Realtor.com® recently released data regarding the top countries (outside the U.S.) where consumers are the most engaged on realtor.com® and realtor.com® International. The data highlights the markets within the U.S. that are most popular amongst these global consumers throughout March 2013. And while many of the “usual suspects,” such as Los Angeles, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Las Vegas, top the list, there are some surprises.
For example, Detroit is one of the top five most searched U.S. cities by potential buyers from Canada, Australia, China, the Russian Federation and Sweden. And among Chinese buyers, it is the number one city.
Columbus ranked fifth among South Korean searchers, while Raleigh was fifth for potential buyers from Switzerland. In addition, Naperville was fourth among Belgian buyers, and Saint Paul was number two in search queries from the Philippines.
So What Does This Mean?
Global buyers are truly searching all over the United States. You don’t have to have countless stamps in your passport, speak four languages, or live in a coastal metropolis to attract international buyers today. You just have to know where—and how—to find them.
NAR research indicates that global buyers are purchasing in all 50 states. In fact, they traditionally pay in cash more often, and pay a higher median price for homes. Knowing all of that—why wouldn’t you want to capture global buyers?