IREX 2026 brings overseas property, residency to Delhi

IREX 2026, the 27th edition of the International Real Estate Expo, opens in New Delhi on October 23 for a two-day run at Le Meridien. More than 20 companies will present overseas property and investment-linked residency programmes across more than 10 countries, including the UAE, the US, Greece, Portugal, Malta, France, Germany and Spain, according to the organisers.

The expo lands at a moment of rising Indian interest in geographic diversification of property holdings and overseas residency options. Investment thresholds, tax implications, rental yields and immigration eligibility vary by country and programme, and the event is pitched as a single venue to compare them.

On show

Exhibitors at IREX 2026 span developers, residency consultants and investment advisers from more than 10 countries, with the more than 20 exhibiting companies split between property sellers and the firms behind investment-linked residency programmes. Properties on show cover the UAE, the US, Greece, Portugal, Malta, France, Germany and Spain, among others. For buyers comparing overseas property across markets, the draw is a single venue to weigh investment-linked residency programmes, from Golden Visa routes to other residence-by-investment options, against each other.

Practical homework matters. Investment thresholds, tax implications, rental yields and immigration eligibility vary by country and programme, and organisers stress that buyers should compare the options side by side rather than commit on the show floor. Residency consultants and investment advisers will staff advisory desks through the two days.

Knight Frank's report

Knight Frank India will use IREX 2026 to launch a joint report with the expo, titled "Keys Beyond Borders: Indian buyers abroad: Motive, Market, Mobility", examining the preferences of Indian buyers investing in overseas residential property. The survey behind it, released on October 22, found that 61% of respondents intend to buy abroad for rental income and capital appreciation, and that foreign holdings now make up 13% of their wealth allocation, up from about 5% a decade ago.

Who it's for

For IREX 2026, the backdrop is a market in motion. The Knight Frank survey found that 84% of respondents already own property overseas, while 16% are prospective first-time buyers, and 85% plan to invest between $250,000 and $1 million. The UAE, Greece, Thailand, Portugal, Australia, the US, the UK, Bali, Canada and Malaysia rank among the preferred destinations. Motives run from Golden Visa routes to diversification, currency hedging, children's education and lifestyle. Business owners, traders and industrialists make up 53% of prospective buyers, and the survey found overseas property now accounts for 13% of their wealth allocation, up from about 5% a decade ago.

The buyers the expo hopes to attract match that profile. Corporate executives and working professionals account for 30% of prospective overseas buyers and first-generation entrepreneurs 11%, while the share of executives and professionals has risen from 7% a decade ago. About 76% of respondents are aged between 35 and 50, and the same share prefer homes of 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, with apartments and condominiums the favoured format at 69%.

The choice of IREX 2026 for the launch underlines how the expo has become a barometer for Indian appetite abroad. Property-related remittances by Indian residents rose 64% year-on-year to $528.70 million in FY2025-26, from $322.82 million a year earlier, and that money trail is behind the footfall the expo expects. Golden Visa thresholds, tax treatment and rental yields differ by country, which is why organisers expect the advisory desks to be busy.

IREX 2026 runs October 23-24 at Le Meridien, New Delhi.