The Future of Real Estate for Expats and Hopefully Locals Too

Andrea Martinez, December 5, 2025

Writing this takes me back to the memo Jerry Maguire wrote in the movie. He questioned how his industry had lost its heart. He was not in real estate, but in a way, he was doing something similar to what we do. He was selling a vision and guiding people toward a better life. 

The difference is that the foundation of our company already reflects the values I am about to share. 

When you go to buy land or a home or an apartment, you usually know how it will go. A realtor meets you, shows you a few places, talks about the features, answers some questions, and helps with the paperwork. Once you get the keys, the relationship is finished. 

There is nothing wrong with that, but later, when you need something simple like where to buy milk, how to pay for utilities, or what hospital to visit, you realize you are on your own. That happened to us too. 

Our story in real estate started the same way many things in life start. We did not plan it. It just happened. We’ve been creating communities for two decades, but our freedom-oriented vision really began when we were on an island in Belize several years ago. We ended up being in lockdown there because of COVID, not able to leave, but we were still connected to the outside world through the internet. We were watching everything happening in the world with disbelief. 

It was not only the events themselves. It was how people reacted and how often the news tried to justify things that were clearly wrong. 

Then came the riots in the United States. We watched neighborhoods burn. We saw people lose their homes and businesses. And instead of everyone agreeing that this was terrible, some people tried to defend it. We kept asking, how can anyone see this as good? How did everything get so upside down? 

During that time, we realized something important. If this is what the world is becoming, we need to create a place where our families can live with common sense, stability, and peace. 

We knew we weren’t the only people that felt that the world was going crazy, so we decided it was time to not just build communities, but to build them with purpose.  To build them based on Freedom, Independence, Resilience, Sustainability and Transparency.  That’s where our F.I.R.S.T. philosophy started. These communities are what have become the Veritas Villages today. 

What began as an idea for our families and close friends quickly grew into something much larger. We realized many people were watching the world change and felt the same way we did. They were searching for a fresh start in a place where the values they grew up with still mattered. 

Panama became the country in which we chose to make our first F.I.R.S.T. community, Veritas Village – Coronado.  Panama is easy to travel in and out of, the residency programs are strong, income tax can be as low as 0%, the culture is “live and let live” and the climate is amazing. Little by little, what began as a personal plan became a way to help others who were also looking for more freedom, more peace, more independence and a better quality of life. 

This is what makes our approach different. We love helping people find what they have been missing, and we enjoy watching them discover everything Latin America has to offer. We also want locals to appreciate the treasure they already have in their land, their nature, their people, and the opportunities around them. 

Because we live here, we face the same joys and challenges as other residents. We have gone through the same steps. Immigration, new cultures, building relationships, and figuring out daily life in a new country. We know what people need because we have lived it. Our clients become our neighbors and friends. We know how it feels to start over and to look for peace of mind. That is exactly what we try to build for anyone who reaches out. 

We believe the future of real estate for expats is about more than a house. It is about connection and purpose. It is about creating communities where people can live in a healthier and more independent way. Our communities are designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, with solar power, our own water sources, community gardens and orchards, and the space to do what you like. Veritas Villages allow people to live with as little dependence as possible on government and big corporation systems that no longer make sense. 

I talk about values often because values truly matter to us. They shape the way we live and the way we work. If we want to build real communities and not just sell houses, then we must stay committed to the values that brought us here in the first place. 

Real estate is not just about showing a house and closing a sale. It is about caring for people because we live the same lifestyle they are choosing. For us, it is not about selling a structure. It is about helping people create a better life in a world that feels more divided and confusing every year. 

Because of this, we help with every part of the journey. We guide people to residency lawyers, schools, hospitals, daily services, and anything else they need. We know the questions they will ask because we asked the same questions when we moved. 

This is what the future of real estate looks like. It is about people, shared values, community and building a better way of life together. 

So, this is my own version of the Jerry Maguire moment. Not a crisis, but a moment of clarity. A reminder that real estate can still be built with heart and purpose. If his memo asked his industry to find its soul again, then this is ours. It is our promise to create communities that truly matter and to welcome the people who are looking for the same thing.