Nelson Real Estate

Real Estate, opportunities just locally, or more?

You may have noticed this blog just happens to have a language translation service on the sidebar at left.

I’ve mentioned previously as a nation and on currently available data, Kiwis make up the 2^nd highest ex-pat population in the world, behind Ireland. Therefore as so many of us are out there all over the world, it makes sense that in our travels as we bump into people from other lands they in turn may be curious about ours, and some….more curious than others. Many Kiwi’s return with non NZ born partners, and those new extended families now have a new found interest in NZ too.

Its timely therefore that Steven Swanepoel has just published an extract and update from his latest 2009 edition of the Swanepoel TRENDS Report, a leading industry annual report published since 1995.

Although this is written obviously from a US perspective many of the items touch on commonalities with NZ, so here it is……

Real Estate is Local, Buyers are Global – 3 International Trends Impacting Everyone

For a long time most international markets have felt far away, and many Americans didn’t care nor were they very interested in foreign cities. Although the Web has brought us closer together as a people we still remain apart. Few products or services illustrate this better than the buying or selling of a home.

But today with air travel becoming increasingly more commonplace, immigration and living choices becoming more readily available and our own market in a recession, many smart real estate companies have turned toward international expansion as a new means of controlled growth.

At the same time many buyers in foreign countries are looking at the United States as an investment opportunity, in spite of or in some cases even as a result of our current depressed housing market. Concurrently, fluctuation in currencies and the advantages created as a result of exchange rates have also increased business opportunities in different markets around the globe.

And at the heart of many strong economies lies a strong real estate market. One where people have the right to live, own and transact freely with their homes. It is that ability to search, market, buy or sell real estate that forms the focus of this trend.

Three international trends that can impact your real estate business, irrespective of where you live or practice real estate are:

1. Global and Multi Language IDX (IDX = I nternet Data Exchange)
2. Global Multi Listing Systems
3. Global Social Media Websites

For individual Realtors^®( read Real Estate Agents here in NZ ),working the online global tools, websites, services and communities has become a key component in a comprehensive real estate strategy.

Even when just serving the local market the importance of being able to translate listing data and serving customers in the language of their choosing is vital. Have buyers from foreign countries be able to find you, communicate with you and even browse your properties for sale. You never know where the next buyer may be coming from.

If you aspire to become an international player the time to start acting global is now.

I feel the part about air travel is particularly interesting, well interesting until a barrel of oil costs US$500.

I meet so many people in Nelson who fly out of town on Monday am and arrive back home Friday PM, they go to Auckland, Tauranga, lots to Wellington, Taupo, Napier, one to Palmerston North, etc ….all because they want to live in Nelson, they tell me that’s where they want to bring their kids up, it’s the lifestyle they want. A high percentage of these people were not born here in NZ.

Just a generation ago not many in Nelson would have thought anyone would do such a thing. In a generations time will it be commonplace for Nelson or residents of other NZ cities to travel internationally for work and yet be home for the weekends? The world is definitely getting to be a smaller place.