The United States attracts international buyers from many countries. In recent years Canada, China, Mexico, India, and the United Kingdom have accounted for over half of the foreign residential transactions. In the 12 months ended March 2013, these five countries made up approximately 53 percent of the reported international transactions. This information is based on the National Association of REALTORS® 2013 Profile of International Home Buying Activity, which summarizes the survey responses of over 3,300 REALTORS®.
China and Canada have been the fastest growing sources of international clients. About 23 percent of reported purchases were from Canadians and 12 percent from China. Rising Chinese purchasing power and a strong Canadian dollar which has resulted in lower effective prices have likely encouraged greater demand from these countries.
What Does This Mean for REALTORS®? There is a good chance of having a foreign buyer, whose expectations and needs may differ from those of U.S. buyers. The site http://www.realtor.org/global
provides a substantial amount of information that may be of help to REALTORS® not experienced in dealing with international clients.
