Olà! Last Thursday evening, thanks to fellow Clerkenwell-member Jean Liggett I was lucky enough to attend a Brazilian property event hosted by Jean’s company Sunsplash Homes in partnership with Kapital International Investments and represent my company Currency Solutions. Although the rain was giving the Westminster streets outside a pretty good battering, the atmosphere inside the City Inn Hotel was vibrant, no doubt aided by the traditional Brazilian dancing …and the freshly prepared Caipirinha cocktails which I in particular found very ‘warming’.
My drink (or two…) however did not distract me too much from the matter in hand. Down to business, Jean and her team as well as their expert partners provided an incredibly informative presentation on their fantastic opportunities available in Brazil; namely, the Praia Luxuosa Development in the North East state of Ceara. I was fascinated to discover that Brazil is the world’s largest emerging market, is forecast to be the fifth largest economy, and even better, that this area is due to grow at twice the rate of the rest of the country. I could literally sense the eyes of the potential investors around me lighting up as they saw the pound signs (or should that be Brazilian Reals? – more on my currency musings later…). There are also good exit strategies in place for when investors want to cash in on their return. For those also keen on a holiday home, as well as an investment, it became clear that Brazil offers a much quicker getaway than most realise. Fortaleza is only a six hour flight away and building plots start from the BRL equivalent of around £12,000, villas from around £70,000.
Post-presentation, Jean and I got on our networking heads and met bankers to lawyers to representatives form The Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. Currency Solutions is one of the very few foreign exchange firms that offer Brazilian Reals (BRL) so there was a lot for me to talk about. Dealing with the Bank of Brazil can be a long process, as can achieving good exchange rates into BRL, which is where Currency Solutions can certainly help. Brazil is definitely one area where Jean and I will be able to work together, but no doubt with time we can conquer the world!
By Emma Wilson, Currency Solutions
