Jamaica’s real estate market continues to experience strong growth, fueled by increased demand for residential and commercial developments, tourism-related investments, and renewed interest from overseas Jamaicans seeking to build generational wealth at home.
With this in mind, The Jamaica National Group has organized the pre-diaspora conference webinar, dubbed “Securing Your Piece of the Rock,” to provide Jamaicans living overseas and others interested in purchasing property or expanding their investments back home with an opportunity to gain valuable insights from leading industry experts. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2026, starting at 1:30 p.m. in Jamaica.
The webinar forms part of activities leading up to the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, scheduled for June 14 to 18 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.
Organized by the JN Group, the leading legacy partner for this year’s conference, the virtual session will bring together industry experts and key stakeholders to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and practical steps involved in investing in Jamaican real estate from abroad.
It will provide participants with practical guidance on the institutions, experts, and agencies they should connect with throughout the process, as well as information on how to access those resources from overseas.
Paulette Simpson, executive for corporate affairs and public policy at the JN Group and co-chair of the conference’s preparatory planning committee, said the webinar topic was informed by a survey conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade among members of the Jamaican diaspora globally.
“One of the main areas that Jamaicans abroad wanted to discuss and learn more about was Jamaica’s property market. In response to this, JN has taken the lead to host this webinar,” Ms. Simpson stated. “We’re going to be discussing and guiding persons on investing in property in Jamaica because we want everybody to own a piece of the rock.”
The session will explore several key areas, including how to safely identify and purchase land in Jamaica; the process of buying a home or investing in commercial real estate; accessing mortgages; property management options available to overseas-based Jamaicans; understanding titles and resolving issues surrounding family-owned land; and legal considerations and areas to watch out for when conducting property transactions.
“Part of our role is to ensure that the correct information is given to the diaspora so they can make informed decisions that will benefit themselves, their families, and Jamaica as a whole,” Ms. Simpson shared.
Among the panelists will be Elizabeth Stair, real estate broker at JN Properties and former chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Land Agency (NLA) in Jamaica; Wanica Purkiss, mortgage broker and former mortgage executive at Jamaica National; Gabrielle Grant Gilpin-Hudson, president of the Realtors’ Association of Jamaica; and Dwayne Berbick, assistant general manager for corporate affairs and public policy at the National Housing Trust (NHT).
The webinar will also feature other industry professionals, including Dave Hanson, chief product officer for mortgages at JN Bank; Lt. Col. (Retired) Sean Prendergast, managing director for JN Properties; and Carlton Earl Samuels, chief development financing officer at the JN Group.
The webinar is expected to attract Jamaicans from across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, and other diaspora communities who may be looking to retire, relocate, or invest in Jamaica.
The event will be moderated by mortgage specialist Karon Lewis, acting business relationship manager at JN Bank. Attendees will be given opportunities to make comments or pose questions to the panelists throughout the webinar.
Interested persons may register at JN Group webinar registration page or join the conversation on JN Group’s YouTube channel.
