CHORD Real Estate, a Nashville-based firm with an international division focused on Panama, has announced the third annual Invest Panama Summit, set for January 21 through January 24, 2027, in Panama City. The event follows two prior summits that brought American and Canadian investors to tour the country’s primary real estate zones. According to Steve Luther, founder of CHORD Real Estate, participants consistently react with shock at the scale and substance of Panama’s economy and infrastructure, which far exceed common North American perceptions of a tropical destination.
Panama City boasts a skyline, more than 80 international banks, and over 180 multinational regional headquarters operating under favorable tax conditions. Companies such as Dell and Caterpillar have established significant operations there. The economy is anchored by the Panama Canal, through which roughly five to six percent of global trade passes annually. Luther, who has personally invested in the market and led both summit groups, noted that the gap between perception and reality is a key draw for investors who track markets before they become widely discussed. “Everybody was just shocked,” Luther said. “What is this place? How have we not heard about this?”
The summit tours specific zones, each with distinct indicators. Playa Caracol and Amador attract interest for tourism potential, coastal scarcity, and infrastructure investment including metro extensions crossing the canal, highway widening, and a new bridge connecting Panama City to the western province. Santa Maria appeals to buyers seeking long-term stability, anchored by an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and a master-planned community of a scale with no real domestic equivalent. Costa del Este draws attention from those watching nearshoring trends as multinational companies position regional operations closer to North American time zones. “I don’t know of an area in Panama I don’t like right now,” Luther said. “That’s the problem.”
The second summit in May 2026 included a diverse group: investors focused purely on returns, a digital nomad looking to home base in Panama, buyers considering seasonal use, and others evaluating residency pathways. The available projects were diverse enough that each found something worth examining seriously. Beyond specific projects, the summit format offers relationship infrastructure—meeting developers in person, walking construction sites, and sitting with attorneys and local agents—which produces a confidence level that online research cannot replicate. “I don’t suggest wiring a bunch of money from a Zoom call,” Luther said. “Shake hands, meet the people, get a comfort level, build that trust.”
The third summit will follow the established structure: a welcome reception on the first evening, guided property tours across Panama City’s development zones over the following days, and an excursion to the Pacific coast, including Playa Caracol, before the group returns. Spots are limited. More information is available at chordrealestate.com/investpanamasummit. For general inquiries, visit CHORD Real Estate.
This news matters because it underscores a growing opportunity for North American investors to diversify into an emerging market with strong fundamentals. Panama’s strategic location, robust banking sector, and multinational presence offer potential for stable returns in real estate, particularly as nearshoring accelerates. The summit’s hands-on approach may serve as a model for building trust in international investments, potentially influencing how investors approach similar markets. As interest in Panama grows, early participants could benefit from positioning ahead of broader market awareness.
