1 Simple Step That Taps Into 75% More Searches
As a consequence of digitization and advances in communication technology, the world is increasingly becoming more and more globalized. Many nations take global GDP into consideration when analyzing the health of their own local economy. Economic self-sufficiency is a concept that is now obsolete in a modernized world. This is because the flow of commerce is a complex interconnected web. What affects one part of this web ripples over to the parts near it, which can then create a holistic chain reaction. Both people and businesses use this interconnectedness for their own growth and development, which often involves relocation or expansion into other countries.
Now, it is more important than ever that real estate professionals make themselves internationally accessible. Many have turned to social media marketing to promote themselves, using TikToks and Instagram reels to create content that’s both informative and persuasive. Many of these professionals have also created their own websites. This virtual presence gives them the opportunity to attract droves of new clients. It’s an effective strategy, but many real estate professionals are unaware of a whole market that their businesses may not even have exposure to. This is untapped potential that they’re missing out on. And it all has to do with the fact that their websites are not fully accessible to a globalizing world.
Sure, English might dominate as the world’s most widely spoken language. Even so, it’s only understood by roughly 1.5 billion speakers, which is barely 20% of the Earth’s human population. Internet queries reflect this. On Google alone, more than half of all searches are in languages other than English. And many of these searches aren’t only from non-English speaking countries. 72% of Los Angeles’ population gets their daily media consumption in languages other than English, including: Spanish, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, Chinese, and Persian. This means that realtors based in LA may be potentially missing out on up to 72% more potential customers if they haven’t optimized their website for inclusiveness.
Janet Choynowski is the founder and CEO of Immobel.com, an infotech company dedicated to delivering global marketing reach to real estate brands. Prior to founding the company, she had pioneered the real estate industry in Poland when its communist regime fell in 1989. She aided the Polish Parliament in creating laws surrounding real estate trading, as private property was a novel concept to an economy habituated with a communist culture. She also managed her own brokerage in Warsaw.
In 1997, Choynowski was exposed to the Realtor.com website due to her assistant recommending that she give it a look. She browsed through the listings in disbelief, amazed that she could view U.S. based property listings in English from her office in Poland. This caused her to ponder if there was a way for other people around the world could view U.S. listings in their own native tongue. After some inquiry on who could help her build the technology that would bring her idea to life, she collaborated with professors at the Warsaw University of Science and Technology in order to create what would become the first version of Immobel.
Choynowski proceeded to come over to the U.S. and launch Immobel through a National Association of Realtors (NAR) conference. Initially, she didn’t garner much attention. In fact, her table was given a cold shoulder by other realtors attending the conference. However, a group from the Miami Association of Realtors saw the potential of Immobel and were interested. They needed Spanish and Portugese translation, so they gave Immobel a chance. To this day, the Miami Association of Realtors still uses Immobel for their Global Listing Exchange. They’ve even expanded beyond Spanish and Portugese translations, and have moved on to also include other international markets, including relationships between Parisian brokers and French buyers who want to purchase property in South Florida.
After this business connection with the Miami Association of Realtors, Immobel took off and succeeded at garnering more partnerships with other realtor groups. Their current clientele include major names such as: Sotheby’s International Realty, Century 21, and more than 150 leading Real Estate Professional Associations along with MLS organizations. These clients are located in both the United States as well as globally. At the 2001 Real Estate Connect, real estate leader Brad Inman featured Choynowski, stating that “Global may amount to something.” Two decades later, this statement has only become more relevant than ever before.
It’s in the best interest of a real estate marketer to integrate language translation into every aspect of their real estate marketing in order to access an international pool of clientele. Impeccable SEO practices can easily be further enhanced with foreign keywords. It’s less daunting than it sounds: many keywords are often hybrid words formulated by a mashup of English and the target language. For example, even though the French term for car insurance is “l’assurance automobile,” the actual term that’s more popular in an SEO listing is “auto assurance.” This means that a real estate marketer may not even need to hire a whole team of SEO specialists. They might just only need a savvy bilingual copywriter who’s aware of these nuances in translation.
Another advantage in integrating language translation into real estate marketing is that international markets are less saturated. It’s significantly easier to land a top-ranking website domain name in a foreign country because of the significant decrease in competition. And local websites are highly favoured by local search engines. Using a website domain that’s local towards the foreign market of choice, coupled with a high-ranking in a search, creates a perfect way for potential clientele to reach out to a real estate marketer. In many cases, these consumers are foreign investors or larger companies who want to diversify and expand their assets.
But it’s not all strictly business. There is also a more altruistic, humanitarian component to using language translation in real estate listings. Search patterns on Immobel are largely influenced by current events. Lately, the war Russia initiated against Ukraine has impacted search trends on Immobel. Ukrainians who can access the internet and who continue to hide in basements or bomb shelters are using Immobel-based sites in order to seek out housing rentals that they can seek refuge in. And many American expats working within and around this war zone are also using these sites in returning home to safety.
Overwhelmed by digital marketing and looking for some help? Listing3D has got you covered. With our exclusive marketing packages, we use the most up-to-date technology to advertise your work to the biggest and best audience. Our packages include immersive virtual tours (created using 3D cameras), teaser videos of the property, 3D Flyers with scannable QR codes, and a landing webpage with all your contact information, helping future clients easily contact you. With your talent and our technology, we’ll advertise your listings far and wide to help you sell your properties faster and more efficiently.
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