Real Estate: Digital Nomads VS Real Estate Investors
Recently, there has been a gradual but significant shift in how people work and make investments. The emergence of technology, the expansion of seamless remote work options, and the need for more adaptable lives following the pandemic have led to the emergence of a new class of professionals dubbed “digital nomads.” Due to their location-independent lifestyle, these individuals are able to work from any area while travelling and experiencing new things, including cultures and business prospects.
Even with the existence of this new group of people, real estate investors have also gained strength over time. Digital nomads and real estate investors, despite their seemingly different primary interests and lifestyles, intersect on the topic of real estate in several key areas. Here’s how:
1. Interest in Flexible Housing Options
Digital Nomads:
They often seek flexible, short-term housing options as they move from one location to another. This includes furnished apartments, co-living spaces, and rental properties that offer month-to-month leases.
Real Estate Investors:
Investors who own or are interested in purchasing short-term rental properties or vacation rentals find a direct market in digital nomads. They can cater to the nomads’ need for flexibility by offering properties on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, or specialized websites for digital nomads.
2. Demand for Amenities and High-Speed Internet
Both groups place a high value on modern amenities, especially high-speed internet connectivity. Digital nomads need reliable internet to work remotely, while real estate investors recognize that properties equipped with such amenities attract more tenants and can command higher rental prices.
3. Interest in Emerging Markets
Digital Nomads:
They are often attracted to locations with a lower cost of living but with good infrastructure, which allows them to maximize their lifestyle and work efficiency.
Real Estate Investors:
These markets are also attractive to investors looking for higher returns on investment. Properties in emerging markets can be more affordable and offer higher rental yields due to increasing demand from both local populations and foreign renters, including digital nomads.
4. Utilization of Real Estate as a Service (REaaS)
Real Estate Investors:
The concept of Real Estate as a Service (REaaS) is growing, where real estate is not just seen as a physical space but a service that offers added value such as community events, networking opportunities, and flexible usage terms.
Digital Nomads:
They are a primary audience for REaaS offerings, valuing the community and networking aspects highly, alongside the flexibility such services offer.
5. Impact on Local Real Estate Markets
Digital Nomads:
Their movement to different locales can significantly impact local real estate markets, driving demand for short-term rentals and co-living spaces.
Real Estate Investors:
Savvy investors monitor these trends to invest in areas with growing populations of digital nomads, anticipating shifts in demand and potential increases in property values and rental income.
How can Real Estate Investment give digital nomads opportunities?
Every digital nomad eventually has to confront the fact that trying to balance work and continual travel is difficult. The majority of talks at cowork spaces are about exciting adventures that lie ahead rather than interesting work projects.
Digital nomads soon find that rather than attempting to fit in more than 40 hours of work in stunning locations, having passive income and a growing foundation of appreciating assets would support their travel goals.
While traditional real estate investing in residential properties frequently necessitates investors’ physical presence, digital nomads can increase their wealth, create passive income streams, and even receive tax benefits that recoup some of their travel expenses by passively investing in real estate syndications.
Digital nomad risks
There are several difficulties associated with being a digital nomad, such as time zone changes, visa requirements, and the requirement for dependable internet access. But the allure of seeing other people, and places, and feeling independent has caused the number of digital nomads to steadily rise globally.
Given their unusual lifestyle, one may think that digital nomads have equally unusual investing approaches. Although this is somewhat accurate, it is crucial to realize that there isn’t one solution that works for everyone. The backgrounds, levels of financial literacy, and risk tolerance of digital nomads vary widely. The concepts remain the same, yet in reality, having the ability to conduct business in other nations and currencies creates a plethora of fresh opportunities.
Conclusion
In summary, while digital nomads and real estate investors approach the real estate market from different angles—one from the perspective of temporary housing and workspace needs, and the other from an investment and profit-maximizing standpoint—they share common ground in their interest in flexible housing options, amenities, and emerging markets. This overlap creates opportunities for both groups to benefit from the evolving landscape of the real estate industry.