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One common quality among real estate professionals who pursue the CIPS designation is a keen interest in connecting to clients and other agents from other countries. When societies interact, there are abundant opportunities to learn and grow—and to make mistakes.
Avoiding mistakes is not as simple as having an open mind. As a global agent, you must go out of your way to learn the many different ways your culture differs from your clients’.
It’s also tempting to believe that respecting individual differences is sufficient. After all, you’ve already learned how to navigate a wide range of temperaments and personalities among clients in your local market. Isn’t that a transferable skill?
Not entirely. A person’s culture is different from their personality. Culture is an indisputable lens that significantly impacts the way people see the world, choose their actions, and interpret others’ behavior.
Don’t ignore cultural differences, but be cautious about generalizations that might inadvertently slip into negative stereotypes.
If clients from other cultures are given respect and appreciation, global agents are much more capable of predicting their behavior, clarifying their motivations, avoiding giving offense, and identifying common ground.
Look inside this issue of Global Perspectives for fresh thinking and practical tips on working successfully with clients and other real estate professionals from around the world.
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