(NAPSI)—When listing a home, sellers typically expect curious neighbors to stop by during an open house, but who is likely to actually purchase that home may surprise them. Rather than buyers from down the street or even across the country, a growing number of sellers are seeing their homes purchased by buyers from the other side of the world.

According to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Profile of International Home Buying Activity, the percentage of international sales increased by over 24 percent in the past year. With the current changes in the global economy, more homes in the U.S. are purchased by international buyers than ever, raising the total volume of sales to international clients from $66.4 billion to $82.5 billion.

Marketing Real Estate to International Buyers

Because of the current international landscape, it’s important for today’s homeowners to enlist the help of real estate professionals capable of marketing their property globally. For example, the CENTURY 21 System has a network of over 100,000 real estate sales professionals serving 73 different countries and territories worldwide.

Tips for Appealing to Potential Buyers Abroad

Play up your homes best featuresHighlight such attributes as proximity to top schools and colleges, international businesses, transportation hubs and vacation spots.

Work with the right professionalLook for a real estate professional who excels in working with international buyers and has accreditations such as the NAR Certified International Property Specialist designation, which equips real estate professionals with the tools to be experts on exchange rates, cultural matters and investment trends.

Recognize the power of the InternetMake sure your home is properly marketed online and listed on sites that cater to foreign buyers, such as www.century21.com/global.

“It’s important for sellers to know that their real estate professional is equipped to market their home to diverse clientele in this increasingly global economy,” said Rick Davidson, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “The world is growing smaller; advances in technology make it possible for our global network of sales professionals to not only share property details on Facebook, but to tweet a listing video to any point on the globe within seconds,” said Davidson. “Coming together as a global real estate organization, CENTURY 21 real estate professionals are well positioned to help consumers buy and sell properties from Bali to Brooklyn.”

To find the right real estate agent to help make your home appealing to buyers both down the block and around the world, you can visit www.century21.com.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)