Photos from the California Dreaming Tour, November 2009

At the end of last year's California Dreaming Tour and during the November 2009 meetings of the National Association of REALTORS® in San Diego, we had the good fortune to meet with the leadership of the Australian real estate community.

We are pleased that the California Association of REALTORS® has recently become the Ambassador Association for the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA). For more information, check out the links below:

• NAR International: www.realtor.org/global
• California Association of REALTORS®: www.car.org
• REIA: www.reia.com.au
• The Real Estate Institute of the Australian Capital Territory: www.reiact.com.au

At Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
From left: Rob Druitt, REIA Board Director; David Airey, President, REIA; Tashia Hinchliffe, SBAOR International Committee Chair; Michael Wellsmore, President, Real Estate Institute of the Australian Capital Territory





At an International Committee event in Hermosa Beach, Calif.
From left: Gloria Godet, SBAOR International Committee Member; Michael Wellsmore; Rob Druitt; David Airey




At Terranea.
From left: Michael Wellsmore; Roger Phillips, SBAOR International Committee Member




At Terranea.
From Left: Michael Wellsmore; Marija Terzic, SBAOR International Committee Member; Rob Druitt; Roger Phillips; Tashia Hinchliffe; David Airey

Cultural Awareness

Whether or not you consider yourself an international practitioner, your web site is globally accessible. To make sure you are not losing a potential sale because of a cultural blunder, educate yourself on appropriate global marketing practices. Think about the pictures and colors you are using - in some cultures, photos of women or animals are discouraged. Likewise, green can symbolize hope and growth in some parts of the world while in others, it is associated with death, sickness, envy, or the devil. Similarly, in western cultures white is the color for the bride's gown, while in India widows wear white.

Another tip: translating is not as simple as getting the words right - for example Arabic is read from right to left, so a left justified Web page might not be visually appealing. Even the rules of bolding, underlining, capitalizing, and font selection vary between languages. For example, a font size of nine is less legible in some Asian languages. As always – do your research before you interact with a global audience and you will avoid some of these cultural faux pas.

Resort and Second-Home Real Estate

If last month’s issue has you wondering where and how second-home and international investments fit into a smaller market, we’ll turn you into believers in this issue. While it’s true that oceans and mountains draw the largest crowds of vacation-home owners, other individuals might follow their recreational interests or job relocation. For example, Hyundai recently moved 50 Korean executives to its new plant in Mobile, Alabama, resulting in second-home purchases for those whose families stayed in Korea. If your properties are near a military base, look to career military retirees, who find the proximity to a base makes it easier to access benefits like health care and PX shopping.

If your listings are centered in middle America, but near a college or university, think about the retirees who value the intellectual stimulations of an academic community. College sports attract alumni who rent vacation homes for big football weekends – think South Bend, Indiana, for Notre Dame football games. For properties in a small town without any major tourist attractions, think about the refuge they provide for city slickers. Or the surprising possibilities - the town of Marfa (population 2,000) in West Texas is increasingly a hub for the New York artistic community since noted artist Donald Judd settled there in 1971. The annual Open House festival sponsored by the Chinati Foundation and Judd Foundation draws thousands. UFO enthusiasts are also drawn to the famous and mysterious Marfa Lights phenomenon.

Get creative in your thinking! If you are looking for more ideas and/or a network to help you get started, look to the NAR Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist certification.

CAR is now Ambassador Association to the Real Estate Institute of Australia

The California Association of REALTORS® is now NAR's Ambassador Association to REIA, the Real Estate Institute of Australia. CAR President Steve Goddard will be traveling to Australia March 18 - 31 to attend REIA's National Conference and Awards event in Adelaide on Thursday, March 25th.
http://www.reia.com.au/real-estate-australia-national-awards-2010.php

REALTORS: Travel with Steve (or join him there) and help represent CAR at the Australian conference. While travel funding is not available, this Ambassadorial trip could be the perfect opportunity to increase your knowledge of the Australian real estate market and build your international business.

Qantas, V Australia, United, and American Airlines offer nonstop flights to Australia. Qantas and V Australia are offering flight specials to Australia which expire very soon. If your travel agent doesn't do it for you, you must to apply online for an Australian visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority): http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/

Looking forward to having some fun Realtors join us on this trip.

Steve Goddard
President California Association of REALTORS® 2010
Steve@SteveGoddard.com

Tashia Hinchliffe
TashHD@aol.com
2009 & 2010 International Committee Chairwoman - South Bay Association of REALTORS®
2010 CAR Director - California Association of REALTORS®