When it comes to real estate, the International Group at RE/MAX Professionals is your local team with global reach. Representing languages from around the world, they service clients in almost any of the major languages.
According to the International Group, “Working with local and international investors, there is no deal too big or too small. If you’re looking for world class service, look no further.” The creation of this internationally-focused team began with Lisa Nguyen, a broker with RE/MAX Professionals, and Joseph Libkey, a developer with Blueprint Investment Group.
“The State of Asia Report was published by RE/MAX and AREAA (Asian Real Estate Association of America) containing statistics of how Asians were the fastest growing demographic in the United States. Knowing that the demographics are changing in the next decade, we had an idea to form a team that could help assist with language barriers,” said Nguyen.
As such. Nguyen and Libkey decided to partner and form a vertical integration one stop model for real estate.
Some agents were already with RE/MAX and others left their respective companies to join the team under RE/MAX Professionals.
The group currently provides services in four of the major Asian languages in the Denver metro area: Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and Cantonese with plans to add more languages once the right agents are recruited for the team.
International investors can either invest into the PPM or utilize the team to buy and sell different types of real estate including: residential, land, multifamily and commercial. The International Group also specializes in FIRPTA & 1031 Exchanges, which are services needed by foreign investors. Since the team’s developer is self-performing, they are able to look at different types of models for investors.
Nguyen, who has been involved in real estate since 2005, said: “So much has changed in real estate in the last decade. AREAA started in 2003 and at the time, I didn’t have a real estate family to support the community the way I do now. The demographics were not yet changing at the time.”
As a Vietnamese American, supporting the Asian community is very important to her because she believes the community has come such a long way. She refers to the Chinatown in Denver being burnt down in the 1800’s and Asians being discriminated against in housing. While a lot has changed since the 70’s, the work to bring equal and fair opportunities to diverse communities is far from being done.
That’s why she is an advocate for the statement “Home Ownership for All,” which is her belief that no matter where you are in life—whether living in public housing, an apartment, or someone’s basement—home ownership is achievable with the right team by your side. She believes that the American dream of ownership should apply to all people.
Nguyen, who is active in serving the community and taking on leadership roles, is the current vice president of AREAA Greater Denver and will be the incoming president in 2020. When the Greater Denver Chapter was formed in 2016, she served as its treasurer.
Her advice to others is to get involved because “our actions now will affect our children’s lives in the decades to come. When one voice becomes thousands of voices. We are more powerful in numbers.”
Having been in and out of the real estate industry, specifically to raise her children, Nguyen has learned that being a broker is a hard job.
“Not everyone can thick the skin to do it day in and day out. I have learned you have to be passionate about it or this will only be a job versus a career,” she said.
As she looks ahead in to 2019 and beyond, she advises Coloradans to:
Stay in tune with the market changes.
Know what is going on around Colorado such as the companies investing in the state, along with the major infrastructure changes.
Know the different programs available and partner with the right lender and agent.
Don’t wait too long to buy as home prices have continued to rise year after year.
To reach Lisa Nguyen or an agent with the International Group at RE/MAX, e-mail intlgroup@rmprohomes.com.