Attracting international buyers this spring.

When it comes to selling your home, a good sales agent should be exposing your home to as large an audience as possible to help secure you a premium price for your property.

As well as reaching buyers locally and nationally, in today’s interconnected world this also means marketing your property to another group of buyers – those located internationally. This class of buyers often has the means to drive the property price up, making them a desirable audience to market your property to.

If you’re looking to attract international buyers this spring, here’s what you need to know.

Choose the right sales agent

Partnering with a skilled real estate agent who has experience attracting and selling to an international real estate audience, who presents well on and off-line, and ideally speaks other languages (or has an assistant who can) is invaluable.

“If you want to get the best result from the sale of your property, then you need to work with an agent who can offer you exposure on an international scale,” says Nick Boyd, Head of Network Growth for Acton | Belle Property.

“A major benefit for our clients is our network’s exclusive relationship with global real estate listing platform Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), which sees our listings promoted to buyers across 70 countries and provides referral opportunities through its network of 550 member companies. As the only Australian network with membership to LeadingRE, this gives our clients unmatched international reach for their property.

“As well as being able to connect you with buyers internationally, your agent needs strong connections with their existing pool of on-shore buyers, along with a strategy for attracting both active and passive buyers in order to secure you a premium price,” Nick explains.

Photography and marketing will be your best friend

To be a standout on an international scale, striking imagery and a robust marketing campaign are crucial. Beautiful images help buyers create an immediate emotional connection with a property, so it is paramount photos are professionally shot to a high standard, and portray the property accurately.

Compelling copy and a catchy headline are another huge factor in whether someone clicks on a listing, so engage a professional copywriter who can succinctly highlight the home's features without skimping on the details. And, most importantly, use online marketing to its fullest.

“To get the best results, you need a wide-reaching online marketing campaign with strong images, which ideally employs a range of virtual property marketing tools, to fully highlight your home’s best features. Beautiful property presentation in the form of professional imagery, branding and marketing are the things that will make your property stand out when international buyers are scrolling through online listings,” explains Nick.

Embrace technology

Thanks to COVID lockdowns and the increased uptake of virtual property marketing and auction tools, when it comes to inspecting and buying property, these days sales agents are better equipped than ever to put property into buyers’ hands anywhere in the world at any time.

Take full advantage of the abundance of virtual tools and technology available to help off-shore buyers easily inspect and purchase properties virtually, including videos, floorplans, virtual tours and aerial shots to give potential buyers a thorough overview of your property.

“One of the best features any property listing can have when appealing to an international audience is a video or virtual property tour. This allows your property to be open for inspection at all times, irrespective of the location of the buyer,” says Nick.

Selling the lifestyle

People buy into the lifestyle a home can offer them as much as the property itself, and for international real estate buyers, this is no different. A good sales agent should make the most of a property’s stand-out lifestyle features such as indoor and outdoor living and entertaining areas, landscaped gardens or views. They should also highlight the local lifestyle benefits and amenities available nearby including schools, transport, cafés, restaurants, beaches, parks and so on to ensure your property attracts maximum buyer attention both on and off-shore.

The process of selling can sometimes feel daunting, but you don’t have to go it alone.  Speak to your local Acton | Belle Property agent today for help with attracting international real estate buyers to your sale and to request an obligation-free appraisal of your home’s current value.