Many home sellers tend to imagine relocating friends and neighbors buying their listed Burnaby real estate property. While overseas interests may not be the first thing you think of, foreign investors and home buyers should never be counted out of the equation.

Why Market Overseas?

Overseas home buyers are very interested in scooping up homes as an investment, a second living space or even as a permanent residence. The North American west coast in particular has been under the watchful gaze of the burgeoning Chinese middle class. Chinese home buyers eagerly seek out luxury homes in prime locations.

Ignoring this sector means letting your home sit longer. You will also have less potential to entertain legitimately interested offers. Chinese buyers tend to do their homework and will have reasonable offers matching comparable properties. They are also likely to have their finances prepared in advance, as opposed to some buyers who are touring homes as the equivalent of “window shopping.”

Successfully listing your house to a foreign market takes a modified approach, but the rewards are quite tangible.

Document Your Home Exhaustively Online

One of the first major differences when selling to overseas buyers is they will not have ample time to tour every single house that catches their eye. To make the trip from across the Pacific or beyond, they must first be convinced that they fully comprehend what a luxury property has in store for them.

To satisfy this curiosity, you must go above and beyond what you would normally do when listing online. Every room of your home should be documented from several angles, as should the exterior. Taking the time to capture your home in this way will allow the buyer to get a clear idea of your home's layout and dimensions.

A home tour video can be another way to demonstrate what your home's arrangement looks from a personal point of view. Videos also allow the opportunity to introduce yourself and become familiar to the buyer.

Find a Qualified International Real Estate Professional

The most important step when marketing to foreign buyers is to find an agent that is familiar with that market sector. They will be able to navigate the process for both the seller and buyer with fewer snags. A well-versed international real estate professional can also keep legal issues firmly in mind, preventing snags that can slow down a sale or cause it to unravel.

If you are in need of an expert real estate agent, our luxury home sales team can lend our expertise. We have staff members that can speak Mandarin, Cantonese and English, smoothing out communication barriers that could develop between buyer and seller. 

To find out more about how we can help your house get sold to an eager buyer from anywhere in the world, take a look at our selling page.

Make no mistake, granite is gorgeous. There is a good reason home owners began a trend of picking granite counters for their homes as a means of replacing subpar composite counters.

Materials engineering has come a long way, though. No longer are you only stuck with granite as an option. When deciding on how to renovate a home you are going to sell, consider these other options.

Soapstone

Soapstone comes in dark, rich colors and has a matte-like sheen. Unlike many hard counter surfaces, soapstone has a resistance to acids. This fact means that any spilled juices, wines, or coffee are less likely to form ingrained stains on the surface.

What is more, scratches and scrapes can usually be buffed out or etched away. Gouges in hard stone can be permanent, by contrast.

The drawbacks to soapstone are that it must be oiled and buffed at least twice a year. It is also not as heat resistant as granite, meaning you have to take precautions when placing hot kitchen items on your counter.

Glass 

Glass materials have truly come into their own lately. New tempered glasses are far less fragile than their predecessors.

These advances have made the way for beautiful glass countertops in almost any color or pattern imaginable. Glass is also highly heat resistant and non-porous; there is no need to seal, or worry about germs.

As for downsides, glass can chip or crack after a severe impact. It also has a tendency to show fingerprints. Both of these factors make glass countertops less than ideal for homes with young kids.

Quartz

Quartz counters are granite's primary contender. They are harder than granite, more scratch and heat resistant, and they are also non-porous. This latter fact makes it possible to clean quartz with just mild soap and water.

Quartz also is easier to create seamless joints with, and it can be cut in a variety of shapes without weakening the structure. Best of all, quartz has more options for colors and patterns than you could possibly think of.

Concrete

No longer a compromise for those that cannot afford more luxurious materials, concrete has become a hot new trend in the last two years. The material is extremely easy to install. Unlike most other materials, it can be formed into curvaceous shapes. Concrete also needs to be sealed far less frequently than other porous surfaces.

Its only drawback is its heavy weight and its susceptibility to acid-based stains.

No matter what material you choose, your counters should make a statement about your Burnaby real estate property's personality. Home buyers will want a material that catches the eye, but also blends in with the rest of the house.

For more advice on how to add value and appeal to your luxury home, visit our seller's page.

Searching for a luxury home can be a very different process from typical house hunting. There are many particular considerations at play. Common methods used by most home buyers may be altered, depending on the situation.

Without the proper know-how, you might miss out on a house that could fit your needs or provide an amazing investment opportunity. To avoid this pitfall, here are some tips for not letting the perfect house pass you by.

Go Beyond the Listings
Many people selling their luxury home will forgo listing their property on common sources to protect their privacy. Instead, they will work with a network of specialized realtors and marketers in order to get the word out.

This fact means that the home you have been looking for might not be located on the multiple listing service or any public search engine. You will have to find these properties the old-fashioned way: person-to-person communication and closely-held lists. Home owners that prefer to conduct business this way are usually more accommodating to buyers who can communicate through the proper channels.

Take Photos with a Grain of Salt
Larger homes or homes with sprawling layouts have lots of subtlety and nuance to their architecture. A front-facing picture might not always be the most flattering for this type of home.

Furthermore, many homes have features that would be nearly impossible to fully document within the limited space most photo albums provide. Subtle amenities like fine materials or a partially-secluded lot are hard to document with pictures alone.

If you are on the lookout for a luxury home and you see an eye-catching description with lackluster photos, then you should probably still consider giving that home a second chance. Many luxury homes cannot be fully appreciated until they have been viewed in person.

Get an Experienced Luxury Buying Agent
Agents who lack expertise in buying luxury homes may have difficulty adjusting to the higher-level market. They might forget something important, or fail to keep you in the loop about unsearchable listings.

With a professional luxury home agent, you can have confidence that your needs will be taken into close consideration. You will also be able to prepare for tasks that you were unaware of, such as documenting the extent of sheltered and invested income before negotiating.

When looking for a luxury Burnaby real estate property, getting help from those who have the knowledge and contacts to find the house you have always wanted can make a huge difference. Contact Eddie Yan for your luxury home buying needs.