Bermuda has topped a world list of 20 islands for investment in real estate.

And the Island has the highest concentration of property owhership by the super-rich — those with more than $30 million outside the US.

And housebuyers are prepared to pay a premium for a piece of the rock — the survey said that the price of a typical four bedroom home in Bermuda is $4 million — more than double the cost of a similar home in the Bahamas, which also makes the top five in the list.

The report — by Deutshe Asset & Wealth Management, real estate firm Savills and luxury property developer Candy & Candy — said: “Of the $56 trillion pool of wealth held by the world’s super-rich families, 25 per cent of their investment portfolio is dedicated to real estate — much of which is return-generating for family offices and high net worth individuals.”

Penny MacIntyre, executive vice-president at real estate firm Rego Sotheby’s International, said the firm dealt with a steady stream of enquiries from wealthy overseas buyers.

She added: “We get asked this every day and more so in the last four months. We’ve had business owners and decision makers from around the world, particularly New York, the east coast and London, inquiring about property and moving their business here.”

Ms MacIntyre said: “Bermuda affords people a great life-work balance and it’s so close to the east coast.”

The report — which also placed Caribbean islands like the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and the Bahamas in the top five — said islands close to the “huge wealth-generating market of the US” were most attractive, although the Channel Islands was the third most popular destination for the very wealthy.

The report added that many of the super-rich were also keen to snap up probate islands — with privacy and the chance to shape their own environment the main driver.

It said: “A private island is the ultimate trophy asset. But financial return is not the primary motivation. These buyers are seeking the ultimate hideaway and a chance to shape their own world.

“For them, the qualities of remote and private are priceless.”

The report added: “Secone or third generation wealthy individuals, accustomed to money and becoming more interested in its lasting impact, will play an important role in island markets.

“We anticipate that a proportion of these philanthropic ultra-high net worth individuals will seek their own ‘eco domains’ — islands where they can restore or maintain whole ecosystems and do their bit for the planet.”

Ms MacIntyre said: “There are individual islands that are on the market in Bermuda and they are certainly exceptional properties.”

She added that some were only 20 yards from the shoreline, but offering the kind of privacy favoured by the super-rich.

And Ms MacIntyre said: “Bermuda has such an appeal to people because it’s not like other jurisdictions — it’s generally a safe community and we don’t have the prying eyes of the paparazzi here. People feel they are living in a more private enclave.

“You will finde people with a keen eye on Bermuda because we ahead of the game on being green with the roof water catchment systems for water supply. That appeals to people who like to create their own environment.”

And she added: “People aren’t building for grand size, they’re building for usefulness and with the topography of the natural landscape.”

The report said that the numbers of super-rich people worldwide had hit a record 200,000 in 2013 and that figure is forecast to increase by 22 percent by 2018 — boosted by the new rich from Asia, who are likely to increase demand for prime real estate.