`Indians 3rd biggest investor in US realty market at $8 billion`

New Delhi: Indians are the third biggest international investor community with USD 8 billion investment in the US realty market after Canadians and Chinese, brokerage firm Sotheby's International Realty said Thursday.

Besides, 25 percent of the international real estate market in London also belongs to Indians with investments around 1 billion pounds while they also invested more than USD 2 billion in the Dubai real estate market in the first half of 2015 only.

"I think and I believe Indians that live in the US are one of the largest group of millionaires in the America... they are already there and therefore they are investing in real estate," US-based Sotheby's International Realty President and CEO Philip A White told PTI.

Sotheby's International Realty in August 2014 had signed an agreement with Indian firm RealPro Infra Pvt Ltd and established its Indian arm under the name North India Sotheby's International Realty, which caters to the luxury real estate demands of resident and global Indians.

Sharing the details of Indians investment in the US, North India Sotheby's International Realty Founder and President Ashwin Chadha said: "After Canadians and Chinese, Indians are third largest international community in US in terms of real estate investment and had invested around USD 8 billion last year."

Talking about the Indian market for the global brokerage firm, White said they are optimistic about Indian luxury real estate market and have huge expectations.

India as a country has huge potential to be the top nation in terms of business for us. It may take few years to get there, he added.

"Indians searching property globally, I think we all know Indians put big premium on real estate as a tangible asset to protect from inflation or number of things so I think they keep on looking at the opportunities," White added.

Further elaborating about the brokerage firm's domestic operations so far, North India Sotheby's International Realty Founder and CEO Amit Goyal said they have already tied up with some established players in the sector including Tata Housing, Sobha and Max Group's Antara Housing.

According to US-based National Association of Realtors data Indians had spent USD 5.8 billion in fiscal 2014 to purchase real estate in that country. China topped the list of foreign nationals with USD 22 billion in realty for the one year period ended March 2014.