(Updated January 2013)

The topic of international clients garners great interest and attention amongst real estate professionals and news providers these days. The real estate markets in the United States offer lucrative investment opportunities that attract a global audience. How can you capture the attention and interest of these prospective clients? Review the articles, reports, and resources below to learn more about international clients. (K. Stockert, Information & Web Content Specialist)

International Client Facts

The Profile of International Home Buyer Activity (National Association of REALTORS®, June 2012) surveyed REALTORS®’ business activity in April 2012 for the 12 months ending in March 2012:

• 27% of REALTORS® worked with at least one international client.
• International buyers from Canada, China (PRC including Hong Kong), Mexico, India, and United Kingdom account for 55% of the transactions.
• Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas saw 51% of these transactions.

Marketing & Selling to International Clients

How to Market Your Home to International Buyers, (Yahoo! Finance, July 16, 2012).

Visit USA Act, (NAR Information Central Blog, Feb. 8, 2012).

Decoding the Foreign Buyer, (New York Times, Aug. 26. 2011).

6 Steps to Finding the Global Buyer, (RIS Media, Aug. 25, 2011).

Foreign Buyers See Value in U.S. Real Estate, (The Global and Mail, Aug. 24, 2011).

Home Market Gets Foreign Aid, (Atlanta Journal--Constitution, Aug. 24, 2011).

Surge in Wealthy European Buyers Looking for Second Homes, (Property Wire, Aug. 17, 2011).

Russia Billionaires Buy U.S. Estates as Overseas Wealth Flows to Mansions, (Bloomberg, Russia, Aug. 3, 2011).

Foreign Investors Return, (REALTOR® Magazine, Dec. 2009).

How I Sold It: An International Dilemma, (REALTOR® Magazine, Nov. 2009).

For the most current articles on marketing and selling to international clients, check out the Global Perspectives in Real Estate Newsletter published monthly by the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Market for International Buyers

Chinese Learn About Housing Market in the Silicon Valley, (Contra Costa Times, Dec. 14, 2012).

Canadians Top Global Buyers of U.S. Residences; Chinese Ranked Second, (World Property Channel, Dec. 11, 2012).

REALTOR® Confidence Reflects Increasing Role of International Buyers, (The Examiner, Nov. 8, 2012).

Foreign Buyers a Force in Bay Area Real Estate, (Examiner.com, Aug. 20, 2012).

Share of International Home Buyers in Florida Shrinks, (HousingWire, Aug. 8, 2012).

China’s Gift to U.S. Homeowners, (Businessweek, July 29, 2012).

Which Foreigners are Buying Houses in America, (The Atlantic Cities, June 26, 2012).

The Home Front: Will Foreign Real Estate Buyers Push Out Domestic Ones? (U.S. News & World Report, June 12, 2012).

Foreign Purchases of U.S. Homes Rise, (Bloomberg BusinessWeek, June 12, 2012).

Top Markets for International Home Buyers, (REALTOR® Magazine, Mar. 26, 2012).

Reports & Other Resources

International Listings, (REALTOR.com)

Certified International Property Specialist Designation (CIPS), (National Association of REALTORS®).

CIPS Network, (National Association of REALTORS®).

Profile of International Home Buying Activity, (National Association of REALTORS®, April 2012).

State-by-State International Business Reports, (National Association of REALTORS®, n.d.)

Housing Price Indices: A World Wide Overview of Real Estate in Recent Years, (National Association of REALTORS®, Aug. 2009).

Research on Your Own!

To search for the most recent articles on this topic, login to NAR’s ProQuest account and enter subject terms such as:

• International Real Estate
  • Enter into ProQuest text box as su(real estate) AND su(international) AND (foreign OR international)

• International Buyers
  • Enter into ProQuest text box as su(real estate) AND su(international) AND ((foreign OR international) w/5 buyer*)

Information Savvy!

Many websites, such as Wikipedia, can be great resources to quickly orient yourself on a subject before conducting more in depth research. However, anyone in the world can create and maintain a website or write a seemingly legitimate article and may, intentionally or unintentionally, publish false or “misinformation.” When reviewing information on the Internet, you should always consider the ABC’s:

• Accuracy. Is the information accurate? Can you confirm the same information using other resources published by a different author or organization?
• Author. Who composed the information? Can you easily identify the author and contact the author or website publisher?
• Bias. What bias might the author or author organization have?
• Credibility. What are the author’s or author organization’s credentials for publishing the information? What expertise, experience, or education does the author have in this area that makes him or her qualified to write on the subject matter?
• Currency. When was the web page last updated? Is it possible the information might have changed since this web page was last published?
• Critical eye! Remember to always use your discretion and critical eye to determine whether information you find on the web (or even in books and news sources!) is trustworthy. Putting websites to the ABC test will get you started in developing a strong critical eye.

Books, eBooks & Other Resources

Our eBooks collection contains a plethora of both audio and electronic books for learning a diversity of foreign languages and international business. Below you will find a sampling of materials available; to identify additional materials visit our Library Catalog Advanced Search page and search for Subject: International or Subject: Foreign

eBooks

The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:

Learn a foreign language such as Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish! Check out our foreign language eBooks here (select “Foreign Language Study” from the Subject drop-down menu).

Communicating Globally (Adobe eBook)

Internet Resources and Services for International Real Estate Information (Adobe eReader, Kindle)

International Real Estate Handbook (Adobe eReader)

Business Across Cultures (Adobe eReader)

Global Color: Clues and Taboos (Adobe eReader)

Books, Video, Research Reports & More

The resources below are available for loan through Information Central.  Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10.  Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.

The Culturally customized web site: customizing web sites for the global marketplace, (Chicago, IL: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005). HF 5548.5 N63

Selling homes in the melting pot, (College Station, TX, 2000). VT061. VIDEO

Field Guides & More

These field guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:

Field Guide to Cross-Cultural Business Etiquette

Field Guide to REALTORS® and the Global Marketplace

Field Guide to Marketing to the Hispanic Community

Information Central Blog

Have an Idea for a New Field Guide?

Click here to send us your suggestions.

The inclusion of links on this field guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this field guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.