As the child of Cuban parents growing up in the 1950s, Jorge Perez found refuge from the island’s political upheaval in Bogota. Decades later, as a billionaire developer, Perez is courting Colombians who fear their own country’s leftist shift.
The 72-year-old founder of Miami-based Related Group said Colombians have been moving their money into South Florida real estate since Gustavo Petro rode a tax-the-rich campaign to the presidency this year.
Perez was in the country last week hosting dinners and events with potential buyers looking for homes that serve both as international investments and places to land in case they decide to flee the country. His company, which has sold more than 100,000 luxury condo units in South Florida, is marketing multi-million dollar apartments in projects such as the St. Regis, a 48-story twin tower in south Brickell with sweeping ocean views.
