With the Fed raising interest rates in the midst of ongoing economic uncertainty Stateside, many investors are looking abroad for new real estate opportunities. With this in mind, The Real Deal caught up with Karina Sayed, founder of the Riviera Maya-based Playa Realtors, who made the case for Southern Mexico as both a great place to visit and invest. Best known for its Mayan Heritage and sophistication, this stretch of the Caribbean coastline is home to sandy beaches, dramatic landscapes, warm ocean waters, and a host of vacation destinations replete with high-end dining, shopping, and recreation. So head south with us as we learn more about this dreamy destination. Introducing Playa Realtors Read the magazine here Sayed moved from her native Argentina to Playa del Carmen 23 years ago. She was trained as a CPA and took her first step into the real estate world as a property manager before branching out into selling property both as investments and vacation homes. Now, with fifteen years of real estate experience in the Riviera Maya region, Sayed leads a team of agents under the Playa Realtors umbrella, facilitating purchases by clients from around the world. “We have agents who speak German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and of course Spanish and English,” says Sayed. “Speaking French has become more important recently because a lot of people are coming from Canada.” Playa Realtors agents act not only as guides for clients from around the world looking to invest in the Riviera Maya, but also as translators and experts in local regulations. “A regular realtor knows what they read online, and maybe they know what the developers tell them,” says Sayed. “We know the HOA owners because we’ve worked in nearly every building. And we list only the best properties for sale to satisfy the most discerning investors.”