Words: Ashley Rigg
Published: 26th January 2010
Selling to Russians – Top tips and resource guide
The Russian market was seen by many as the salvation of the overseas property industry. While this is true for a good number of agents and developers, many more never really made it work.
The success stories have come from companies that invested time and money building relationships by employing Russian speakers and regularly travelling to trade shows to meet buyers and potential agent partners, although the later has been more difficult than many expected as the majority of Russian agents are focused on the local market.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest successes have come from the companies who dedicated the most resources to the task. Intermark Savills for example opened offices in Moscow in partnership with local experts and are now reaping the benefits of access to cash-rich Russians seeking “safe” international property investment opportunities.
So what can you do if you are looking to tap into the Russian market? There are a number of magazines, portals and trade shows which will help you access buyers but your money and time will be not be well spent unless you are prepared to invest in a Russian speaker to process the leads and build relationships.
If you are serious about the market, you may be interested in a number of interviews and guides we put together recently. A few of the articles are over 12 months old but the advice is as relevant today as if was at the time, perhaps even more so.