Greetings, 

CIPS Spotlight: Marianne Broekmeijer	Do you have an interesting international transaction, experience or background you would like to have highlighted in a future edition of “International Insights”?  Please share your story by clicking here. International BYB (build your business) Tip #4 Gain cross culture skills, experience and knowledge.  Make a commitment to learn something new about another culture at least once a week!  One way to do this is by checking out NAR’s Country Profiles or subscribe to a service like "Culture Grams".   International IQ "Don't Gross out the World" (Reprinted with permission of NAR’s International Real Estate Report) There can be more challenges to dining abroad than just reading the menu. REALTORS® doing business outside the U.S. should brush up on their international dinning etiquette before they leave. Test your current knowledge on 11 countries with this fun quiz on how not to gross out the world when you eat. State-by-State International Business Reports The purpose of the current state-by-state reports is to present recent economic and demographic data related to international business activity directly associated with each of the states. There are 51 reports - one per state and for the District of Columbia. State specific demographic and economic data are available in each state report on a variety of topics. Click here for more information. International Calendar Click here for a full list of upcoming international meetings, events, conferences and expositions. Click here to check out CAR's International website. Click here to visit NAR's International website. Click here to visit NAR’S CIPS Facebook page.
Marianne is a REALTOR® with William Raveis Real Estate in Greenwich.  She moved from The Netherlands to the US in 1996, got her Real Estate license in 1997 and her Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation in 1999.  "Taking the classes alone was a great experience...fellow classmates came from all over the world and I am still in touch with some of them today, exchanging experiences and networking with them.  80% of my clients are foreign born. Some of my clients come from cultures that I was not familiar with before the CIPS classes. We learned specific things to be aware of and ways to find information that could be crucial to close the deal. It’s not only the cultural background that is important to understand, but also different requirements when dealing with foreign born customers/clients (e.g. getting a mortgage in the US)." Marianne served as the 2004 and 2008 Chair of the CAR International Committee and for several years now, she has also served as the NAR President’s Liaison to the Netherlands Association.  She meets with NVM Leadership twice a year, once in The Netherlands and once at the NAR Annual Convention. With a large percentage of foreign born people living and working in CT (19% in Greenwich alone), Marianne believes being educated on how to work professionally with this growing group of buyers and sellers is the only way to go. "Most REALTORS® think that the CIPS designation is only for REALTORS® with international experience or with foreign language skills. I wholeheartedly disagree and think that all REALTORS® should at least take the introductory CIPS course because every member will come in contact with foreign customers/clients. After taking the class, they will understand and enjoy their multi-cultural business more and close these deals faster and more efficiently."
Send Holiday Greetings Year Round
(Reprinted with permission of NAR’s International Real Estate Report) It's a new year and a good time to lay out your international marketing business plan for 2010. To stay connected with international clients, customers and colleagues, plan a year's worth of holiday greetings. Greetings sent for more obscure holidays are most likely to be remembered. For example, an (ANZAC Day email sent on April 25 to Australian contacts might be a thoughtful surprise. Or, wish colleagues in Brazil a festive Carnival on February 13. Locate country-specific holidays at the Earth Calendar. No time to organize by country? Then pick an international day of note, e.g., Peace One Day, and send greetings to all your contacts around the globe.
Eco-Friendly America
Being environmentally conscious and reducing our carbon footprints has long been a topic for Americans. But how do we stack up against the rest of the world? While different surveys and studies have delivered varied results, European and South American countries are consistently at the top of the eco-friendly list. Yale University conducted an EPI (Environmental Protection Index), grading 149 countries on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being the worst and 100 being the best. The study considered factors such as a country’s carbon emissions, sulfur output, conservation efforts and water purity. The top 10 countries (in order) are Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Costa Rica, Austria, New Zealand, Latvia, Colombia, and France. In this particular study, the U.S. ranked 39th. More studies like this are available, see how America rates!
The ABC's of International Acronyms
In a 2006 international survey conducted by CAR, 93% of members responding were not familiar with the acronym "AHWD". AHWD stands for At Home with Diversity. This NAR Certification program was designed to provide real estate professionals with training and tools to expand their business as well as homeownership opportunities for more Americans. The AHWD certification relays to the public that those certified have been professionally trained in and are sensitive to a wide range of cultural issues inviting a wider volume of business from a greater variety of cultures. Participation in the At Home with Diversity course earns credit toward the CIPS, CRS and PMN designations as well as fair housing and professional enhancement continuing education credits and the NAR At Home with Diversity® certification. For more information on the AHWD certification program, click here. You can also find the AHWD certification being offered in the CAR GRI-3 Series.  For more information click here.

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