How to Stage a Property to Appeal to Foreign Buyers

If your goal is to appeal to foreign buyers, there are a few tips and tricks to making sure your properties stand out and are appealing to these buyers. As you know,  your client’s personal style may be quite different from what is appealing to the buyers you’re hoping to target. But by having your clients make a few changes before listing their home, you can potentially attract foreign buyers and sell the home more quickly and at a higher price point.

· Think about your target demographic and what is appealing to buyers in these countries overall.  If you are looking to target Chinese home buyers, for example, you may want to consider the feng shui of the property, as incorporating feng shui principles can help a Chinese buyer feel more confident that their purchase will help bring them good health, happiness, and success. Don’t forget about landscaping! Trying to adhere to some of the basics of feng shui, both inside and out, can help sway a buyer who is otherwise on the fence.

· Choose decor or design elements that give a little pop of local culture while still being simple enough that the buyers can see themselves in the home without having to make any drastic changes. If a foreign buyer is looking for homes in your area, then there is likely an element of the local culture that is particularly appealing to them. By adding something that is specific to the city where the home is located, like a centerpiece or painting, the staged home will be even more appealing. Showcase this in your property photos as well.

· Make sure your photos and videos of the home are clear, and include many different photos on the website. Since foreign buyers are often unable to view the listings in person right away, the photos you share are crucial for making sure they have enough information to decide whether or not they want to pursue a listing.

· Most foreign buyers are starting with an online search. To ensure your appropriately staged homes are reaching the right audience, translate you’re the pages where your listing appears in order to appeal to the demographic you’re looking to reach. If you want to appeal to Canadian homebuyers, you may wish to have your listings in both English and Canadian French, for example. 

Of course, every property and every buyer is different, but considering what appeals to a market of foreign buyers can go a long way in taking your property from “for sale” to “sold” rather quickly!