Communication is always important to do business, so when Jesus Ochoa was about to move from Arizona to Eugene, Oregon last summer, he and his family decided to have a real estate agent who speaks Spanish to help them find their new home in the area.
Ochoa said "Other real estate agents, when they do not speak Spanish, sometimes they just jump to the end of the page," He use to live in Arizona and California. "understood every little thing." that's what he said on him wanting to have a Spanish-speaking real estate agent to work with.
Local agents said that the demands for Bilingual real estate agents are high. And for the Ochoa's they have picked Chris Suarez at Re/Max Integrity in Eugene to help them find their 3-bedroom home in west Eugene. Ochoa said that "Chris was different. He said 'I want to work with you. You can find another real estate agent at any time if you are not happy with my work'," and added "He was working the whole time."
Suarez and the family did find nice house in their price range and in a desirable location after a few months of them looking.
Suarez said that "It started just with people seeing my last name," and adds "I do some volunteer work in the Spanish community, and people recognized I do real estate. They started calling me." He estimated 40 percent of the client he represented are Hispanic.
Real estate agent, David Rodarte said that about 85 percent of his clients hail from countries which are Spanish speaking, countries like Mexico, Peru and El Salvador.
Rodarte said "I'm constantly getting new clients," he also adds "It looks like I'm doing something right." It is because word spread that he worked with buyers who speaks Spanish.
Suarez said that "Understanding trends and cultural norms within Hispanic cultures helps real estate agents serve this segment of the market," He adds "It's common, for example, for Hispanics to invite parents or siblings to move in with them," In exchange many Hispanics are in the market for larger homes in which they can expanded to have their family live with them.
By: Dijon Wainwright
http://www.realestateportal.org/article.php?story=20060213103936592