Yesterday, I hosted a RETA Live. These are monthly online events for my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group where I sit down live with key members of my team to discuss the biggest opportunities we’re seeing across our global beat.
The idea is to bring RETA members inside the conversations my team and I are having internally about the destinations, deals, trends, and opportunities capturing our attention right now.
Yesterday, my editorial director, Ciaran Madden, and I focused on the Southern Cone region of South America—Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil—and the opportunities being created by the huge transformation taking place there.
In a moment, I’m going to share some of the key questions RETA members asked during the event and my answers to them, including…
- Are you planning on having RETA deals in Uruguay?
- What do you think about the Mendoza region of Argentina?
- What are my thoughts on buying a piece of beachfront land on Uruguay’s east coast as a land bank?
But first, a breakdown of why I’m so bullish on the Southern Cone region of South America right now…
The Southern Cone region has strong infrastructure, abundant natural resources, and some of the world’s most vibrant and attractive cities. After generations of false promise, there are now powerful signs this region is moving ahead…
What is the “Southern Cone?”
The Southern Cone is a distinctive geographic and cultural region that feels different from the rest of Latin America.
The countries here share deep European roots, strong agricultural traditions, better infrastructure than their northern neighbors, and, in key places, a quality of life that feels closer to southern Europe than to the tropics.
For more than a century, the Southern Cone was dismissed as a land of failed promise.
It had everything it needed to become one of the world’s great wealth engines. But it was plagued by corruption and crisis.
Now, after generations of false starts, this region is quietly moving.
Here’s a quick run through of the key reasons the world is now looking to the Southern Cone…
The Southern Cone region occupies the southern half of South America, encompassing Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.
The Southern Cone has so much of what the world needs right now.
First, there’s food…
The Southern Cone is one of the most fertile and food-secure regions in the world.
With global food requirements set to climb sharply by 2050, this region is poised to play a major role in meeting that demand.
Another big story today is energy.
At precisely the moment the world is scrambling for cheap electricity—for data centers, AI, and manufacturing—parts of the Southern Cone have it in abundance.
Paraguay, for instance, generates so much clean hydroelectric power that it exports the surplus—earning over a billion dollars a year doing it.
The Southern Cone is also home to one of the most underreported Paths of Progress in the world today. The Bi-oceanic Corridor is a land-based logistics mega-project designed to link Brazil’s Atlantic ports with Chile’s Pacific ports, crossing Paraguay and northern Argentina along the way.
Studies suggest it could cut transit times by up to two weeks for some exports and reduce logistics costs by around 30% to 40% on certain routes.
The Bi-oceanic Corridor is set to link Pacific ports in Chile with Atlantic ports in Brazil, slashing transport costs for producers across the region.
And there’s more good news for the region’s exporters…
In late 2024, the European Union and Mercosur’s founding members—Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—reached agreement on one of the largest trade deals ever negotiated by the EU.
If fully ratified, this agreement would create one of the largest trade areas on earth—a market of around 700 million people linking Europe and South America.
These are just three reasons the world is looking to the Southern Cone today…
There are more, like easy residency options…strong tax incentives that are drawing wealthy folks from around the world…a quality of life that surprises…
And for real estate investors, the Southern Cone gives us three very different opportunities to profit from it rise…
The quality of life in culture-rich Argentina is a match for the world’s great cities, though real estate prices remain highly affordable.
In Paraguay, the opportunity is to get positioned ahead in a capital city entering a major growth phase.
In Argentina, the opportunity is to buy a prime lifestyle asset and capture major uplifts if Argentina stabilizes, confidence returns, and the mortgage market expands the buyer pool.
In Uruguay, the opportunity is to own proven safe-haven real estate with capital appreciation potential in the region’s premier coastal destination.
Three countries. Three different paths to potential profit.
My team and I have been scouting these countries regularly and plan to put boots on the ground in Paraguay and Uruguay again later this year.
Stay tuned for more on this hugely important region.
Uruguay’s dramatic Atlantic coastline is lined with cream-colored beaches that draw some of the world’s wealthiest people. This is a destination that combines the best of Europe and Latin America.
Here’s some of the key questions RETA members asked about the Southern Cone…”
Avi asked: Are you planning on having RETA deals in Uruguay?
The answer is yes. Uruguay lends itself well to the RETA model. By securing exclusive, off-market access to quality preconstruction projects, leveraging the collective buying power of members, and partnering with best-in-class developers, I can negotiate better pricing and terms than an individual buyer could achieve alone. I’m currently working to secure deals in Punta del Este and Rocha. Stay tuned for more on those…
Ulf asked: What do you think about Mendoza?
Mendoza sits in western Argentina, at the foothills of the Andes, near the border with Chile. This is an established and developed area with expensive winery-themed resorts and real estate. While it offers a great lifestyle opportunity, those looking to buy in the RETA way (ahead of a transformation) should instead look at the northern wine country around Cafayate, farther north, and the Salta province more generally.
Michael asked: What do you think about buying a piece of beachfront land on Uruguay’s east coast as a land bank?
I think this is a great idea. The Rocha coastline heading up toward Brazil is a top-tier land-banking opportunity. If you can buy a land-banking opportunity here that can double up in the short-term with agricultural capacity, you can enjoy modest yields renting it out or have an outside farm operator operate the land. All while waiting for the land’s long-term potential as tourism real estate to be realized.
David asked: What do you think of Chile?
RETA Senior Researcher Margaret Summerfield has made multiple trips to Chile and loves it. The lifestyle here is compelling but, economically speaking, the shine seems to have worn off. Chile previously showed fiscal restraint and developed strong infrastructure, but its economic prospects now appear shaky. I’d prefer to focus on countries in the region that show greater upside potential.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. The Southern Cone’s transformation is a story I’ll be digging into at The Gathering in February. Every year at this event, I bring my network of contacts together for a unique, in-person meetup with me, my scouting team, and RETA Lifetime members.
We fly in from around the world…meet, share intelligence, compare notes on emerging markets, and discuss the kinds of opportunities most investors never hear about.
Next year’s event will take place from February 11 to 14, 2027 in cosmopolitan Panama City.
But it’s for RETA Lifetime members only.
If you want to get in the room with my real estate insiders…have the full picture of what’s happening in The Southern Cone…and get firsthand intel on the most exciting destinations on my beat…click here to learn how to become a RETA Lifetime member and secure your invitation to the event every year. You’ll also access to all my best research…future RETA Live events…and exclusive off-market deals…
