In the past, it was highly unlikely for the typical real estate agent to work with clients who didn’t live in the same city as them. Now, it’s possible to have clients from all over the world because of the internet. This article goes over some tips and tools that real estate agents can use to work with international real estate clients remotely.
First we’re going to start with some tips, then we’ll go into some tech tools that will help you implement the tips.
Tips for Working with International Real Estate Clients
Forget About Working Hours
Most real estate agents don’t have these anyways, but if you have any rules about certain hours you won’t work – throw them out the window. It’s common for real estate agents working with International clients to work late into the night or get up at 4 AM for a call because that’s when their clients are awake.
Be a Good Liaison
As an agent, you act as a guide for your clients by helping them navigate a large, complex transaction they don’t fully understand. That is why you were hired in the first place. While this is true for any real estate client you work with, it is doubly true for international clients. International clients have even less knowledge about local laws and customs, and there may even be a language barrier. It’s important that you help your remote client communicate and connect with the right people at the right times throughout the real estate buying or selling process.
Communicate Clearly and Often
This goes along with the previous tip, but make sure you are readily available to answer any questions or help communicate information to necessary parties on behalf of your client. Oftentimes, language barriers and time zone differences can prevent international real estate clients from personally interacting with builders or title companies. This is why you must step in often to help continue the flow of information. Also remember to communicate as clearly as possible to prevent any misunderstandings.
Tools for Working with International Real Estate Clients
Now that we’ve gone over the most important tips, let’s get into some tools that can help you succeed.
Zoom
One of the first hurdles of working with international clients is how to avoid extravagant phone bills while still forming a strong personal connection. The easiest way around this is with Zoom – a platform that lets you do video calling and screen sharing for free. While free accounts on Zoom do have a 40 minute time limit, you can easily re-start the call after you reach the limit. The great thing about Zoom is that you can “meet” your clients face-to-face at any time no matter how far away they may be.
For a text and email replacement WeChat works well, especially if your client lives in China, where WeChat is so standard that most professionals have it on their phones so they can complete basic work tasks. While some things must still go through email – like documents from Docusign – WeChat beats email for communicating with clients because of its immediacy. It is also free and also contains voice and video calling. However, Zoom video calling is better quality and has the convenient screen sharing option in case you want to show pictures of homes or a presentation during your call.
AirSend
For an easy way to share and organize large files, AirSend works amazingly. Sharing files over email or WeChat can be unwieldy. With AirSend, you can store and share files all in one place. You can also send messages, manage tasks, and write and keep notes. See more about how it works below.
Working with international real estate clients can be more involved than working with local clients, but with the right mindset and tools – it can be easy and highly rewarding.
AirSend is a versatile digital workspace for real estate professionals to share files, send messages, and complete tasks. See how AirSend can help you as your business grows here.