Natalie For builders and developers across the globe, international property marketing should now be a core concept of business. To connect with at least one estate-agent in another country is to boost your portfolio past defined borders and local vicinities to other cultures, and nationalities. The benefits are too much to ignore, because instead of marketing locally, businesses sell properties to a broader real estate market than ever before.
The theme is not new, but has been around ever since owning a home abroad became the mainstream norm in the 90s. The market is no longer local but now global. Not only will you attract average home buyers looking for a holiday or retirement home, but also professionals looking for investment opportunities to diversify their portfolio. To understand why marketing internationally should feature heavily in your business plan, we need only look at how we connect globally.
Guide to International Property Marketing
1: Reasons It Works
These days, many countries recognise the benefits of opening their market to foreign buyers. They attract investment with no outlay from outside their national borders, which is a win, win for them. Some countries, like Turkey, even offer citizenship investment schemes, also known as golden visas or passports, where buyers receive certain rights to live and work.
Even since before the COVID crisis, remote working from home has enabled millions of people to work anywhere they want. Many become expats in other countries, where the cost of living and property is lower. Last, gone are the days when living or holidaying abroad was a luxury. It is now the new normal, with many people classing themselves as dual location. So how do you find trustworthy people in the industry who can connect buyers and sellers?
2: Step One–Know the Trends
Before delving straight in, to advertise property listings everywhere, get to know market trends, so your time is used effectively. For example, the Chinese often invest in cities within the UK and America, whereas British buyers head to places like Spain, Portugal, France, and Turkey. Even within the last one, there are general trends. Turkey’s southern coast attracts Europeans, but Middle Eastern nationalities head North or stick to the large city of Istanbul. The first step is to decide who your target market will be. Sign up to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook to stay updated with international property news.
3: Cultivate Business Relationships
One way to market is to connect with an agent in targeted countries. Remember, a long-lasting business relationship that will be lucrative for both is essential, hence get to know about their culture, working practises and traditions. Many agents dealing specifically with overseas buyers, speak English. If you don’t have at least one common language, look elsewhere. It is impossible to do business through Google translator. As real estate professionals, we work with many developers around the world, and can handle marketing and negotiations with buyers. Call us today, to find out more about highlighting properties on our books.
4: List on Global Property Websites
As well as finding real estate brokers, if you feel comfortable with the marketing and selling process directly, list properties on global websites like Rightmove and Place in the Sun. The advantage with these websites is they often achieve first-page ranking for many keyword searches and buyers instantly recognise their brand hence are more likely to browse through them. See a list of the best international real estate websites here and be sure to upload a professional portfolio.
5: Commercial Versus Residential Real Estate
The estate industry breaks down into two specific categories, commercial and residential. Both target different markets, so consider this when putting together your market plan. Many retail investors like to go straight to the developer, while others leave a brokerage to handle all their affairs for them. This is a specific niche that needs creative marketing if you have a shop or office spaces to sell because targeted customers will often be business and not the average buyer on the street.
Summary
- Prepare portfolio for marketing
- Research international buying trends
- Know your targeted market
- List on global websites
- Form partnerships with local property agents
- Know Key performance indicators and regularly revise until your portfolio sells
About Us: We are Spot Blue international real estate agents. We sell property all over the globe. Having been in the market since 2003, we have established a reputation for professionalism and expert local knowledge. If you would like to sell your development to an overseas market, get in touch with us today.
Also Read
Overseas Property Portals: Being seen is the key to international property marketing. This list of paid and free websites are excellent places to list properties. Giving users the function to show photos, floor plans, and include essential information like home features, some also put developers directly in touch with buyers.
