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REALTOR® Etiquette & Ethics Panel Discussion Opens Door to Other Cultures


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Thursday, May 24, 2007

A panel discussion on REALTOR® Etiquette & Ethics, with special emphasis on helping Realtors interact with home buyers, sellers and Realtors of different cultures, was well-received at SILVAR today. The forum was hosted by SILVAR's Cultural Diversity & Equal Opportunity Committee and focused on the first stage of the real estate transaction: how to communicate and develop relationships with all parties to the real estate transaction.

Panelists included Mark Burns, SILVAR president; Eunice Chan, CAREA (Chinese American Real Estate Association) president; Patricia Lindo, NAHREP (National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals) – Silicon Valley Chapter president; Sue Bose, SILVAR member and representative of SAREAA (South Asian Real Estate Association of America); and Tess Crescini, SILVAR member and representative of FAREPA (Filipino American Real Estate Professionals Association).

The panelists were asked about general cultural nuances, proper introduction etiquette and dos and don'ts when first meeting clients and Realtors from their respective cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

Here are some interesting points from each panelist:

Eunice Chan said as president of CAREA, it is her goal to do more community outreach and create a broader network capacity for CAREA members.

* Chinese come from everywhere; don't automatically assume they are from mainland China, because they do not want to be connected with the stigma of communism.

* Always respect the business card. Hand your business card and receive their business card with both hands while facing them. Never write on the business card or place the card in your back pocket.

* When showing a house, the principles of fung shue are important. Make sure the stove and sink are not back to back; the Chinese prefer homes where the front door faces east and south; lucky numbers are 2, 3, 6 and 9 - not 4, which signifies death.

Patricia Lindo says the goal of NAHREP is to promote homeownership among the Latino population and empower Latino practitioners to give their clients excellent service.

* Real estate jargon - words like "prime" and "subprime" - don't exist in the Spanish language, and many Latinos don't know what their options are when purchasing a home. As a result, many fall prey to predatory lenders.

* Lindo usually meets with buyers and presents comps for the past five years, to explain appreciation to her clients.

* Unlike other cultures, Latinos are not superstitious. When searching for a home, they look at size as well as financing, since extended families pool their resources together and often live in the same house.

* Respect is important – do not address clients by their first name until they ask you to.

Sue Bose said the goal of SAREAA is to create a bridge between the Indian sub-continent and help South Asians achieve the American dream of homeownership.

* Be aware there is much diversity among South Asians - in language, religion and culture.

* Respect for elders is important in a relationship. Avoid addressing any South Asian, particularly an elderly person, by their first name at the initial meeting, unless you know them well.

* Like the Chinese, fun shue principles are often followed when searching for a home, but South Asians like homes where the front door faces east or north. Move-in dates and other important dates are based on the lunar calendar.

Tess Crescini, founder of FAREPA, said the association was created to establish a voice in the community and to elevate the standards of Filipino real estate professionals, with BODs serving as role models and AORs, like SILVAR, as the "mother ship."

* Filipinos are superstitious and wary about homes where there has been a death.

* Like the Chinese, the decision maker is the wife, as well as the parents of the couple, who also often are a source of funds and would live with the buyer.

* Family is important element, as well as respect for elders.

While noting Caucasians do not base their home search on superstition and religious issues and instead, select a home based on good schools and on travel time and distance to work, Mark Burns, president of SILVAR, stressed:
 
* No matter from what race they come from, he always tries to be respectful and observe interaction among family members, as well as the other agent's interaction with his clients and tries to mirror this and do his best to show the highest level of respect.

* There will always be differences in any culture. The important thing is to pay attention and observe and maintain a level of respect.

* In most cultures, Burns noted, it's the wife that makes the decision when selecting a home.

All panelists stressed ethics is important and it is what separates the professional Realtor from other agents. When confronted with issues like sharing of commissions, outrageous gift giving in the form of refunds/rebates, they stressed it is not a "cultural thing" and depends on the real estate agent involved.

They stressed the initial or first encounter with the client, regardless of race, is very important, since this meeting sets the tone of the business relationship and is based on positive or negative impressions. It is important to earn the respect of all clients, regardless of race, at the very first step of the real estate transaction, since this stage lays the foundation of trust between agent and client.

"If you prove you know what you are doing they will respect you," said Chan. "You have to show them you can earn their trust."

Pictured left to right: SILVAR Cultural Diversity Committee & Equal Opportunity Chair Josie Gambera, SILVAR President Mark Burns, CAREA President Eunice Cha, NAHREP - Silicon Valley Chapter President Patricia Lindo, SAREAA representative Sue Bose and FAREPA representative Tess Crescini. Bose and Crescini are SILVAR members.


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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