How to Build a Global Real Estate Practice
When Tampa Realtor Corina Silva first decided to build a global practice, choosing an area in which to specialize was easy. After all, the broker-owner of Tampa Bay Key Realty was born in Brazil, spoke Portuguese, and her local area was a draw to Brazilian buyers due to its proximity to the Tampa International Airport.
What wasn’t easy? Figuring out how to reach them, where to market properties, and how to get started.
“What remains a challenge is my niche is very small,” Silva notes. “My advantage is that I started promoting Tampa to Brazilians when everyone was telling me that they weren’t interested in my region, as they traditionally move to, and invest in, Miami and Orlando.” Today, Silva is well known within the growing Brazilian community in Tampa Bay—and credits her success to investing a lot of time and money in advertising to her niche and thinking long-term.
Florida Realtor magazine interviewed three real estate professionals who built successful global real estate practices over the past five to 10 years. They share their best strategies for going global.
Corina Silva: Tapping her Brazilian roots
Broker-Owner, Tampa Bay Key Realty, Tampa
How she got her start
It all started when Silva decided she wanted to focus on a specific niche—the Brazilian community in Tampa Bay. “I had to start somewhere, so I ran to social media,” she recalls. “I looked online for the local community, joined every Facebook group, and started a Tampa-focused lifestyle blog about local events and real estate news.” She also began participating in (and eventually organizing) get-togethers with local Brazilians so that she could see and talk to people in person.
Where she markets
Since Silva focuses on Brazil, she primarily markets to prospects online to engage them, promote her business and stay top-of-mind. Besides Facebook and her blog, she started doing videos about different neighborhoods, properties for sale, model homes and Tampa Bay’s economy and lifestyle. Now, most of her leads come from YouTube and Instagram. Silva travels frequently to Brazil, does trade missions, sets up business meetings and prospects during the international real estate investment seminars she organizes. “A lot of my prospecting is online, but nothing beats an eye-to-eye conversation,” Silva says.
Silva’s tips
- Be patient. It takes time to grow your business. For Silva, it took three years. “After having a bigger online presence, more experience and a business growth of 700%, I noticed a huge increase of leads of Brazilians moving to Tampa from Brazil, other U.S. states and other countries,” says Silva. “Think long-term, and don’t be afraid to wait for the reaping season.”
- Plug into technology. Be extremely active on social media, especially with videos. “When I started to sell homes using Facetime to buyers that lived outside the country, I realized I had started to build a true international real estate business,” Silva says.
- Be resourceful. Tap into the wisdom of others who speak your clients’ language and understand the country’s laws, customs and processes. “My very first struggle in the international niche was that most of the formulas and scripts I learned as a new agent could not be applied to my business,” Silva says.
Hafid Boujidi: From Morocco to Disney and beyond
Broker-Associate, La Rosa Realty LLC, Celebration
How he got his start
Born and raised in Morocco, Boujidi came to the U.S. in 2003 as part of Disney International Programs, working in Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion. His takeaway? Provide excellent customer service and business skills. He also reignited his long-time desire to travel and discover other cultures. Boujidi funneled this love into a real estate business with a global focus.
Where he markets
Boujidi focuses on France, the United Kingdom and the Middle East because of his established pathways with language (he speaks Arabic, English and French) and cultural connections (family and friends live there). To reach prospects, he relies on a mix of marketing approaches, including social media (Facebook and Instagram), videos (on LinkedIn and YouTube) and a quarterly branded magazine. He also schedules one-on-one meetings with people when traveling abroad, which he does several times a year for organized trade missions and individual travel.
Boujidi’s tips
- Get involved in groups. By joining global councils and committees of your local, state and national Realtor associations, you’ll learn how to conduct international real estate transactions with foreign nationals. Early on, Boujidi joined the Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s Global Real Estate Council. “I got to travel to multiple countries and made connections so I could help international clients buy in the U.S. and local clients invest abroad,” says Boujidi.
- Connect with community. Think beyond the real estate sphere and join (and participate in) other relevant groups. Boujidi joined the Moroccan Chamber of Commerce and volunteers with Resources for Integrated and Transition Arab Healthcare (RITAH), a nonprofit foundation. While the first group facilitates business connections, RITAH allows him to give back to the community through volunteer work. Boujidi’s mantra? Give before you receive.
- Keep learning. “I’m a big believer in continuing education,” explains Boujidi, who sees it as a tool for professional and personal development as well as increased knowledge and skills. To that end, he has earned his CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) and ABR (Accredited Buyer Representation) designations as well as his Gold Key certification.
Trisha Roy: Building on Her Indian Upbringing
Broker/CEO/Instructor,
Open Spaces International, Newberry
How she got her start
Born and raised in India, Roy saw global real estate as a natural progression for her niche. With her multilingual skills and two master’s degrees—one in management and one in ecology—she felt a global focus would allow her to harness her potential. From rural and vacant timberland to huge commercial projects, Roy’s educational background allows her to grapple easily with these areas.
Where she markets
Because of her many connections to her homeland, Roy focuses on India. But she also markets to Dubai—a favored second-home destination for many Indian expatriates. “Dubai is just a short flight from most major Indian cities,” says Roy. “Plus, it offers the lifestyle and comfort that many U.S. resident Indians are used to.” She also works with buyers from Canada, Germany and the U.K. To reach her prospects, she uses a lot of video, finding that Facebook works best. But she also relies heavily on nurturing global relationships in person through trade missions, informal meetups and conferences. “Gaining trust on an international arena takes time,” Roy points out. “Unfortunately, there is no set blueprint.”
Her tips
- Attend conferences. Roy started by attending many conferences at the national and state levels. Many global real estate organizations, such as the Paris-based International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), hold similar meetings and conventions. Because of the sheer volume of these geographically dispersed events, Roy suggests taking a strategic approach, choosing events that focus on your niche and business goals.
- Build a global network. Invest the time, money and energy to build relationships with other global professionals. “This is a relatively well-knit world of some of the most competent global business professionals,” says Roy. “We refer business to each other because of our understanding of each other’s skills and knowledge breadth.”
- Know your prospects. While engaging on social media helps bridge the miles, that only takes you so far. Roy makes knowing and connecting with prospects a priority. “There is real effort required in knowing the behaviors and preferences of your target market, and then nurturing relationships to follow into business,” she says.
If you want to compete in today’s global real estate market, heed the advice of these experts to push the (geographic) boundaries of your business.
Lisa Beach is an Orlando-based freelance writer.