Many home sellers tend to imagine relocating friends and neighbors buying their listed Burnaby real estate property. While overseas interests may not be the first thing you think of, foreign investors and home buyers should never be counted out of the equation.

Why Market Overseas?

Overseas home buyers are very interested in scooping up homes as an investment, a second living space or even as a permanent residence. The North American west coast in particular has been under the watchful gaze of the burgeoning Chinese middle class. Chinese home buyers eagerly seek out luxury homes in prime locations.

Ignoring this sector means letting your home sit longer. You will also have less potential to entertain legitimately interested offers. Chinese buyers tend to do their homework and will have reasonable offers matching comparable properties. They are also likely to have their finances prepared in advance, as opposed to some buyers who are touring homes as the equivalent of “window shopping.”

Successfully listing your house to a foreign market takes a modified approach, but the rewards are quite tangible.

Document Your Home Exhaustively Online

One of the first major differences when selling to overseas buyers is they will not have ample time to tour every single house that catches their eye. To make the trip from across the Pacific or beyond, they must first be convinced that they fully comprehend what a luxury property has in store for them.

To satisfy this curiosity, you must go above and beyond what you would normally do when listing online. Every room of your home should be documented from several angles, as should the exterior. Taking the time to capture your home in this way will allow the buyer to get a clear idea of your home's layout and dimensions.

A home tour video can be another way to demonstrate what your home's arrangement looks from a personal point of view. Videos also allow the opportunity to introduce yourself and become familiar to the buyer.

Find a Qualified International Real Estate Professional

The most important step when marketing to foreign buyers is to find an agent that is familiar with that market sector. They will be able to navigate the process for both the seller and buyer with fewer snags. A well-versed international real estate professional can also keep legal issues firmly in mind, preventing snags that can slow down a sale or cause it to unravel.

If you are in need of an expert real estate agent, our luxury home sales team can lend our expertise. We have staff members that can speak Mandarin, Cantonese and English, smoothing out communication barriers that could develop between buyer and seller. 

To find out more about how we can help your house get sold to an eager buyer from anywhere in the world, take a look at our selling page.