Anaheim, CA – November 14, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — As the international community continues to seek out opportunities in the U.S. property market, the National Association of Realtors® is expanding its global reach through several new initiatives. During the 2011 REALTORS® Conference & Expo here this week, attendees from all over the world can learn about NAR’s global business tools and resources.
One of those resources is a new global website, Realtor.com® International (www.realtor.com/international). The site launched on November 3, and is the result of a collaboration between NAR and Move, Inc. Several live sessions and demos of the new site will take place throughout the week during the conference.
Realtor.com® International delivers U.S. residential listings to buyers across the globe, as well as listings from international data providers. The global site is aimed at attracting more international visitors to Realtor.com®, as well as increasing exposure of U.S. properties to global markets. Realtor.com®, NAR’s official property website, is the most visited real estate site on the Internet.
“Real estate is truly a global industry and increasingly international buyers are identifying the U.S. as a desirable and profitable place to own property,” said NAR President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. “Realtor.com® International is a remarkable tool that will help Realtors® grow their global business. The site brings the world of real estate together in one place by connecting international buyers with Realtors® and expanding opportunities for homeownership across the globe.”
In addition to U.S. listings, Realtor.com® International also features international property listings. Inventory from Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Spain are already on the site, with additional countries to be added in the coming months. Realtor.com® International also allows for enhanced translation options in 11 languages and easy-to-use currency and dimension convertors to support the needs of international buyers.
Realtors® are also recognizing today as “Global Day” during the conference. Realtors® can attend a number of sessions to gain insights and knowledge into how to meet global buyer expectations, as well as how to work with global investors in the U.S. Throughout the conference several committee meetings and sessions will be simultaneously translated into different languages. Nearly 1,200 international attendees will be able to listen in French, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese and Spanish with translation headsets during various conference events.
On Saturday, November 12, NAR will celebrate 313 new Certified International Property Specialists who were awarded their designation in 2011. NAR’s CIPS network has nearly 2,500 designees and candidates worldwide and helps Realtors® gain the expertise to serve consumers in a variety of international transactions. Also on Saturday, several individuals and Realtor® associations who have made a global difference in the past year will be recognized during the International Night Out.
“NAR works hard to give Realtors® the tools, resources and education they need to expand their businesses globally,” said Phipps. “More than a quarter of Realtors® had international clients this year and we are seeing more and more enter the global real estate field. To help Realtors® diversify their clientele, NAR has built a truly global neighborhood with over 80 bilateral agreements and affiliations with nearly 60 countries.”
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section.
Contact:
Leanne Jernigan 202-383-1290 
