We don’t usually think of real estate this way, but the biggest pieces of property in the world are countries.
By that definition, Queen Elizabeth, head of state of the United Kingdom and 31 other territories, is the largest landowner on Earth. The Queen holds legal title to just under 7 million acres of land, an astonishing one-sixth of the planet’s non-ocean surface.
And while there is currently no market for selling entire countries, that doesn’t stop them from advertising how attractive and desirable they are just like any other prime real estate.
But with an amusing difference.
Whereas a palatial mansion might tout its Carrara marble and jetliner views, countries tend to use catchy tourism slogans.
Some are alliterative:
Epic Estonia.
Brilliant Barbados.
Incredible India.
Others go for innuendo:
Best Enjoyed Slowly (Latvia)
Size Doesn’t Matter (Israel)
Even places you would never buy if they were homes market themselves with stubbornly cheerful (some would say creepily out of touch) catchphrases:
Always Beautiful (Syria)
Being First Has Its Rewards (East Timor)
But back to Queen Elizabeth.
As legal title holder of the world’s largest real estate portfolio, Her Majesty theoretically would have the right to sell any or all of her property.
How much would the whole thing be worth?
At a conservative $5000 per acre, we’re talking roughly 33 trillion dollars.
If you are reading this, Your Highness, I’m sure we can work out an acceptable commission rate.