How Asian Beliefs Affect Real Estate Transactions

FENG SHUI: (Pronounced “fung sho-way”) literally means “wind and water.” It is an Asian belief about energy flow.  The main tenets of this belief are:

-          “Good luck travels in curved lines” so that curved walkways, spiral staircases, and round windows would be lucky.

-          “Bad luck travels in straight lines” so that straight walkways, rectangular windows, and straight staircases would be unlucky.

For every bad energy issue there is a cure but it can be very complicated to overcome. Often, a feng shui master must be consulted to prescribe the most effective cure.

TIP #1: Real estate professionals should not waste their time trying to cure negative energy issues because it is far too complex.  Instead, recognize that most Asians purchase a home for its investment potential. If you can convince your buyers that the home is a good deal they will find their own cures. Remind them of facts such as good price, attractive financing, low interest rates, and a motivated seller instead of worrying about feng shui.

NUMEROLOGY: Many Asians have good luck and bad luck numbers. The most common good luck number for Chinese and Japanese is eight because in Chinese it is pronounced “baat” while the word for rich is pronounced the same but with a different accent. These words are similar in Japanese as well. Home addresses such as “888” or prices ending with “888” are believe to be lucky.

On the other hand, the number four is thought to be unlucky for many because in Chinese it is pronounced “sei” while the word for death is pronounced the same but again with a slightly different accent. As a result, throughout most of Asia there are no hotels or hospitals with floors that are numbered four much like American builders who skip the 13^th floor.

In other Asian cultures good luck and bad luck numbers can be different. For instance, Filipinos consider the number seven to be lucky while the number three is unlucky.

TIP #2: If a client seems concerned about the address of a property simply tell him or her that this number is only for the convenience of the mail man. The official address is really the Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) and you’d better hope there are no fours and possibly a couple of eights in the APN. Again, if the client is convinced the home purchase is a good deal he or she will find a way to justify an unlucky address to friends and family.

HOUSE DIRECTION: Many Asians believe that the doorway of the house should face the east because that is a lucky direction. Some absolutely do not want a house that faces north since an ancient belief says that the devil lives in the north and if he sees the front of your home every day it reminds him to send bad luck your way. Pakistanis, Middle Eastern and other Muslim followers may also prefer homes that face east since that is the direction of Mecca, the holy city of Islam.

TIP #3: If a client is convinced that they are getting a good deal on a home they may enlarge a side entrance and call that the front of the house. The challenge is selling them on the value of the deal.

ASK ABOUT CULTURE: There are seventeen major subcultures that fall under the category of “Asian.” It’s wise to ask every client, regardless of whether they look like new immigrants or not, “Where are your ancestors from?” Asians, in particular, are proud of being Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, South Asian, or from some other group and do not want to lumped together or confused as a member of another group.

Because Asian Americans look “foreign” to many in this country we are happy to educate others about our background, beliefs, and more.

TIP #4: Ask every client about their culture and you will learn some fascinating information about Thailand as well as Ireland and elsewhere. It will help you build rapport much faster than talking about real estate related topics.

ASK ABOUT THEIR GENERATION: New immigrants are known as “first generation” people in the United States. They usually have the most difficulty speaking and understanding English, have the strongest beliefs, and know the least about how real estate is purchased in America. Second generation people are the first ones to be born here and are usually bilingual so they can communicate with their parents and learn English in school. Third generation and beyond are usually very Americanized and may not even speak the language of their ancestors.  However, they still may have some cultural beliefs that may impact the purchase of a home.  The only way to know, is to ask them.

TIP #5: Ask every client what generation their family is in the United States. It will give you a sense of their ability to understand English, the strength of their beliefs, and their knowledge of American business practices.

(Excerpted from OPENING DOORS: Selling to Multicultural Real Estate Clients by Michael Lee, CRS, GRI  www.EthnoConnect.com)