 |
 |
|||
|
Visit |
|
|||
|
COURTING THE INTERNATIONAL BUYER
All real estate is local. Buyers, on the other hand, come to us from everywhere under the
sun. That’s why for so many years as Michael Saunders
& Company has been transacting business, we’ve been carefully nurturing a
network of international affiliations to connect sellers with yet another
significant stream of qualified buyers.
Over
the past several months the pulse of foreign buying has quickened
considerably thanks to the devalued dollar, historically low interest
rates and the much-publicized values in today’s corrected market.
So in response to everyone who asks us if we are truly having the
much-rumored “closed encounters” with international buyers, the answer is
a resounding yes.
The
proof of the pudding is a gentleman from Hong Kong, who flew halfway
around the world to make a successful offer on a listing he fell in love
with while browsing michaelsaunders.com; or an eager Englishman referred
to our doorstep by his London brokerage, Mayfair International Realty.
Or a Spanish couple sent over by Immobiliaria Rimontgo, the Spanish
affiliate of the European Real Estate network (EREN).
Each of these incoming referrals was the direct offshoot of relationships
forged over many years between Michael Saunders and the governing bodies
of these prestigious European real estate consortiums.
These newest alliances join longstanding affiliations with leading Real
Estate Companies of the World, of which Michael Saunders is in her third
year as chair, and Christie’s Great Estates, the largest international
network of real estate brokers dedicated to the sale of important
properties.
For
one British couple, who just purchased a home through our Venice office,
this newest acquisition amounts to their third residence – joining homes
in England and Italy. Another English couple just put
under contract a significant home in Lido Shores for $7,490,000.
Meanwhile a Welsh couple strolled into an open house they had
previously previewed on michaelsaunders.com and bought it in a
fast-closing, all-cash transaction.
Foreign buyers, buoyed by their expanded buying power, are more likely to
buy significant properties and four times likely to pay in cash.
Most find their way to Michael Saunders & Company through one of
these strategic affiliations, or via michaelsaunders.com the
highest-trafficked Web site in the region, with 10 percent of its daily
traffic originating from outside the U.S.
In
numerous other recent transactions, international buyers have similarly
zeroed in on luxury listings, paid cash and enjoyed speedy closings.
We now count among our newest residents not just buyers from the
customary strongholds of England, Canada, Germany, but newcomers from Hong
Kong, the Netherlands, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Newfoundland, Spain and
South America, just to name a few. We even count a
growing enclave of Icelandic nationals basking in the much more agreeable
climate of University Park.
Needless-to-say, it’s not enough to simply label yourself an
“International” real-estate company and expect to automatically invite
foreign inquiries and the know-how to service them.
You have to walk the walk with strategic affiliations
that maximize incoming referrals; then talk the talk with specialized
closing services and competency in every major
language.
At
Michael Saunders & Company, we are pleased to offer fluency in every major
language. That’s the easy part. The make or break issue in international transactions usually involves the
language of money. To stave off ugly surprises at the
closing, buyers need the expertise of a company that possesses the
resources to handle complex international tax, legal and financing issues,
including the ability to lock-in the most favorable exchange rate for up
to two years. That’s why more sellers in today’s
market depend on Michael Saunders & Company to maximize worldwide exposure
for their homes while providing the specialized competency it takes to
affect smooth and carefree international closings. |
||||
|
|
||||
