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Using a Translation App to Sell Sacramento Real Estate
It dawned on me today I have three buyers with whom I’m using a translation app. These buyers’ primary languages are Hmong, Chinese and East Indian. I was showing homes in Elk Grove this last weekend where I met one of these buyers for the first time in person.
You probably won’t believe I had interviewed these buyers online using a translation app. First I explained to them how agents work; I didn’t speak any differently than I usually do as it was all translated using the app. They were asking if I was the listing agent. I explained that they’d be so much better off using a buyer’s agent instead of the listing agent. They said great, they wanted to meet me.
Another agent with me was so surprised at my using a translation app to sell real estate in Elk Grove. The pre-qualified buyers had a lender letter. So they knew how much money they had down, and what they were looking for!
All the work thus far was completed by my using a translation app. I asked these folks if they would rather have an agent that spoke their primary language as I could transfer them? They said no they’d rather hire me and they prefer to work with me.
These particular buyers didn’t have the app so I sent them a link and they installed it on their phone. This let me be very direct with them and to explain how I work. There is such an opportunity, especially in the diverse community of Elk Grove, to work with clients who speak different languages. It’s an untapped market for a Top Producer in Sacramento like me who only speaks English and a little bit of Spanish.
My mother is 100% Spanish, her parents immigrated here to this country. At that time when I was growing up it was not popular to be bilingual so my mother didn’t teach us Spanish when we were small and in school. Now of course, I practice my Spanish with her on a small scale. One of my bucket list items is to learn to speak Spanish fluently so I could help Spanish speaking clients. Although with this app it isn’t necessary to speak several other languages but still might be fun though.
All three of these clients expressed an interest in working with me exclusively. My clients from Iran invited me into their home and made wonderful green tea and pistachios and dates. They were most kind and so welcoming and they introduced me to their children.
Getting to know people from different cultures, for me, is rewarding and interesting. It doesn’t appear that speaking someone’s language is necessary; isn’t that incredible? Perhaps more agents should think a little more outside of the box?
In my 23 years of selling real estate in Sacramento, I didn’t know the day would come where I would be using a translation app to sell real estate! I must say I love it, as I love diversity and I love technology. These tools allow us to do great work for others and to be able to explain things in their own language, in writing on the app.
By not being afraid to try something new, I have opened up a source of business where I can help so many people to have professional representation. In 2019, this is a practice that will separate me from other top producers in Sacramento. They may be afraid to sell houses by using a translation app to sell real estate in Sacramento.
For more information call JaCi Wallace at Weintraub & Wallace 916-233-6759 at RE/MAX Gold.
Tips for Working With Non-English Speaking Buyers in Sacramento
Communication is more difficult working with non-English speaking buyers in Sacramento real estate.
Working with non-English speaking buyers in Sacramento real estate is more common than you might think. It’s no secret that our lower affordable prices and close proximity to the Bay Area draws to Sacramento many foreign buyers from San Francisco.
One of the recurring hurdles we need to cross is to develop trust. Which is difficult when you can’t really communicate. I mean, how do you tell a buyer, hey, we Sacramento Realtors are in many ways like those from the Midwest, honest almost to a fault, accommodating, desiring to assist and help. We are not slippery-slope big city sharks.
In one escrow that just blew up yesterday, the buyers relied mostly on a family member to interpret, and she thought she knew everything. You know the type. Can’t share any information because they mistrust the agent and they have all the answers. The know-it-alls find dozens of things to complain about, even when nothing is wrong. The answer is really to spend extra time with non-English speaking buyers in Sacramento, especially the know-it-alls. To be patient, kind, understanding, even when they attack your integrity.
It’s really hard for many people to trust anybody. It’s even harder for many people to trust real estate agents. I find it’s easier to communicate in writing with ESL or non-English speakers. Like my Español, where I’ve got lo siento down pat, it’s easier for me to read and write in Spanish than to speak it. I can make a request in Spanish but I do not understand the reply. I sold several homes last year representing sellers who did not speak a lick of English. I never even met the sellers. I did, however, spend a lot of time writing emails that explained how things work.
It was a lot more work on my end. I could not treat these sellers like regular sellers who understand English yet they still don’t get it. I had to break down every single step, explain every action. But in the end, they adored me. Not everybody is like that, though.
Take a buyer from the Bay Area who called yesterday. We were ready to show him a home in Elk Grove last night, but the listing stated all offers would be presented at 8 AM today. That meant if he wanted to buy it, the buyer would need to write an offer immediately. That news was offensive and foreign to the guy. It made him angry, agitated. He accused us of making it up, of working against him.
From where he stood, he was right to harbor that viewpoint. In retrospect, it might have been more clear to say the home was unavailable. But just because there are communication challenges with non-English speaking buyers in Sacramento real estate doesn’t mean we can’t offer patience, kindness and understanding. And let me tell you, Google translation is also a big help. Under these circumstances, it just takes more time to develop trust and a fiduciary relationship.
And yes, sometimes there are situations when it’s best to refer the buyer to an agent who speaks their native tongue.
