Itajaí entered the radar of those who think about long-term heritage

The choice of where to invest no longer depends solely on location. Increasingly, investors are observing economic indicators, job creation, population growth and a city's ability to maintain this pace over the years. The city of Itajaí began to occupy a prominent position in the Brazilian real estate market. With one of the largest economies in Santa Catarina, one of the most valued square meters in the country and a diversified production base, the municipality attracts investors from different regions in search of assets supported by economic fundamentals. According to IBGE data, referring to 2023, Itajaí recorded a GDP of R$48.2 billion, a result that places the municipality among the 30 largest economies in Brazil, ahead of 16 capitals. GDP per capita reached R$182,500, more than three times higher than the national average and the second highest in Santa Catarina. Economy explains growth of the real estate market For the Paludo Incorporadora consultant, the performance of the real estate market follows a solid economy and cannot be interpreted as a speculative movement. "The appreciation of Itajaí is backed by the real economy and this is the fundamental difference in relation to a bubble. The city has a GDP of R$48.2 billion, which places it among the 30 largest economies in Brazil. This dynamism is driven by the Itajaí-Açu Port Complex, the second largest in the country in terms of container handling, the nautical hub, fishing, cruises and an increasingly sophisticated service sector." Furthermore, another indicator cited by the expert is job creation. In 2024 alone, Itajaí accounted for more than 42 thousand formal vacancies, around 30% of all positions created in Santa Catarina. At the same time, the municipality was the one that grew the most in population among the large cities in Santa Catarina in the period between the last censuses. In the expert's assessment, these are the factors that support the behavior of the real estate market. "A bubble is when the price becomes detached from its fundamentals and is supported by speculation and loose credit. In Itajaí the opposite happens: there is high and growing income, intense migration, robust job creation and a real scarcity of land in consolidated neighborhoods. A price that rises with people arriving, jobs being created and limited supply is not a bubble: it is the repricing of a scarce asset in a thriving economy." FipeZAP data shows that the average residential square meter reached R$13,200 in June 2026, the fifth highest value in the country. In the last three years, the accumulated increase was 49.1%, while the variation in the last 12 months reached 7.7%. Scarcity of land influences the market Among the regions that most arouse the interest of investors is Bairro Fazenda. Located between the Center, Cabeçudas and Praia Brava, the neighborhood combines a residential profile, marina, Beira-Rio, gastronomy and services aimed at higher-income audiences. According to the consultant, one of the differences is the low supply of new developments. " The neighborhood is predominantly horizontal, made up of houses consolidated over decades. Land exists, but the transformation of this urban fabric into new vertical developments is a naturally slow process: it depends on the composition of areas, negotiations with multiple owners and the discipline of urban planning, which regulates templates and uses. In practice, this means that the supply of modern buildings in the neighborhood is growing by leaps and bounds — and will continue like this for many years", she explains. According to the consultant, the square meter of the neighborhood has grown by around 71% in the last five years. Data from Brain Inteligencia Estratégica show that the average value went from R$14,800 in 2024 to R$17,000 in 2026. It is in this context that Volo Riviera, a development in the premium line of Paludo Incorporadora. Located in Bairro Fazenda, the project was designed to serve a public that seeks to build wealth in a market supported by economic indicators, low supply of similar assets and planned urban development. With a single tower and 63 units, the project integrates a scenario in which economy, land scarcity and permanent demand contribute to making Itajaí one of the main destinations for long-term real estate investments. Developer.