Foreign Buyers Will Definitely Appreciate Your Property’s USP

Let’s talk in more detail about the important component of a property description for the foreign buyers that we have established in the previous post:

“Mentioning specific features of the property and area that are especially interesting for the foreign buyers (immigration possibilities if any may be attached to the purchase of your property, financial benefits for investors, etc.)”

Actually it comes down to creating what’s called an USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for your property for sale.

According to Wikipedia: “A unique selling proposition (USP) refers to the unique benefit exhibited by a company, service, product or brand that enables it to stand out from competitors. The unique selling proposition must be a feature that highlights product benefits that are meaningful to consumers.”

Here we have to turn again to the portrait of your prospective foreign buyers: what would they want and how do you stand out for them – with your property – against any competitors of yours?

Hoping to find some great cases of property promotion I go to one of the well-known sites in Russian that list international real estate for sale in Russia, and search for “commercial property in Spain”, as an example of a popular request by the Russian buyers.

Oh, what a disappointment – 25 pages of listings mostly with the headlines “Commercial property for sale”, sometimes it’s “Store” or “Hotel” or another type for a change. Just a few say something about the size of the property in square meters in the headline – that’s it?! I stop looking after several pages – boring…

I click on more info for one of the listings at random, and see somewhere in the text that the property has been recently rented for a prominent fitness center for 10 years, with an option of prolongation, – isn’t it a huge advantage for a foreign buyer? Just collecting the rent and having nothing to do! WHY NOT to make it the property’s USP and put this advantage up in the headline??? It’ll attract attention immediately!

Hard to understand such marketers who do not use this opportunity to be ahead of the pack of similar properties for sale, BUT thanks to their negligence, YOU definitely may sell to the foreign buyers faster and often for more – if you only formulate and then use your USP in real estate marketing!

Happy blog reading,

Olga Kellen,
The Amazon Author
International Marketing Consultant and English-Russian Translator

Copyright © 2019 by Olga Kellen
All Rights Reserved

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More on Real Estate Online Promotion to Foreign Buyers

In the previous post we have discussed the easiest and fastest way of promoting your new web presentation of properties for sale to the foreign buyers: placing ads on foreign real estate portals and linking them to your web page in the according foreign language.

It supplies the constant traffic of targeted foreign buyers, but costs money of course. Another issue with this promotion: it exists as long as you pay for your ads, but disappears immediately as soon as you stop paying the portal for advertising.

There are other options of showing your web presentation of real estate for sale to the foreign buyers, and these options are free and these links stay forever – isn’t it great?

Of course, instead of paying for advertising, you have to spend your own valuable time if you know the foreign language of the prospective real estate buyers and do the promotion yourself. Or you have to have a bilingual assistant or a third party helper (a freelance translator), but it’s much cheaper than advertising, and what is the most attractive – you stay on the foreign buyers’ radar forever!

Here we are talking about some third party websites that concern your country’s real estate in the foreign internet – forums, for example, where people share their opinions, personal experiences, ask and answer questions about properties similar to yours.

Some of such forums allow outside links in the discussions – and this is exactly what you need! Register to participate, say something meaningful, include a link to your page in that foreign language, and here we go – you have targeted visitors from this forum where people gather on the foreign internet who are interested in what you might offer them!

Case Study

Recently I’ve got a request for services from Mauritius – to help with promoting their local commercial real estate for sale to the Russian buyers. To offer a justified and effective marketing plan to my client, I had to learn about the country and its presence on the Russian internet first of all.

Mauritius is a tiny island state off the coast of Africa, a vacation spot, popular with the Russians. And we know that where people love to travel, they often buy properties.

Among other things I’ve looked at the Russian forums about Mauritius. And voila – there is an investment forum on the first page of my search that among other things talks about investing in real estate in Mauritius and I see a link posted by a registered user to his website. It’s a great opportunity for the future promotion of the Russian web presentation of my client’s properties in Mauritius!

This is the way to go for any other internet in any other language to attract the foreign buyers from any country you consider worthy of your marketing efforts.

Happy blog reading,

Olga Kellen,
The Amazon Author
International Marketing Consultant and English-Russian Translator

Copyright © 2018 by Olga Kellen
All Rights Reserved

 

Powerful Real Estate Marketing Tool: EU Citizenship for Foreign Investors

Last time we talked about marketing the U.S. commercial real estate to foreign investors effectively by explaining all the benefits of the government program of obtaining the U.S. permanent residency and then citizenship for foreigners through investing.

Now let’s talk about the European Union citizenship by investing in one of the EU countries. The EU citizenship is an automatic addition to any national citizenship of the EU members. Many real estate and immigration professionals consider Cyprus to be the best country for the foreign investors in this regard.

The major benefits of becoming a citizen of the EU are basically the same as for the U.S.:

– Living in a prosperous and secure country with the first-class education and health services
– Traveling the world without visas

And there is even more:

– Freedom to choose any of the EU countries to live, work and study as the EU allows just that for all its members (by the way, in some EU countries university education is free for all EU citizens, in others it’s really cheap – especially in comparison with the American universities that are expensive even for the locals)

– Low taxes (for example, no inheritance, gift and wealth tax – compare to the U.S. that impose taxes on all that)

The Cyprus government offers two programs to attract direct foreign investment funds to the country’s economy: “Cyprus Permanent Residence” and “Cyprus Citizenship by investment”. Both are very successful among the foreigners.

A foreigner should have no criminal records and invest at least 2 million euros in the Cypriot real estate (commercial and residential) or infrastructure projects to apply for permanent residency and citizenship for the family immediately after – the procedures are fast and easy (takes about 3 months – again, compare to the U.S. much more complicated and longer processes).

The foreign investors can combine investing in several different projects and properties (including their own residential) to the total amount of 2 million euros. (In the U.S. investing in a family residential property doesn’t count).

The Russian buyers of commercial and residential real estate are extremely interested in Cyprus because of the programs, and thus are the largest group of all foreign investors in Cyprus. Of course, Cyprus has other benefits to the Russian buyers in terms of geographical and cultural closeness.

Now you see that while marketing your commercial and residential properties to the Russian buyers it’s a must to explain the benefits of obtaining residency and citizenship in Cyprus (EU) by investment. It’s also important to other groups of the foreign buyers.

Happy blog reading,

Olga Kellen,
The Amazon Author
International Marketing Consultant and English-Russian Translator

Copyright © 2018 by Olga Kellen
All Rights Reserved

Powerful Real Estate Marketing Tool: U.S. Citizenship for Foreign Investors

In the previous post we’ve found out that foreign investors create a good chunk of commercial real estate buyers in the U.S.A. (and in many other countries actually as well). And one of the reasons is a so called EB-5 Visa Program of the U.S. government (in many other countries there are their own programs of providing the right of living in the country and its citizenship afterwards for the foreign investors).

Many wealthy foreign people may like very much to obtain a second passport of your country for themselves and their families. The reasons are plenty: freedom to travel the world without visas that the passports of their home countries may not provide, better life and education for children, ecology, maybe easier tax system, etc.

It’s a win-win-win situation for all parts: a foreign investor gets what he wants – the right to live with his family in a country of his choice, your country attracts investment money from abroad, and you can sell your commercial property on better terms and for a better price.

In the U.S.A. the foreign investors can get “green cards” (permanent residency) and later citizenship for themselves and their families if they have no criminal records and invest at least $1 million in commercial (not residential!) real estate and create 10 jobs for Americans by that. Looking good and easy?

There is an even cheaper option (half the cost) if they invest in so called “Regional Centers” that accumulate money from many investors for a large commercial project. This option has some underwater rocks though, as sometimes the Regional Centers do not perform according to their obligations and the hopeful investors could get away with nothing – no green cards and no money… And there is an endless talk of the investment amount to be increased by Congress, but it’s another story…

It’s up to an investor to decide which way to go – to join the investing pool or to go solo and buy his own commercial enterprise. For the latter group you have to explain in your marketing materials in all details why your commercial property for sale is the best for them (of course, if this is the case and your property for sale meets the government’s requirements first of all in terms of costs and jobs).

Let’s look at the U.S. government’s stats for the last year: 8,414 visas issued to the foreign investors from various countries, and 80% of those visas went to the mainland China.

Now, do you see that while marketing your commercial U.S. property to the Chinese buyers it’s a must to describe the “citizenship by investment” program? And it’s important for other potential foreign buyers as well of course.

Happy blog reading,

Olga Kellen,
The Amazon Author
International Marketing Consultant and English-Russian Translator

Copyright © 2018 by Olga Kellen
All Rights Reserved

Foreign Buyers of Commercial Real Estate in the U.S.A.

In the previous posts we have analyzed predominantly foreign buyers of residential properties in the U.S.A. and how to reach the proper groups of them if you are a seller (developer, realtor).

Yes, some or many of the foreign buyers invest in the U.S.A. residential properties planning to use them as actually commercial ones – to rent out. But the foreign investors purchase not only homes and condos to receive rental income, but also they purchase hotels, apartment and office buildings, retail properties, etc. So, let’s talk about commercial real estate in general and selling it to international investors.

According to NAR (The U.S.A. National Association of Realtors), the following countries send the most of international investors to the U.S.A.:

– 1. China
– 2. Mexico
– 3. United Kingdom
– 4. Venezuela
– 5. Canada
– 6. France
– 7. Israel
– 8. South Korea
– 9. United Arab Emirates
– 10. Vietnam

And the preferred U.S.A. destination for the international investors are the following:

– 1. Florida
– 2. Texas
– 3. California
– 4. New York
– 5. Arizona
– 6. Ohio
– 7. Alabama
– 8. Michigan
– 9. Mississippi
– 10. Nevada

We can see by the way that the top commercial foreign investors’ home countries and the top destinations for their investments are pretty close to those for the residential properties (look at the previous posts about the foreign buyers the U.S.A.), although not 100% the same and not in the same order of importance. (A varied mix of languages to use for marketing real estate to reach the right groups of investors anyway.)

For example, for Florida, according to the Florida Realtors Association, “the primary sources of these foreign investments in South Florida are: Canada, Germany, and Spain”.

Some other important data on the commercial real estate foreign buyers / investors in the U.S.A., according to NAR:

-20% of all commercial sales are to the international investors
-Median price of a transaction is $1 million
-60% are all cash purchases

To conclude: choose your major commercial real estate marketing directions wisely (to which countries investors, in what languages), and success will come.

Note: if your commercial property for sale meets the government requirements for investor’s visas, always say so in your marketing materials as some foreign investors are very much interested in such options.

Happy blog reading,

Olga Kellen,
The Amazon Author
International Marketing Consultant and English-Russian Translator

Copyright © 2018 by Olga Kellen
All Rights Reserved

What Properties You Can Sell to Foreign Investors (part 2)

In the previous post we have discussed residential properties and the possibility to rent out the homes and condo when the foreign owner is not using his property for his own purpose.

Commercial properties. It requires a different approach than a home or condo to sell a commercial property to a foreign business person. The most important thing is the property’s financial information.

Also try to envision how the new owner will be managing the business and offer any help you can with that. If your commercial property is all tenanted long-term, it is of course the best, but if not, it should not stop you from offering it to the foreign buyers one bit.

To gather the general information on the foreign investors in commercial real estate in your country and area is a little more difficult than in the case of residential properties; that is why creating the buyer’s profile may require more work and sophistication. Your local Chamber of Commerce might help.

Note: Quite possible that your country has a law of some sort to attract foreign capital by providing the foreign investors with resident or citizenship rights. In the U.S. a foreign buyer of a residential property does not receive any preferences in terms of visas or residency, but purchasing a commercial property under some legal conditions (EB-5 visa rules) would provide a foreign investor and his family a green card and citizenship.

In some countries just buying any real estate over an established price gives this country’s passport to a foreigner immediately.

You have to learn about such laws of your country and definitely include this information in your marketing. Quite often it would be the main reason for a foreign buyer to make up their mind to buy just your commercial or residential property.

Almost every foreign investor after acquiring a business will be looking for buying a family home too, thus for a realtor it will be your additional opportunity to sell another property to the same buyers or make a referral to a residential realtor.

A summary: The foreign buyers are looking for residential, commercial, and also residential properties for renting out all over the world.

Happy blog reading,
Olga Kellen,
The Amazon Author
International Marketing Consultant and English-Russian Translator

Copyright © 2016 by Olga Kellen
All Rights Reserved

What Properties You Can Sell to Foreign Investors (part 1)

The foreign investors are looking for residential and commercial properties abroad (quite possible – right in your country right now), and also for residential properties with a commercial angle – homes and condos for renting out while they do not use properties for themselves, to get rental income.

To prepare a good marketing plan for a particular type of property that you want to offer to the foreign investors, the first thing to do is defining their possible motivation and then trying to meet their goals in your promotion. We will talk again about the reasons why the foreigners buy the real estate in other countries than their own in more details further, but here we just name a few.

Residential properties. The foreigners buy abroad for vacationing, staying while on business trips, family living, for their children attending schools in your country and for income, too. Each country and area can attract different types of the foreign buyers and from various countries, so it is a must for you as a private seller, developer or realtor first of all to outline a profile of your target foreign buyers (country or countries they might come from, goals of buying, budgets they are ready to spend based on some statistics available). Then you will be ready to plan your direction of promotion and budget it properly.

All the preliminary information for creating your foreign investors’ profile you usually find in your local sources that publish such data. Sometimes it is also in your country’s national media – if your country is actually a small one or your area of a big country is famous all over the world.

Florida is a well-known example of the latter as people from all over the world buy properties here, and the major national newspapers publish articles on Florida real estate and its popularity among the international investors. Search Google for “foreign buyers of Florida real estate” and you see more than a million items! Too many for any practical use? Agree…

Let’s try to concentrate on a smaller area in Florida: For “foreign buyers of Fort Lauderdale real estate” there are about one hundred thousand items in Google, and it is a bit more manageable, especially taking into consideration that not all of the results are really what you are looking for to picture your potential foreign investor.

Residential properties with some commercial use. If your home or condo is suitable for renting it out for a short- or long-term, it is usually a great attraction for a foreign investor (quite understandable, right?), and you absolutely have to stress this fact out as much as you can in your property promotion. Provide your area rental rules and market information in your promotional materials, promise to help with referring a reputable local property manager which can be the most important thing for the foreign investors to say “Yes” to your property over some others that are similar to yours.

We will continue the topic and discuss commercial properties in the next post.

Happy blog reading,
Olga Kellen,
The Amazon Author
International Marketing Consultant and English-Russian Translator

Copyright © 2016 by Olga Kellen
All Rights Reserved