Brian Buffini
Photo: Remax Israel
US realty guru: Israel a prime real estate destination
Industry expert Brian Buffini visits Israel, says real estate market can survive, even thrive despite financial crisis
"Israel is turning out to be a prime real estate destination, in demand by investors worldwide," US real estate expert Brian Buffini told Ynet.
Considered an industry guru, Buffini owns the biggest real estate and business coaching and training company in the US. He arrived in Israel recently to lecture to local real estate agents.
The business of real estate, he told his listeners, can thrive even in these troubled times. Buffini's teachings advocate using networking and existing business contact, rather than costly advertising, to drum up business.
Realtors, he said, must take the time and invest in creating personal relationships: Every person, on average, knows about 285 people, so if you invest in cultivating 100 relationships, you can increase you potential cliental by 28,500 people.
The US real estate market, left nearly crippled by the financial crisis in the States, is slowly recovering, said Buffini. He recommended Israelis looking to invest in real estate invest in the local market, but if you have your heart set on an American venture, he recommended looking into property in California, Florida and Michigan, as well as in Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona.
The best investment, he added, is a conservative one. "There is no magic formula – a well maintained house in the right price range will always sell. It's like loosing weight – there's not magical way you just have to eat less and exercise. You have to be wiling to work hard."
Buffini & Company employees 220 people and Buffini himself has trained over 1.5 million real estate agents worldwide to date. He has also penned several books and according to the US National Association of Realtors, those who train with him closed more deals – up to six times more – that the national average.
