Did you know that there was nearly $68 billion in real estate purchased by international buyers last year? Nearly half of these customers are from four countries--Canada, China, Mexico and India--according to the NAR's 2013 Profile of International Buying Activity. Over half are purchasing homes that are $250,000 or less.

REALTOR® specialization on the buyer's side of the market--like cultural affinity or orientation with the prospective purchaser, foreign language capabilities, and experience in explaining U.S. real estate procedures and requirements to foreigners--appears to be important in bringing an international transaction to a successful conclusion. Approximately 27 percent of REALTOR® respondents reported having worked with international clients; 76 percent have been in the business for more than five years.

Of the REALTORS® who reported transactions with foreigners, 54 percent reported that clients were referred to them through friends, previous clients, and international and domestic referrals.

So what are the best ways for an agent or broker to increase their international business?

International IDX

One easy way to increase exposure to international clients is to post your listings on realtor.com®'s International Website. The site has experienced tremendous growth. In its first year alone, realtor.com® reports that the site grew at the rate of 1 million unique international users per month.

If you would like to make your own website more friendly to international visitors, consider a service like Immobel. Their service will allow you to translate an IDX data feed into as many as 13 languages, as well as pages on your site to increase engagement levels.

Immobel also offers a multi-lingual search so that clients can search for agents in your office who speak their language. An additional e-marketing package lets international clients register on your site to receive property updates. The tool will allow you to see how much of your traffic is coming from international visitors and track which countries they are coming from.

Global Agent Networks

Individual agents can also promote themselves effectively through international networks like Real-Buzz.com. Professionals can extend their referral networks, share market information and connect with buyers in the language they prefer. Real-Buzz offers professional profiles, Facebook style pages with walls and activity streams, and custom features just for the real estate industry.

Worldwide Listing Syndication

Agents and brokers looking to syndicate their listings globally can look to ListHub Global. It's a distribution platform that ensures your listings receive the same data protections we enjoy in the United States while syndicating them to a broad international audience. Once activated, ListHub Global acts just like any regular affiliate publisher and is accessible through ListHub's regular interface. For more information, see our product review.

Good luck expanding your client base to consumers all over the world!