International clients boost business, survey says

A study conducted for the Florida Association of Realtors showed that 54 percent of respondents worked with international clients in the last 12 months, and two-thirds of them wound up buying property in Florida. The typical realtor worked with three international clients; 10 percent of those surveyed had 11 or more international clients. About 27 percent bought a home in South Florida, while Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice and Orlando attracted 11 percent each. About 32 percent of foreign buyers purchased a home outside Florida’s top six metropolitan areas. The study showed 86 percent of buyers bought an existing home, and 14 percent bought new homes; 52 percent chose a single-family detached home. The remaining buyer data showed 34 percent chose a condo, 76 percent a townhome and 7 percent another type of property.