Making A World of Difference

As appeared Sunday, August 24, 2008
Michael Saunders & Company

Whether they motor in from across the Canadian border or crisscross the entire globe to get here, Southwest Florida has a long history of luring international buyers drawn to our irresistible blend of sun, sea and cultural sophistication. Today, with prices right, selections great, and foreign currencies showing unprecedented strength against the dollar, what used to be a regular trickle has grown into a steady stream of international buyers ready, willing and able to purchase properties before this extraordinary set of circumstances slips away.

For this reason, we are proud to reacquaint our clients, customers and friends with MSC International, the division of Michael Saunders & Company that has long helped buyers from every country grasp the nuances of American property transactions and guide them successfully through every step it takes to complete one.

It’s not enough to simply tack the word “International” to the end of your corporate name and expect to wing-it once an international buyer shows up at your doorstep. At MSC International, we are set-up to offer every level of international support; from providing multi-lingual associates, attorneys and lending specialists to offering guidance on mortgage opportunities and title issues from experts who can explain the difference between cultures when it comes to purchasing property and completing a transaction.

Although it may not seem readily apparent, if you’re a local seller, MSC International offers you some very important and unique benefits as well. Through our carefully-crafted network of international affiliations—including the European Real Estate Network, Mayfair International Realty, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Luxury Portfolio and Christie’s Great Estates—MSC International continues to harness foreign buyers in quantities that help fill the void in overall buyers, whose numbers aren’t sufficient to rapidly absorb the huge number of unsold properties that were dumped on the market by over-leveraged and under-capitalized speculators. More buyers, of course, mean more opportunities to sell your home.

No other real estate company in Southwest Florida offers such an extensive grid of international connections, nor enjoys the benefit of having a hands-on founder who travels the world to position Sarasota front and center on every broker’s radar screen. Last year Michael Saunders & Company was inducted into the ranks of the prestigious European Real Estate Network (EREN), one of only two American brokerages to enjoy such a privilege and distinction. EREN is comprised of an exclusive group of European luxury real estate companies, widely considered the most prestigious real estate firms in their respective countries. With the addition of Michael Saunders & Company and New York’s Halstead Properties—EREN is now comprised of 22 leading property firms, operating 53 offices in 10 countries. It is the only pan-European network of independent, top-quality brokerage companies who provide their clients with considerable real estate expertise, international contacts, and trans-Atlantic exposure for all their properties

At the same time, Michael Saunders drew on her international reputation to forge a second new Pan-European alliance intended to showcase the company’s listings to buyers throughout continental Europe and the United Kingdom. Mayfair International Realty, a London-based organization that represents 125 real estate brokerages with 350 offices, is MSC International’s newest link in its chain of worldwide connections.

These new alliances are by no means intended to eclipse our longstanding affiliations with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Luxury Portfolio and Christie’s Great Estates, they simply add another important layer of connectivity linking our sellers with qualified buyers the world over. In the first half of 2008, Christie’s Great Estates—the international offshoot of the world’s oldest and most prestigious fine-art auction house—achieved nearly five times the volume in sales of important properties, has 365 more offices and 25,500 more sales associates than its closest competitor Sotheby’s.

Last, but certainly not least, sellers who list with Michael Saunders & Company enjoy the unrivaled benefit of having their properties exposed to a world of buyers thanks to www.michaelsaunders.com. Last month alone, michaelsaunders.com experienced 70,956 visits
from 122 countries and territories around the world.