New York City is the commercial epicenter and global real estate mecca of the world. Known for its sprawling skyscrapers that continuously multiply, countless commercial establishments, residential properties as far as the eye can see and the finest restaurants, and most renowned museums, the city has been one of the greatest havens of opportunity to investors of real property for the last hundred years.

As we enter 2025, the growth of the real estate market in New York, having swiftly rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, is as strong as it has ever been. However, the ongoing warfare between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict in the Middle East, along with the recently unexplained drone sightings on the Northeastern corridor, has resulted in increased regulation over the acquisition of real property by foreign investors at both the federal and state level. This comes as no surprise as the government at both the national and local level have historically enacted legislation aimed at thwarting the purchase of domestic real property by foreigner investors—particularly those hailing from countries with adverse interests—in the name of national security.