‘Immigration Laws’ Deterred a Fourth of International Clients From Buying a Texas Home Last Year

Foreign home-shoppers in Texas are nixing more deals due to immigration rules, an annual survey suggests.

Over a quarter of international clients who decided not to buy a home in Texas between April 2025 and March 2026 did so because of immigration laws, according to a survey of Texas real estate agents published last week by the trade association Texas REALTORS.

It is the highest share of such answers on records going back to 2023.

Among international clients who backed away from deals during the reporting period, the top three reasons they decided not to buy were immigration rules, cost, and inability to find a suitable property, all tied for first place at 27 percent, according to Texas REALTORS.

Foreign clients considered immigration law to be less of an obstacle to purchasing a Texas home in previous years.

It ranked fifth among deterrents in 2025, with just 18 percent of clients citing it as the reason they decided not to buy a property in Texas. Immigration ranked sixth in 2024 as the primary dealbreaker for 10 percent of clients, and fourth in 2023 with 19 percent. Surveys before 2023 don’t include a breakdown of client motives.

Mexico, India, and China account for the greatest shares of foreign buyers, representing 35 percent, 14 percent, and 9 percent of the total international buyer count, respectively. Texas also ranked first nationally for Mexican buyers and second for Indians, according to the group.

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