The National Association of REALTORS® and Move, Inc., a company that works with its subsidiaries to operate an online network of Websites, announced that the lead of REALTOR.com as the world’s largest online website for real estate listings has been extended with the launch of the REALTOR.com International website.
The new site, www.REALTOR.com/International, delivers millions of real estate listings to buyers around the world. At its launch, REALTOR.com International will feature residential real estate listings from Croatia, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, and Italy. The REALTOR.com International site can be accessed from the REALTOR.com homepage as well.
In the last three months, almost 2.6 million International visitors have searched for U.S. real estate on REALTOR.com. The top five countries where the searches have originated are from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and India.
“Increasingly, more and more Realtors are working with international clients who want to buy property in the U.S. and the new REALTOR.com International web site will not only allow Realtors to offer their expertise and knowledge to a broader audience, but will also bring buyers and sellers together across the globe,” said NAR President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, Rhode Island. “Foreign buyers understand the value of owning a home in the U.S. and can rely on a Realtor because of their global perspective and understanding of different cultures and real estate practices. This collaboration with Move is just one of many ways Realtors can expand and grow their business globally.”
To aid international and foreign-born buyers as they search for U.S. residential real estate, the new REALTOR.com International search experience offers more enhanced translation options in 11 languages, which include Dutch, English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Japanese. The site also includes an easy-to-use currency and dimension converters, which are available on all pages.
“The U.S. continues to be a top destination for international buyers from all over the world, and REALTOR.com remains a natural choice for international buyers because we offer the largest, freshest and most accurate collection of property listings available online,” said REALTOR.com President, Errol Samuelson. “In recent years, foreign buyers have increasingly become interested in owning real estate in the United States. Like millions of U.S. consumers, they trust the REALTOR.com brand to help them connect with Realtors and find the property that’s right for their needs. Opening up the world of real estate on REALTOR.com to include an international search experience is a natural evolution of our offerings at Move. We’re very excited to help hundreds of thousands of Realtors grow their businesses beyond U.S. borders as they connect with international buyers.”
NAR’s 2011 Profile of International Home Buying Activity has reported that the U.S. remains a top destination for foreign buyers with international purchases soaring to $16 billion in the last year. In accordance to the survey, total residential international sales last year in the U.S. amounted to $82 billion. Total international sales were split evenly between recent immigrants and non-resident foreigners.
International buyers of U.S. residential real estate came from 70 countries. The top five (Mexico, Canada, China, UK, and India) made up 53 percent of all transactions from March of 2010 to March 2011. Most states in the U.S. had at least one international transaction, while Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona made up 58 percent of all U.S. residential transactions that were completed by International buyers. The convenience of air transportation, climate and location, and the proximity to their homeland are the most important factors for international buyers.
Presentations for international content providers who are interested in learning how to feed in their listing to REALTOR.com International will take place at the 2011 Realtors® Conference and Expo in Anaheim, California, from November 11th through the 14th.
For more information on Move, Inc., visit www.move.com
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