Chase International is at Forefront of Growing Global Real Estate Market

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LAKE TAHOE, NV - (October 24, 2008) – Prestigious real estate agents across the nation are taking notice of a market that’s quickly going global. As agents look to enhance their brand and message to reach overseas buyers, they’re turning to professionals like Shari Chase, who’s been cultivating international marketing strategies for more than 20 years.

Chase, president and founder of Chase International, recently attended the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World International Symposium in Rome, where she spoke about global marketing strategies to more than 125 agents from 14 countries. Chase addresses similar topics at international forums several times a year. Her international outlook and ambition extends to her agents, as they assisted in the recent sales of two homes to international buyers. A Belgian buyer purchased a $1.3 million home in Reno while a London resident acquired an $8.6 million home on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore. Jeff Hamilton, from Chase’s Squaw Valley office met the buyers through international networking and is currently working with a buyer from Austria.

“It’s no longer enough to only expose your listings to regional buyers,” Hamilton said. “You need to market your properties internationally to ensure you are reaching this growing demographic of buyers.”

While the Tahoe-Reno area is reaping the benefits of international sales, the trend is hardly regional. Chase notes that the industry as a whole is becoming increasingly aware of the international marketplace.

“There’s a huge interest in the global market because of the declining values we’re offering combined with the weak dollar,” Chase said. “Our economy is rapidly evolving to a world economy. Recently the world financial crunch has opened opportunities across borders.”

Chase’s marketing plays an integral role in the company’s ability to attract interest from international buyers. Chase’s experience and extensive selection of luxury homes appeals to essentially the same clientele overseas as it does in the U.S. – affluent buyers looking to buy second or third homes. In addition to Lake Tahoe’s many draws (year-round destination, proximity to San Francisco), there’s long-term value in the area’s real estate, making the region a fluent marketplace for international buyers.

Chase attributes the influx in interest and buyers to a number of factors. U.S developers are partnering with international backers while international developers are expanding their reach. Clients who buy one international property are very likely to buy another. The potential client pool also seems to be growing. International households and individuals of once-common means are now able to take advantage of the strength of the Euro to get great deals on American properties. And while there’s a definite increase in European buyers, Canadians are the number one foreign buyers, with Russians still dabbling in our market as well.

“You have to look at all aspects of the industry and the market,” Chase said. “We’re constantly studying where our buyers come from and work hard to be on the leading edge of trends.”

Chase recognized the opportunities in the international market when she started the company in 1986 and made the conscious effort to position her company as “International.” In 1999 she extended her international positioning by opening an office in London, where she could promote American properties to an international clientele as well as represent buyers for European properties.

“Our national and international affiliations and the benefits of these affiliations are never ending, especially because the global arena is so vital to today's market,” Chase said.

Chase International boasts a number of exclusive memberships and professional associations, including LuxuryRealEstate.com, which Forbes consistently lists as the world’s best luxury real estate site. Chase recently made a strategic move on the international front by expanding its London office with the addition of Mayfair International Realty, an organization representing 125 real estate brokerages across the United Kingdom.”

Headquartered in Lake Tahoe, Nevada since 1986, with eight offices in the region (Zephyr Cove, Glenbrook, Incline Village, Tahoe City, Squaw Valley, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and Reno) and one in London, England, Chase International and its exclusive affiliations handles a large share of the country’s property. A recognized leader in the world of real estate, Chase International has once again taken the reins of cutting edge technology by launching www.ChaseNation.com, the first interactive social networking website created by a real estate brokerage as a vehicle for direct interaction with consumers online.

With more than 140 professional Realtors® boasting an array of industry certifications and the highest volume per sales agent in the area, Chase International successfully represents homes at all price levels. For more information about Chase International visit www.chaseinternational.com.