CBI real estate resale is where most investors discover whether they bought real property or a citizenship delivery product. The same “buy property, get citizenship” headline exists in three markets, but the resale mechanics—and your exit pricing power—are fundamentally different.
The 60-second decision rule for HNWIs
Before you buy, classify the investment:
- Open-market real estate (exit driven by local demand + normal buyers)
- Program-linked inventory (exit driven by future CBI applicants + developer channels)
That classification determines liquidity, discount risk, and timeline certainty.
Market 1: Caribbean CBI real estate — resale is mostly “developer-controlled channels”
IMI Daily’s analysis is blunt: in many Caribbean CBI deals, your buyer pool is largely future citizenship applicants, not the broader real estate market.
What actually happens on resale
- Holding periods are real and reduce flexibility:
- Antigua & Barbuda: cannot be resold until 5 years after purchase (with a limited exception if switching into another officially approved project).
- St. Kitts & Nevis (Private Real Estate option): no resale for at least 7 years, and early sale typically cannot be used for a subsequent CBI application unless substantial additional investment is proven and accepted.
- Exit pricing is anchored to program minimums, not “market comps.” When buyers can access new developer inventory at/near program thresholds, resale stock often needs a discount to move.
- The channel conflict is structural: advisors and developers are economically incentivized toward new inventory, not your resale listing. IMI describes resale routes that often run back through developers or CBI intermediaries.
HNWI implication
Caribbean “real estate” can be investable—but treat it as citizenship-first unless:
- you have independent demand drivers (prime location, genuine title, strong tourism fundamentals), and
- you underwrite the exit with a conservative resale assumption.
Market 2: Türkiye — resale behaves like normal real estate (with one clear lockup)
Türkiye’s investor-citizenship real estate route includes a straightforward constraint: you must declare you will not sell the property for three years, and the title deed reflects the citizenship-purpose declaration.
What actually happens on resale
- You can’t sell for 3 years. That’s the key gating item for your liquidity timeline.
- After the lockup, resale typically follows normal market dynamics (location, demand, pricing, currency). IMI frames Türkiye as a large-volume real market where CBI-linked transactions are a small slice of total activity.
- IMI also notes a technical quirk: properties already used to qualify for citizenship generally can’t be “recycled” for the next citizenship applicant, which matters mainly if you plan to sell specifically to another CBI buyer.
HNWI implication
Türkiye is closer to a conventional property play—your main risks are:
- FX and macro exposure, and
- asset selection (micro-location and exit segment).
Market 3: Egypt — resale is “normal market,” but citizenship retention rules matter
Egypt’s market is driven primarily by domestic demand, so developers don’t rely on citizenship applicants to clear inventory—meaning resale can resemble typical real estate economics.
What actually happens on resale (compliance side)
A government-hosted citizenship application form published by Egypt’s investment authority (GAFI) states that if the qualifying real estate is disposed of before five years, the applicant must deposit USD 250,000 (non-refundable) as direct revenue to the public treasury to keep Egyptian citizenship.
HNWI implication
Egypt can provide real-market liquidity potential, but you must price in:
- a 5-year citizenship-retention horizon, and
- the financial consequence of early exit if you still want to keep the passport.
Practical exit checklist for HNWIs (before you sign)
1) Underwrite the “who is my buyer?” question
- Caribbean: likely another CBI applicant; assume program-minimum anchoring.
- Türkiye/Egypt: broader local buyer pool; still validate demand in the exact district/submarket.
2) Lockup and retention rules
- Antigua: 5-year resale restriction (with a limited approved-switch exception).
- St Kitts: 7-year lockup under private real estate option; early resale impacts CBI re-qualification.
- Türkiye: 3-year “no sale” declaration requirement.
- Egypt: early disposal before 5 years can trigger a USD 250,000 payment to retain citizenship (per official form).
3) Contract architecture (where losses hide)
- Developer buyback terms, transfer limitations, management contracts, and resale channel control (especially Caribbean).
Conclusion: how Globalia (partner of Globevisa Group) protects HNWIs on CBI real estate resale
CBI real estate resale is a governance problem, not a marketing problem. Globalia, as a partner of Globevisa Group, helps HNWIs execute with institutional discipline:
- Exit-first underwriting: we model your likely buyer pool, lockup period, and discount risk before you commit capital.
- Program + property alignment: matching your objective (travel optionality, family security, operating base) to the jurisdiction whose resale rules fit your timeline.
- Contract and compliance control: ensuring resale/transfer clauses, holding-period obligations, and citizenship-retention triggers are fully understood and documented.
- Bankability and file defensibility: structuring the transaction trail to minimize friction at onboarding, approval, and future renewals.