By Mainul Syed
Writer | Realtor | Broker of Record, Realty 21 Inc., Brokerage
The recently released Forbes 2025 list of the top 200 billionaires is more than just a ranking of the world’s wealthiest individuals. If you look beyond the net worth figures, it offers a fascinating window into how the ultra-wealthy think, grow, and protect their assets — and real estate plays a surprisingly central role in their financial strategy.
While technology, finance, and retail continue to dominate as the industries that produce the most billionaires, what’s striking is how many of these individuals either built their empires through real estate or now use it as a major pillar in their wealth portfolio. Billionaires like Donald Bren and Stephen Ross have made their fortunes directly from property development, but even tech giants like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg are quietly building extensive real estate holdings. It sends a clear message: real estate is not a secondary option — it’s a strategic move, regardless of your main business.
As someone observing the market — whether you’re a buyer, investor, or Realtor — there’s a lot to learn from this list. For one, real estate continues to be the go-to asset for wealth preservation. It’s tangible, income-generating, and historically resilient in times of volatility. Even in today’s uncertain economic climate, where high interest rates and inflation weigh heavily on everyday buyers, billionaires are still buying — and more importantly, they’re buying smart. They’re acquiring in prime urban markets, investing in commercial spaces, and even pouring money into logistics and data centers. These are not random purchases — they’re calculated moves in anticipation of how the world will function five, ten, or twenty years from now.
For real estate professionals, this list is a goldmine of insight. It reinforces the idea that our job is not just to help people buy and sell homes. We are, or should be, wealth advisors in our own right. Understanding how the rich think about property can help us better advise our clients — especially those looking to build long-term wealth, not just buy their next home. We should be talking more about asset diversification, portfolio growth, and even legacy planning. That’s how the billionaires approach real estate, and we should be encouraging our clients to think the same way — even on a smaller scale.
And let’s not forget geography. The billionaire list is still dominated by the U.S., China, and India — three countries with massive urban growth and booming property markets. This tells us where attention is going, where development is happening, and where the global elite are parking their money. For buyers and investors, this is a signal: the smart money isn’t afraid of the current market conditions — it sees opportunity.
In a time when many are waiting on the sidelines, hoping for lower rates or better deals, the ultra-wealthy are quietly making moves — and they’re using real estate to do it. That in itself should tell us something. Real estate isn’t just about property — it’s about positioning. Whether you’re buying your first condo or managing a growing investment portfolio, the mindset behind these billionaire moves is worth paying attention to. Because in the end, success often comes from thinking like those who’ve already made it.
When asked about their views on real estate as a tool for building wealth, Basha Alam and Nilufa Banu, Directors at Realty 21 Inc., emphasized that real estate remains one of the most powerful ways to grow wealth over time. “Real estate allows your money to grow with the help of time and appreciation,” they noted.
In a small discussion group that included their fellow Realtors Zakir Dinder, Hisham Chisti, Din Muhammad, Akmal Sarker, and Farhan Ahmed, all participants echoed a similar sentiment — that real estate has consistently played a key role in helping their clients build long-term financial security. The consensus was clear: real estate isn’t just about property — it’s about building lasting wealth.
About the Author:
Mainul Syed is a seasoned Realtor and the Broker of Record at Realty 21 Inc., Brokerage. With over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, he combines deep market knowledge with a passion for education, writing, and innovation.
