Think big with the Global Real Estate Council

REALTORS® who work with international clients face unique challenges and opportunities. Nearly 10 percent of all real estate transactions in Washington involve a foreign buyer or seller. The National Association of REALTORS® compiles relevant business data by state to track the origin of real estate transactions.

Research from NAR’s 2016 Business Data For Engaging in International Real Estate Transactions for Washington state indicates that 14 percent of Washington state residents are foreign-born, just over the national rate of 13 percent. Of these residents, the homeownership rate is 52.5 percent, below that of native citizens at 64.4 percent. Many brokers view first-generation immigrants as a market full of opportunity for homeownership.

The Seattle King County REALTORS® Global Real Estate Council gives international-thinking REALTORS® tools and knowledge to help them cultivate strong and culturally-aware client relationships.

The Council’s next meeting will be on Monday, October 29 at 11:30 a.m. at the Seattle King County REALTORS® offices in Bellevue. If you would like to attend to learn more about the Global Real Estate Council and further enhance your knowledge of working with foreign buyers, please email Director of Business Practices Claudia Crowell. All REALTOR® members are welcome at the meeting, we just ask that you please RSVP to ccrowell@nwrealtor.com.

This lunch meeting will feature a roundtable discussion led by Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) instructors May Wan and Malina Wilson. The discussion will focus on how real estate transactions are managed abroad and how real estate professionals might counsel clients. Bring your ideas and experiences to join in the discussion so that it can broaden everyone’s collective knowledge about conducting foreign real estate transactions.