Real estate markets and urban networks in Brazil

Abstract

Real estate markets reveal aspects regarding the urban-regional network of a country and the possibilities for the development of this network in a polycentric manner. Using an unprecedented database, this article investigates the real estate markets in second-, third- and fourth-tier metropolises in Brazil. It explores the variability and creates typologies of real estate markets in a group of selected metropolises – Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Florianópolis and Vitória – using multivariate analysis methods. The results indicate high levels of market segmentation, shed light on the suburbanization processes versus the presence of strong city centers, and raise concerns regarding the affordability of housing in some municipalities. Within each agglomeration, real estate markets vary substantially, indicating a high level of social segregation; among them, there are intriguing similarities, indicating how the residential and commercial locations are (re) produced in a relatively generic manner in Brazil.