<Home <Articles

WHY SOME MULTICULTURAL CLIENTS PREFER NEW HOMES

“I’ve notices that many of my minority buyers want to look at new home first before settling on a resale home.  Is there something special that attracts them to new properties?”  Marge R.

Yes, new homes are special to people from diverse cultures. However, it’s not for the same reason that Anglo American buyers are often interested in brand new homes.  These buyers are usually attracted to new construction because it means there won’t be any maintenance required for the first six or seven years or that the appliances come with full warranties.

If a new immigrant buys a new house here it says to friends and family back in their home country that they have made it in America. They have not only been able to buy a property but a brand new one which is the ultimate sign of success.

Some groups also have beliefs about homes that impact the kind of property they buy and one of those beliefs is a need to avoid bad luck. For instance, Asians often don’t want a house in which bad energy has been created by such events as divorce, sickness and especially an untimely death. This group believes that negative energy stays in a home unless released by burning it to the ground and starting over. Thus, new homes have no bad energy and enable the buyers to create their own good luck.

Hispanics often favor new homes because they can customize them with amenities that they prefer such as hardwood or tile floors, tile roofs and natural wood as opposed to painted. Such features may not be available in resale properties.

African Americans sometimes look for new homes because they can customize both the inside and outside to meet their own unique tastes. They often want their homes to reflect a very individual style and fashion.

Asians are the opposite of African Americans in that their cultural beliefs encourages them to conform. In fact, the Japanese have a saying that epitomizes this philosophy, “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down”. While a new home is preferred (a home that is 20 years old in Japan is often torn down because it is believed to be too old) they want a home that blends into the neighborhood. Thus, Asians in general tend to favor production built tract homes as opposed to custom.

Many of the builders I consult with across the country want to know how to build new homes that appeal specifically to buyers from diverse cultures. I let builders and their salespeople know that they must first understand exactly which cultural groups are their potential buyers. Chinese are vastly different from Japanese just as Mexicans are different from Puerto Ricans. Their needs in a home can be very different

Builders as well as salespeople should understand about the basic tenets of Feng Shui which is the ancient Chinese belief in energy flow. This can impact which homes a client prefers as well as its basic orientation. For instance, Feng Shui dictates that interior stairs should not lead directly down to the entry because good luck will go right out the front door. Likewise, clients who believe in Feng Shui usually don’t to buy a home where you can see the back door from the front door for the same reason.

Taking the cultural beliefs of your customers can lead to increased sales and higher satisfaction ratings. 

About the Author: Michael “Soon” Lee, MBA, CSP, is a real estate broker, speaker and author who consults with builders about how to increase sales to multicultural customers.  He is an Associate Trainer with New Home Specialist and the author of The Official Guide to Selling New Homes to Multicultural Customers (New Home Specialist, 2000).  Michael has spoken at the Home Builders Convention, the International Builders Show and to clients such as Celebration Homes, Shea Homes, CTX Mortgage, Greystone Homes, Drees Homes and many others.  He is often called as an Expert Witness in court cases where culture is an issue.  Michael is President of EthnoConnect™ the Multicultural Sales Solution and can be reached in the U.S. at (925) 829-9700 or by e-mail at:michael@seminarsunlimited.com.

Copyright© 2006 by Seminars Unlimited - All Rights Reserved

Return to top