I was born and raised in Beijing, but I have traveled all across the world. In my role as a top producing broker at Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, I specialize in residential and commercial real estate with exceptional experience in navigating international buyers relocating or investing from China. I am a founding member of the RSIR Asia Desk in downtown Kirkland and am passionate about sharing my knowledge on Asian cultures with our team. To bridge Chinese and American cultures in business is both challenging and rewarding!
Here are some ways that my Chinese clients differ from my American clients:
Culture
Many Chinese clients evaluate the feng shui score of a property. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese system of balancing our physical environment to promote harmony and a sense of well-being. Many of my Chinese clients believe that everything in a home has an energy, or “chi”, and the way the home is arranged is very important. This art of placement affects the flow of a home and things that American clients don’t think of, like the direction that the home faces, shapes, and even the street number! Chinese clients are we known to like number 8 because that is considered a lucky number in the Chinese culture.
Business
Chinese clients love to bargain and the act of bargaining is considered normal in the Chinese culture. It’s important to know that clients don’t do this because the price is high, they simply view bargaining is a ritual of business negotiation.
Lifestyle
It’s very common for Chinese families to live in multi generational homes with parents and grandparents on one property. It’s expected that parents and grandparents will be taken care of, and they can watch the younger children when the parents aren’t home.
Cooking is also very important in a Chinese household. The kitchen space will need plenty of room to prepare meals and good ventilation!
Many of my Chinese clients are coming from condo-living in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Unlike many American real estate clients, they aren’t very interested having a big yard or garden. This is extra work that they aren’t used to!
Transactions
Most Chinese buyers have the ability to pay in full with cash and would prefer to pay this way! There have been recent policies that have been written to restrict international fund transfers, which have greatly limited the number of Chinese cash buyers. There are now special requirements for overseas buyers to get financing in the U.S.. Chinese clients have to prove overseas assets and income in the U.S., as well as overseas.
When investing overseas in the Seattle and Bellevue metro area, working with the right team makes all the difference in the world. Please contact me if you are searching for a home in the Seattle area!