Of Perception And Promotion: The Creation Of The Mexico Real Estate Coalition

by Susan Kime (RSS feed)
Feb 9th 2011 at 9:01AM

In response to the ongoing safety challenges that have been facing Mexico the past year, many top real estate and resort developers, title companies, banks, and other companies throughout the country, have formed a coalition to specifically promote living and investing in Mexico. More than 30 organizations have formed the MREC (Mexico Real Estate Coalition.) It's the first time a coalition like this has been created to advocate for the potential buyers and retirees interested, but yet hesitant, about buying and living in Mexico. This includes the high end fractional and Private Residence Club buyers as well as luxury and mid-level second home purchasers.

The Mexico Real Estate Coalition includes Juan Diaz Rivera of Capella Pedregal, Eduardo Sanchez Navarro of Grupo Questro, Andres Rosetto of Punta Mita, Jorge Carerra of Querencia, Horst Schulze (founder of the Ritz Carlton) and Christopher Hill, CEO of Stewart Title, Latin America, among others. Together, the group is taking a proactive stance to educate Americans and others on the benefits of living and for some, retiring in Mexico. The coalition also directly addresses perceptions about Mexico being a dangerous country.

"Recently," Juan Diaz Rivera, founder of Capella Pedregal, and Chairman Of The Mexico Real Estate Coalition, told Luxist, "I flew to Tijuana from Cabo to pick up a new car. I had no problem, even though I had accidentally left some important papers in the car. Then, the same day, I drove to Beverly Hills to meet some friends for lunch. I parked in a parking garage downtown. When I returned from lunch, my passport, travel money and other papers had been stolen. It was such an ironic thing to happen to me, as we at MREC always say that bad things happen everywhere, not just Mexico. And here I am, living proof, and in Beverly Hills!"

Juan does have a point: bad things do happen everywhere, and MREC's initiative seeks not only promote the benefits Mexico, but on a deeper level, it seeks to assure the potential purchasing population not to overgeneralize, not to take one part for the whole.

"Mexico is a huge country, the total area is 761,606 square miles; it is the 15th largest country in the world. It is also roughly three times the size of Texas, the approximate size of Alaska, or one fifth of the total United States land size. On a more "international scale", Mexico is roughly the same size of Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany put together," said Christopher Hill, CEO of Stewart Title, Latin America. "And it is unfair that the problems of a few areas of Mexico could be considered the problems of Mexico as a whole. It is a beautiful, peaceful country. And on MREC's website, www.livemexico.com, there are hundred of people who live in Mexico, and who have retired in Mexico, who have written testimonials to that effect."

The new MREC website, LiveMexico.org. is the interactive site that serves as the primary promotion and educational vehicle for the MREC. Visitors are able to read experiential testimonials from Americans living in Mexico, and also gain information on Mexico real estate and review key facts and figures affecting the country.

"Living in Mexico is a compelling lifestyle option – far lower cost of living than in the US and all of the natural attributes that the retiree/second home purchaser seeks." continues Juan Diaz Rivera. "Mexico has certainly suffered some challenges over the past year and we are addressing these head-on."

All at MREC know this initiative is not a short-term effort, rather one designed to promote Mexico as a living option over the long term, ensuring it competes with key US markets for the senior retirees, baby boomers, GenX/Yers and even Millennials over the next two decades.

And on positive promotional notes, those that are often harbingers of better economic times to come, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. just this week announced a new promotion offering all-inclusive packages at its Westin, Sheraton and Le Meridien resorts in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos. In addition, Rosewood Hotels And Resorts officially opens its newest hotel this week-- Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. The latter new Rosewood San Miguel, according to Christopher Hill, has already joined MREC.

Below are some images from some of the participating resort development members of the MREC. The identifying resorts and destinations are below the images.