5 Myths About International Real Estate
International business can seem like a daunting venture. From language to culture to business practices, the potential complications are enough to make a seasoned real estate professional hand a foreign client to "someone more international." But why hand that business, and any residual referral business that might come with it, to someone else? The resources exist to help anyone become a global agent, and many of the myths surrounding international business make it seem like a more harrowing experience than it really is. Let's set five of the top myths straight: 1. I need to speak another language Au contraire! English is widely accepted as the global language of business, so chances are your international clients will have some command of the English language. And in today's increasingly global marketplace, there are resources and tools aplenty to help you communicate in nearly any language. For tips on how to overcome language obstacles, read this blog post. 2. I need to be a world traveler Stamps on a passport don't automatically translate to international success. In fact, some of the most prosperous global professionals aren't able to travel abroad more than once every year or two. So what do the jet-setters have in common with those succeeding stateside? An internet connection. Creating an online presence that provides unique, relevant, and up-to-date information, accessibility via email, phone, and video conferencing (ex: Skype, FaceTime), and differentiating yourself with content and proven experience are key factors in attracting and keeping international clients. Past issues of Global Perspectives, a publication for CIPS designees from NAR Global, provide practical tips for creating and executing an online marketing strategy through websites, blogs, and social media.

Think Globally for a World of New Business
I spotted this awesome article from REALTOR.org and was inspired! It's fascinating to understand where international buyers are coming from and where they are looking in the United States. Based on searches on REALTOR.com® and REALTOR.com® International, the top 10 most-searched U.S. cities by international buyers (as of July 2012) were: Chicago, IL Las Vegas, NV Los Angeles, CA Miami, FL Orlando, FL New York, NY Fort Lauderdale, FL Houston, TX San Diego, CA Kissimmee, FL Interesting, right? Well, here's something even more interesting: the article on REALTOR.org broke it down even further and looked at where these international buyers were coming from. I should note that REALTOR.com® International translates listings into 11 languages. This explains the quantity and quality of their international traffic. You can read more about the site with their press release: REALTOR.com® Goes Global With Launch of International Site.

4 Reasons We’re Excited About Immobel’s Global Listing Exchange
In the process of writing our product review for Immobel's multi-language IDX translation and REAL-Buzz portal, we learned about several other Immobel innovations. We had to keep a narrow focus for our product review, but we made a note to come back to these other features at a later date. We've decided that today is the day. We got in touch with Janet Choynowski of Immobel and she brought us up-to-speed. Here are several of the features we found most exciting: