The 2026 World Cup is nearing its denouement. Of the 104 matches scheduled for FIFA’s tournament, just two remain – the bronze medal match between England and France on Saturday, followed by Spain versus Argentina in the Final on Sunday.
This summer’s footballing showdown has taken on a new look, having been expanded from 32 to 48 teams. It has allowed less heralded nations to enjoy the spotlight – from Curaçao and Cape Verde to Panama and Qatar – and many of the proverbial underdogs have delivered amazing performances and famous upsets.
Now, why is RAW dwelling on the World Cup? Because there are some clear parallels between the sporting event and the property investment landscape.
Just as the World Cup has embraced the globalisation of the game and provided a platform for more teams to take part, so too has property investment become more widespread, more diverse, and more open to a broader range of investors.
International demand for UK property investment has changed
Historically, when assessing investor demand for UK property assets, the focus has often fallen on high-net-worth individuals from places like the US, the Middle East and major hubs in the Far East, like Hong Kong, China and Singapore.
Today, however, the picture is broader. As emerging economies expand, so too do their middle classes. Professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners across parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia are increasingly looking more globally, seeking stable jurisdictions in which to preserve and grow their wealth.
It's a pattern we have observed first-hand over recent years, with demand coming from all manners of places, from South Africa (driven by political and currency concerns) to Hong Kong (as uncertainty increased), and more recently Turkey, where high inflation has pushed investors to seek stability elsewhere.
Indeed, last year we surveyed 300 UK mortgage brokers to understand where their international clients had come from between 2020 and 2025. The results reveal a far more geographically diverse investor base than many might assume.
While traditional strongholds like Europe, the Middle East and UAE remain key sources of investment (30% of UK brokers say they have worked with clients from these regions in the past five years), significant demand is also emerging from North America (25%), South America (25%), and Central America and the Caribbean (24%) – surprisingly, just 23% of brokers reported working with clients from East Asia.
What’s more, regions often overlooked in discussions around UK property investment – such as Australia and Oceania (20%) and Africa (16%) – are clearly also playing a growing role in brokers’ businesses.
Catering to this demand
There are several important factors in understanding the appeal of UK property as an investment asset. The UK offers a transparent legal system, established property rights, a mature rental market and a long track record of resilience in property values. Even through periods of economic turbulence – from Brexit to the pandemic and rising interest rates – the underlying strength of the market has endured.
As investors from both emerging and established economies consider their investment options, the relative stability of the UK property market can prove attractive. The challenge for these investors, and the brokers they work with, is to find lenders able to support them in this process.
The aforementioned broker survey RAW ran last year revealed that, according to 62% of UK mortgage brokers, there are too few lenders that cater to non-UK borrowers, mainly because mainstream lenders are hesitant to finance international clients due to issues like the absence of a UK credit score or verifiable income history.
How RAW can help
So, as brokers work with an ever-more diverse range of international clients, it is crucial that lenders are able to adapt their offerings to provide the finance and support those global investors need to act with confidence.
Fortunately, RAW Capital Partners is here to do just that. From the very first day that we were founded, we have ditched a tick-box approach to lending, instead treating applications on a case-by-case basis.
This means that we take a borrower’s entire financial situation into account , allowing us to lend to people with unconventional financial profiles, including expats and non-UK resident buyers.
Our track-record speaks for itself: we have provided loans to borrowers from over 50 countries.
The World Cup has provided a timely reminder of how globalisation continues to disrupt the status quo. In property investment just as in football, one of the exciting consequences of this trend is that nations outside of traditional strongholds are now emerging as major players, creating a more varied and diverse landscape.
To discuss how we can support you with any non-UK borrowers, get in touch with us today.