12 Ways for Realtors to Extend Their Global Reach
Connect with real estate agents and buyers all over the world using these supercharged marketing techniques.
When Paula Cashi and her daughter Lori Cashi-Haught attended a trade mission in Dubai in March 2022, they didn’t anticipate that the event would also help them expand their business with prospects from Canada, the Czech Republic, Russia and South America—in addition to Dubai.
“With the connections we made at the trade mission and through our global marketing, we worked with Canadians and Czechs who bought property in Florida and Dubai,” says Lori Cashi-Haught, a Realtor® with Coldwell Banker Realty in Lakewood Ranch.
What International Buyers are Looking for in the Florida Market
Another client from South America purchased a home in Sarasota with the help of Paula Cashi, a broker-associate with Coldwell Banker Realty in Lakewood Ranch.
“She has family members who want to purchase in South Florida, so we referred her to an agent from Russia we met in Dubai who lives in Miami,” Cashi says.
To get started on your journey to international success, try some of these techniques to build a global business.
1. Work your network.
Phillip Calloway, broker and CEO of Influencers Realty Group in Miami Gardens, worked with one of his first international buyers because of a local connection.
“The brother-in-law of a buyer from Israel recommended me and connected us through direct messaging,” Calloway says. “I talked to the guy in Israel every few days for about four or five months about the local market. Then, he suddenly got serious and bought a place with my help in Florida.”
Calloway targets Israeli buyers because his wife is Israeli and speaks Hebrew. Now he has expanded his global outreach to Morocco, too. Calloway made many connections in his previous career traveling globally as an exclusive ticket broker and concierge service for events such as the World Cup and the Grammy’s.
Enrique Teran, co-founder of Avanti Way Realty in Miami, started his international business as soon as he earned his license 22 years ago by reaching out to his friends and acquaintances who had connections in other countries.
2. Get your international designations.
Cashi says earning the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation and the Global Real Estate Practitioner certification provided invaluable education and networking opportunities to grow her global real estate business.
“We learned how to market and connect with buyers and other agents in different countries about the various tools you can use to communicate,” Cashi says. “There are lots of resources available to work with international buyers, especially to teach you about cultural differences so you can avoid offending people from various backgrounds.”
For example, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Global Perspectives magazine and “The Culture Map” by Erin Meyer provide insight, such as the importance of presenting your business card with two hands in China.
3. Travel overseas.
One of the most important ways to build a global network is to join real estate trade missions organized by Realtor associations, says Cashi-Haught.
“We went on a trade mission to Dubai and networked with people from all over the world,” Cashi-Haught says. “Then, at the NAR meeting in Orlando, we met up again with people we’d met from Morocco and Dubai.”
Team Cashi members have also traveled to Panama but have primarily focused on the Middle East and Dubai. They plan to attend the largest international real estate trade show in France, called MIPIM, in 2023 and will work at the Florida Realtors® booth to talk about Florida real estate.
4. Participate in Realtor association committees.
Even though the Panhandle doesn’t have a big international buyer pool, Sabine Robertson, a Realtor with Silver International Realty in Destin and global chair for her local Realtor association, is working hard to build a network of international agents.
“There are smaller towns here and no direct international flights, but we do have buyers from Canada and some from Central and South America, just not as many as Miami,” Robertson says. “We have about 18 members on our global committee who speak about seven languages, and we’re all sharing information to create an international network.”
Most local Realtor associations have a global council, and Realtors also can find resources from the state and the national associations.
A Look at Upcoming Florida Realtors Global Events
5. Manage language differences.
Robertson speaks German and markets that ability through her YouTube channel and in print publications. “One time I had a deal fall through because I referred a Spanish-speaking client to another agent,” Robertson says. “Since then, I’ve hired a Spanish translator, so I can control the transaction and still make sure everyone understands each other.”
Calloway says he relies on Google Translate to manage language barriers.
6. Build a team with international expertise.
In many countries, an attorney is involved in a transaction only when there’s a problem, so it’s important to explain our process to international buyers, says Vilma Lopez, with Omega Brokerage and Housing Solutions in Fort Lauderdale.
“I’ve got a team of professionals for referrals, including immigration attorneys, real estate attorneys, tax attorneys, accountants and lenders with international experience who can help buyers understand their options and to mitigate tax issues,” Lopez says. “Knowledge of the visa rules is extremely important.”
Lopez finds professionals who speak Spanish and other languages through the Florida Realtors® affiliate members database and the Florida Bar.
Teran’s team also includes title and property management experts in addition to lawyers, accountants and investment experts.
7. Use social media to reach a global audience.
YouTube and TikTok videos, Instagram photos and Facebook posts are an inexpensive way to showcase your local market to a global audience, says Cashi-Haught.
“We stay in touch with people primarily through Facebook groups, but we also use LinkedIn and communicate directly with potential clients and other agents,” she says. For example, Facebook groups called the Global Real Estate Network Group and Global Real Estate Group include members from around the world.
8. Nurture your international connections.
One of the biggest mistakes agents make is to not follow up with connections made locally or overseas, says Calloway. “I follow up through social media and direct messages after the initial contact so they remember my name and will contact me for property in Florida or to make a referral,” he says.
The Cashi Team uses WhatsApp, a free multi-platform messaging app, for texting, emails, video chats and phone calls because “the whole world uses it,” says Cashi-Haught.
9. Find international connections locally.
Calloway joined a Prime Time Business Network group of about 30 people who want to share business with each other. “It’s a mix of people from South America, Russia and the Middle East, which has been great for referrals and advice about each other’s cultures,” he says.
Lopez, who is from Colombia, meets people from all over the world through the National Language Service Corps, a government organization that matches speakers of foreign languages with agencies and people who need help. “I belong to the global chamber of commerce, the local chamber of commerce and participate in programs at the local university where they have lots of international students,” Lopez says.
The Rotary Club and local real estate associations also offer opportunities to make international connections, says Cashi.
10. Understand the appeal of local markets.
While Orlando and Miami get a lot of attention from international buyers, Teran says agents should get to know the attributes of other Florida markets and specific neighborhoods to match them with potential buyers.
“Understand the goals of your buyers and show them what might be a good fit,” Teran says. “For example, if they want to own a condo and use it part of the year but want flexibility, maybe you can find them a place where they can own two or three units and their rental income can pay for the one that they use whenever they want for vacation.”
11. Target specific global markets.
Find out where buyers come from in your market, such as Brazil, for example, and then advertise and direct your social media marketing to those places, Teran says. He also recommends following the news to know where people may want to leave or at least move some of their investments to the U.S.
“We’ve gotten a lot of interest from A Place in the Sun, a UK website,” says Cashi-Haught.
Calloway opted to advertise in Morocco during the World Cup when the team was winning, hoping the positive vibes would include a celebratory purchase of a home in Florida.
“Build your resources and team of experts around one or two countries and market there instead of everywhere at once,” Robertson recommends. “You can reach out to the NAR global ambassador for each country with questions or for advice.”
12. Connect with developers.
International buyers often prefer new construction and are willing to wait a year or two for a place, says Cashi-Haught. Similarly, Americans sometimes want new construction when they buy overseas, she says. “We’ve connected with developers overseas and in Florida to build a pipeline of international business,” Cashi-Haught says.
A financial analysis of the investment opportunities in new construction should be a part of every agent’s international expertise, Teran says.
While all real estate is local, worldwide connections and cultural understanding can help your sphere of influence span the globe. #
Michele Lerner is a Washington, D.C.,-based freelance writer.