(Updated March 2016)

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. (A. Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist)


E - EBSCO articles available for NAR members only. Password can be found on the EBSCO Access Information page.


International Client Facts

The Profile of International Home Buyer Activity, (National Association of REALTORS®, June 2015).

  • 35% of REALTORS® reported working with international clients.
  • International buyers from Canada, China (PRC, Hong Kong, Taiwan), Mexico, India, and United Kingdom account for 51% of the international home buying activity.
  • Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona accounted for 50% of the international home buying activity.

Marketing & Selling t​o International Clients

Why Chicago Is In the International Real Estate Spotlight, (Chicago Tribune, Nov. 2015).

A Foreign Buyer Brings Complications to A Real Estate Deal, (The Washington Post, Nov. 2015).

The Chinese Super-Rich Are About To Flood the US Real-Estate Market, (Business Insider, Aug. 2015).

Helicopter Viewings, 'Lifestyle Films': Outlandish Luxury Real Estate Marketing May Now Be the Norm, (LA Times, July 2015).

Find an Interpreter Who Speaks to Your Goals, (REALTOR® Magazine, May 2015).

Why You May Need the ‘Feng Shui Contingency’, (REALTOR® Magazine, Sept. 23, 2014).

How to Woo a Chinese Homebuyer… in Four Easy Steps, (CNN Money, Sept. 2, 2014).

Every Real Estate Pro Needs a Second Language, (Realty Biz News, July 22, 2014).

With International Clients, It’s Less About Money, (REALTOR® Magazine, Feb. 4, 2014).

How to Sell as Global Buyers Head to Your Town, (REALTOR® Magazine, Aug. 29, 2013).

Foreign home buyers continue to identify U.S. as profitable investment, (Lubbock Avalanche Journal, July 2013).

Where are Global Buyers Searching in the United States? (National Association of REALTORS®, Apr. 2013).

Foreign Home Buyers Continue to Identify U.S. as Profitable Investment, REALTORS® Report (National Association of REALTORS®, June 2013).

Vegas REALTORS® See Opportunity in Foreign Buyers, (Yahoo! Finance, Apr. 19, 2013).

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

Wealthy Russians Aren’t Buying U.S. Homes Anymore, (CNN Money, Dec. 29, 2014).

U.S. Home Sales Go International, (Albuquerque Journal Online, Dec. 7, 2014).

Where are Global Buyers Searching in the United States?, (National Association of REALTORS®, September 24, 2014).

Indians Join the Wave of Investors in Condos and Homes in the U.S., (New York Times, Oct. 1, 2014).

Foreign Real Estate Buying Hits Record $92 Billion, (CNBC, July 8, 2014).

China’s 10 Favorite Countries for Real Estate, (Forbes, July 31, 2014).

Foreign Investment Drove Majority of D.C.’s Real Estate Deals in 2013, (Washington Business Journal, Jan. 8, 2014).

Top 10 U.S. Cities for Chinese Homebuyers, (CNN Money, Dec. 4, 2013).

Reaching Across the Globe, (REALTOR® Magazine, Jan. 2013).

Chinese Buyers Flee Hong Kong for Overseas Property Markets, (Reuters, June 24, 2013).

The Basics of International Business Etiquette

International Business Etiquette Rules for Entrepreneurs, (Entrepreneur, Feb. 2016).

Country Profiles: Business Etiquette, (Rutgers University Libraries, Jan. 2016).

A Quick Guide to Business Etiquette Around the World, (Business Insider, May 2015).

Don’t Call Canadians ‘American’ or Smile at the French, British Hoteliers Told, (CNN Travel, Jan. 8, 2014).

Expert Etiquette Tips for Doing Business in China, (USA Today, Dec. 30, 2013).

4 Tips for Working with Foreign Buyers, (REALTORS® Magazine, Mar. 2012).

Expanding Abroad? Avoid Culture Gaffes; Entrepreneurs Looking Overseas Often Neglect to Learn Local Business Etiquette; In Britain, a ‘Scheme’ Carries No Taint, (Wall Street Journal, Online Edition, Jan. 18, 2010).

International Business Meetings & Gift Giving, (International Business Center, n.d.).

International Business Etiquette and Manners Guide – The International Business Center’s multi-country guide and etiquette tips (scroll down for links to pages on several countries and geographic regions).

Reports & Other Resources

International Listings, (realtor.com®)

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

CIPS Network, (National Association of REALTORS®).

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

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

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

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).

The Straightforward Business Plan, (Kindle Book, OverDrive Read, EPUB eBook)

Business Plan Checklist, (Kindle Book, OverDrive Read, EPUB eBook)

The SWOT Analysis, (Kindle Book, OverDrive Read, EPUB eBook)

The Business Plan Workbook, (Kindle Book, OverDrive Read, EPUB eBook, PDF eBook)

The Global Etiquette Guide to Africa and the Middle East: Everything You Need to Know for Business and Travel Success (Adobe eReader)

Multicultural Manners (Adobe eReader)

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)

The Global Etiquette Guide to Africa and the Middle East: Everything You Need to Know for Business and Travel Success (Adobe eReader)

Multicultural Manners (Adobe eReader)

Books, Video, Research Reports & More

The resources below are available for loan through Information Services. 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 Services 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 REALTORS® and the Global Marketplace

Field Guide to Marketing to the Hispanic Community

Information Services 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.

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