We often take for granted that prospective buyers should think in sq ft and US $ - but we're making it very difficult for them if we don't offer a way to convert those on our website.
Today LuxuryProperty.com had a post on a new record price set for luxury real estate in Mumbai. The post says that the condo sold for
1.25 lakh a sq ft
surpassing a record of
Rs 1.20 a square foot.
OK - let's go to a currency converter. Scroll down to India and you get INR (indian Rupees). Well, maybe that equates to Rs. What's a lakh? I googled it and found that a lakh is a term for 100,000. Hmmm, that means ...
and with that, perhaps the prospective buyer gives up in frustration.
Now, I do understand that it's not feasible to list every price and dimension in every currency and term of measurement - but it would be nice to have a link for easy conversion. Here's what immobel provides on their websites:
Not only does this translate your web pages into these languages, but it enables you to do your searches in sq meters instead of sq ft, and you have a choice of currencies with which to enter your search.
If we want to appeal to international clients, let's make it easier for them.
Step outside your box, and think of how the reader/viewer sees things.
Oh, by the way - just what was the price per sq ft and the total sales price of this record sale??
OH, you are so right. But remember that their schools have mandatory English. Most know how to convert to US. At the same time you are correct to make it easier for them putting a conversion on our sites will help.
You raise an excellent point, Sharon. As more of us deal with buyers from other countries, makign these conversions easier makes lots of cents (pun intended). I have a buyer right now from Australia and while the money is not an issue, the measurements in metrics is. He is good spirited about it.
Jeff
Sharon- This is excellent, especially here in Florida where one out of every 4 homebuyers is an international buyer.
Susan - true, but many older buyer prospects have been out of school a long time and unless they were in an international business, may not have used the language for years. Also, they may know dollar equivalents from the newspapers focus on exchange rates, but aren't likely to have feet to meters in their heads.
Jeff - just the point I made to Susan before I read your comment. Then you add lot sizes, and in rural areas acreage, etc.
Katerina - so true. I'm amazed at the Miami board - they provide immobel sites with these translations FREE to all their members. It's worth paying $100 to join their board as a secondary member and get the website!
Good point Sharon :)
We tend to get a lot of readers from India, and I have several writers from around the world writing for me. I usually convert the prices into dollars for my American readers. I missed this one. But I find most readers can manage to convert it themselves. I bet you managed :)
I must admit to having tried the translation software and find it unreliable. I also run a variety of foreign language versions of the blog:
http://www.ihaozhai.cn/
http://www.polyteleia.gr/
http://www.proprietedeluxe.fr/
And have found the only way to get them genuinely readable in a foreign language, particularly those that use characters other than the Roman alphabet - it must be human translated. Hope you enjoyed discovering Lakhs. Not quite as bad as the old guineas, shillings and pennies. :)
Mark
Hi, Mark,
Thanks for coming over and commenting. Michael has suggested that I send you some blogs for luxuryproperty.com but so far I haven't had the chance.
You're right about the translation software - it doesn't come near a real translation, which of course is impossible for as many languages as there are readers. I think it's all about making an effort - just as traveling abroad, it's nice to learn at least a few phrases of the language in the country you're visiting.
Your guineas, shillings and pennies remind me of land measurements when we were in Tennessee - rods and chains and fallen oak trees.
I look forward to meeting you and spending some time together.
Sharon
Me too :)
And yes please, we would love to hear what you have to say on the Florida market. And can promise a fair amount of readers too. Although the blog is relatively new, we have had over 25,000 page views this month already. Plus I don't write a lot about that market. (except for Mr. Trump's going's ons) Any time you can find the time :)
Take care,
Mark
Mark - are you going to the Leaders in Luxury conference on South Beach in October? It would be great for Luxury Properties to be a sponsor, but even if they choose not to, you may want to attend. Luxury agents from many areas will be attending.
Thanks again for your comments. I really appreciate them. I'll be getting back to you.
Unlikely. I write the blog, I am not a real estate agent. But I would like to bet one of my associates will be. Do you have some details I can pass on?
Mark -
Since Michael and others from Luxury Property have taken the CLHMS class, I imagine that they will have a representative there, either as an attendee or a sponsor or both.
Here's a link to information on the conference. Last I heard they had only 30 spaces left. I like that the cap the number of attendees.
Thanks! International really does mean just that, and if we're servicing this niche market, we'd better understand it.
Appreciated your post.
Li
Thanks Sharon, I am sure you are right. Although, we have several companies launching in the near future so possibly not.
Mark
You don't want me doing math this late in the evening... Really, you don't.
I am bookmarking this when I have a few more braincells up and running in the morning. :) Great point!