44 years) and the population is growing with 2% p.a. (Germany 0.2%). As a result, purchasing power will grow again and the demand for residential properties will increase.

Besides all the positive facts, Panama’s economy continues to struggle with the following difficulties:

• Poor education system of the population
• Reputation as a tax haven although Panama is no longer on the EU or OECD blacklist
• Lack of qualified specialists

According to the IMF, Panama’s economy is growing faster than most of the rest of the world. The economy and government are working to establish Panama as the “Singapore of Latin America“. As the geographical centre of the entire region for business, trade and logistics. These are important elements for the attractiveness of the investment location and the real estate in Panama.

Many of our investors use USD real estate investments in Panama to diversify their assets. Others, however, are also looking for another location outside the euro zone for their lifetime and at the same time apply for a second residence in Panama (Info-Link). Panama and its real estate market have so far been relatively unknown outside the American continent. Due to political developments in many countries around the world, international wealthy investors are increasingly looking for safe new locations.

FRAPAN-Invest

Klaus Happ’s company “FRAPAN-Invest” advises investors who want to invest in real estate in Panama. Furthermore, Klaus Happ will be happy to advise you personally on the subject of “Plan B in Panama”.

The real estate market in Panama is internationally one of the most interesting for investments. We would like to be your trusted local partner and assist you with the initial purchase. Additionally, we can take care of your real estate in Panama in a sustainable way.

Profitable, safe and beautiful:
Investments in Panama

Investors and entrepreneurs frequently ask me why they should invest in Panama. The background to this question is often that people don’t know much about this small country at the Panama Canal and that they have concentrated on their home market. And this although there is much competition and falling yields. In this article, I will look at the reasons why our investors invested in Panama. The main reason for them is often “diversification outside the euro zone”. This involves both investments in entrepreneurial projects and real estate in Panama.

(All info links with blue background are clickable)

Most people know exactly three things about Panama. Namely the Panama Canal, the story “Oh, how beautiful is Panama” and the Panama Papers. All three have something to do with Panama, but Panama is much more important for the world economy and has much more to offer investors.

Diversification
The economy, the real estate market and the stock market have performed well since the end of the financial market crisis in 2009. Especially the German market. This was the reason for many investors and entrepreneurs to concentrate on the domestic market, as yields were correspondingly attractive. For some time now, however, yields on German government bonds and first-class real estate have tended towards zero, and the stock market has also become more volatile in recent months. If you consider the weak growth forecasts of the European economy and the problems of individual European countries (Italy, France, Brexit, etc.), this is quite logical. In general, our investors all have a common reason for investing in Panama: Diversification outside the Eurozone. This involves the diversification of assets, the entrepreneurial portfolio and, in some cases, the life plan. Some of our investors no longer feel comfortable in Europe and are therefore establishing a Plan B. This means that they obtain a residence permit for Panama with our help and then often buy a property that can be rented out and used later by themselves. Panama has the USD as its national currency and is a very interesting country due to its political and legal security, which is why more than 250 multinational companies are based in Panama and most of them even have their headquarters for Central and South America. Companies such as Nestle, Adidas or the United Nations have done their country research and ultimately decided in favor of Panama. Under the following link you will find a good report on “Diversification”.

Diversification always makes sense, especially in politically and economically uncertain times. The only investor who should not diversify is the one who is always 100% on the right track! (John M. Templeton)

Yields
In Panama City in the prime locations the gross rental yields are approx. 6-7% p.a.
Modern apartments in Panama City on the Pacific Promenade are priced at approx. 2,500 USD per square meter and are rented at approx. 15 USD per square meter. Here you have an amazing view of the Pacific, the islands and the old town. This unique location naturally also applies to the historic UNESCO Old Town. In both parts of the city, the multinational corporations are looking for rental apartments for their employees so that you can achieve regular and attractive rental returns in USD. Population growth and average age are important aspects of investment, as both have a major impact on future purchasing power and demand. In Panama, population growth is about 2% p.a. and the average age is 26 years, which is very positive compared to Germany (0.2% / 44 years). The following links provide an overview of yields on international real estate markets and historical price trends.

Economy

• One of the fastest growing countries in the world
  (GDP growth since 2002 approx. 8% p.a. average / IMF forecast 6% p.a. for the next 4 years)
• Local currency is the USD
• There are 250 multinational companies in Panama; most of them have their Latin American Headquarters (e.g. Nestle, Roche, Adidas, DHL, but also the United Nations)
• Second largest free trade zone in the world
• Government debt is very low at 38% of GDP (vs. 86% in the euro zone)
• Panama’s economy is shaped by the service sector (about 75% of GDP) and benefits strongly from the mega infrastructure projects and the Panama Canal, which has another record year.
• In May 2019, the IMF reports on Panama’s economic quantum leap
• S&P raised Panama’s rating from BBB to BBB+ in April 2019
• Key economic figures for Panama

Politics
Panama is a democratic country where elections are held every five years and is considered politically stable. That is one of the reasons why international investors and companies have decided to invest here, because “an investment is only as safe as its country”. On 05 May 2019 the presidential elections took place in Panama. These elections have a big influence on the start of new major projects in Panama and are therefore very important for companies that are interested in doing business in Panama. Panama has made great efforts in recent years in the fight against money laundering and enacted various laws, so that Panama no longer appears on a black list. The European Union recently even decided to establish its diplomatic headquarters in Panama City.

Safety and security
Life in Panama is usually safe and normally you won’t get in touch with crime because Panama is considered the safest country in Latin America. This is also an important reason for the large corporations mentioned, because for them it is important that their thousands of employees feel safe in Panama. The following is still relevant in connection with security in Panama:

• Panama does not have its own military, because the USA protects the borders of Panama.
• Panama’s constitution protects private property for both domestic and foreigners
• The land register of Panama and the purchase procedure are very similar to the procedure in Germany.
• There are no hurricanes and no major earthquakes.

Life
In 2019, the company “International Living” once again voted Panama the best country in the world when it comes to the question of where to retire. They justify it with the unique combination of natural beauty, climate, standard of living, medical care and safety, which no other country has to offer in its entirety. In Panama City you will find hospitals at a high international level, as many doctors have been trained in the USA. You can find the full report at this link.

Besides all the advantages there are of course a lot of things that Panama should do better. These can be found in the previous link.

FRAPAN-Invest

Klaus Happ’s company “FRAPAN-Invest” advises investors who want to invest in real estate in Panama. Furthermore, Klaus Happ will be happy to advise you personally on the subject of “Plan B in Panama”.

The real estate market in Panama is internationally one of the most interesting for investments. We would like to be your trusted local partner and assist you with the initial purchase. Additionally, we can take care of your real estate in Panama in a sustainable way.

Profitable, safe and beautiful:
Investments in Panama