International Forum luncheon

The Marco Island Area Association of Realtors (MIAAOR) held an International Forum luncheon the first week of June at Konrad’s. Nikki McGrath and Bill Filbin welcomed 50 local realtors to the luncheon organized by the International Development Committee of the MIAAOR. According to the National Association of Realtors, 32% of foreign property buyers bought in resort areas, as opposed to 2% nationally.

The first speaker, Dave Tate with Sun Realty of Naples, showed the audience a few common faux pas one can easily make when dealing with people of different cultures. Writing on the back of a business card maybe habit for us in the United States, but it’s considered disrespectful by those of Asian heritage, where a business card is considered an extension of oneself. Crossing your legs with the bottom of your feet facing towards a Muslim person is considered disrespectful. Dave explained

out of 5,600 realtors in the Naples area, only 19 are Certified International Property Specialists (CIPS). He urged realtors to pursue training to earn the certification.

As an example of the kind of information helpful in working with foreign buyers, Karen Caco, Senior Attorney with International Immigration Services, PA, asked the crowd a typical question asked by potential foreign buyers–if someone owns property here, are they allowed to stay long-term? Karen has spoken on immigration issues on NBC and ABC and written numerous articles. She described the different types of visas and how they apply to specific situations; B1B2-white paper versus a B1B2-green paper,H-1B requiring specialized knowledge, E-investor type visa, L-inter-company transfer, O-outstanding person or TN visas. She is considered a leading Consular Processing Expert and urged realtors to seek qualified immigration services to assist their clients.