ListHub, the listing syndication services company operated by News Corp. subsidiary Move, today announced relationships with six brokerage firms to advertise real estate listings in the international marketplace through the ListHub Global Network.
The latest to sign with ListHub Global include Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties.
Compass, Engel & Völkers North America and Valore Group Real Estate — a division of the Keyes Company — have also recently signed up.
The ListHub Global network spans 85-plus publishers in more than 55 countries, with particular coverage in Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Those publishers include fang.com, a leading real estate website in China, and rightmove.co.uk in Great Britain.
For New York-based Compass — with offices in New England, Miami and Los Angeles — the deal makes sense as it is looking to attract more international buyers as it grows.
“Our relationship with the ListHub Global Network is a natural reflection of our shared commitment to best-in-class technology, unparalleled professional expertise and world-class service,” said Robert Reffkin, founder and CEO of Compass.
“This connection enables us to develop our international marketing strategy to make the selling process even more seamless, while enabling us to maintain our focus on our clients and on growing our business.”
“This alliance with ListHub Global offers an opportunity to further enhance our strong global presence and expand our listing exposure and brand awareness into new markets with a technology partner that understands our needs,” added Anthony Hitt, CEO of Engel & Völkers North America.
ListHub said that its U.S. brokerage partners will be reaching more than 60 million buyers and investors around the world through the consumer’s local real estate publisher of choice.
“ListHub Global arms brokerages with the tools they need to help market clients’ for-sale properties to international buyers through a single platform, while providing the security of ListHub’s stringent protocols in data protection and control,” said vice president and general manager of ListHub, Celeste Starchild.
Starchild pointed to a surge in the international home buying market market drawing on research from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which estimates that this market segment is worth $104 billion — up 13 percent year on year.
Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas are the most attractive states for international buyers, accounting for half of the total sales reported in 2015.
Foreign clients also typically represent a higher price demographic, spending nearly $245,000 more than domestic buyers.
“Eight percent of overall home sales in the U.S. are going to foreign buyers, which is one in 12,” she said. “And out of that group, one third of these international purchases are made by Chinese buyers.”
As such, Chinese websites are by far the most requested by U.S. agents working with ListHub Global, she said.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of agents seeking education in this area,” she added.
Starchild stressed ListHub will only link up with international publishers who follow the rules of US real estate brokers.
During 2015, ListHub has added 110 MLS agreements and more than 10,000 brokerage agreements to its U.S. real estate listing syndication and performance metrics operations; the company said it now syndicates 90 percent of domestic listings. Today, more than 60,000 brokers use ListHub’s platform nationwide. ListHub distributes content from close to 600 MLSs to more than 180 publishers, reaching homebuyers on more than 900 websites.
