International Property Journal - News and information on global property markets

Profile: Mallina Wilson

Agent Displays Passion for Creating International Business

Mallina Wilson

By Kevin Brass

Mallina Wilson is one of those people who seem charged by some form of alternative energy.

Describing her efforts to build an international business, the Bellingham, Wa.-based Realtor reels off a long list of activities and events—a dinner with Asian diplomats, a tour with Japanese conference delegates, meetings with overseas agents. Her conversation is peppered with references to a Honduras listing, marketing a local ranch in Dubai, Skype calls with a client in Latvia and new LinkedIn connections.

“People and travel is my passion,” she says. “Real estate is just the vehicle.”

First Person: Simon Janusas

New York Agent Sees His Future Business in Lithuania

Simon Janusas in Lithuania

By Simon Janusas

Agent, Keller Williams

We're all familiar with the scenario: You go somewhere or meet someone expecting a particular outcome, but end up with a completely different one. That happened to me last summer.

I vacationed in my native country of Lithuania for the first time and soon decided that this is where I will be concentrating most of my real estate endeavors in the future.

Profile: Patsy Chilson

Insider's Look at Riviera Maya

When Patsy Chilson started buying and selling condos in Cabo San Lucas, not that long ago, Mexico was a land without title insurance, escrow was a myth and most of the players were shady characters from Mexico City.

Patsy Chilson

“It was really cowboy territory, like the old gold rush,” Chilson says.

Today Chilson is one of the entrenched agents in Playa del Carmen, the fast-growing coastal town south of Cancun, and a true Mexico veteran.

In addition to working in Cabo and Puerto Vallarta, her resume includes a stint as director of sales for the high-end Rosewood Mayakoba, the sprawling coastal project north of Playa. She also owns a dozen properties in Playa, Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas, most with her husband Bjorn Koch, who is also a well-known agent in Playa.

Snapshots From NAR2009

Marie Farrell

Florida Realtor Builds a

Business in Panama

From Jacksonville, Florida, Re/Max agent Marie Farrell has built up a business in Panama, positioning herself as a specialist on the fast-growing Central American country.

Panama was a natural choice for Farrell. She grew up near the Canal, but left when she was 19. Essentially starting from scratch, she launched her international business in 2005 by getting her CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) designation. Then she started attending international conferences, meeting developers and agents, learning the market.

Ed Barner

Investor Profile

After Years in Prague, He Shifts to Las Vegas

By Kevin Brass
Editor

Ed Barner is not the type of property investor guided by spreadsheets, algorithms and data forecasts.

“It’s all gut with me,” Barner said. “I look at a few numbers, but for the most part I talk to people and get a gut reaction.”

For the 15 years Barner, a native of Los Angeles, focused his investments on high-end apartments in Prague, which he’s leased steadily to foreign corporations doing business in the Czech capital. Now he’s selling the last of his apartments in Prague and shifting his investments to suburban houses in Las Vegas.

Pics: Commercial Super Conference, Miami

The annual Commercial Super Conference attracted 250 industry executives from around the U.S. to Miami’s Biltmore Hotel on Oct. 23. Hosted by the Realtors Commercial Alliance of Greater Miami and the Beaches (RCA Miami), the event focused on future initiatives, as well as the current leasing and government regulatory environment.

Groups represented included the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), Certified Commercial Investment Members (CCIM) and the Commercial Industrial Association of South Florida (CIASF).

Pics: Property Investor Show and OPPLive

The annual Property Investor Show and OPPLive combined this year in London, creating an exhibition for both consumers and industry professionals. About 5,700 people attended the show, Oct. 22-24, which featured 186 exhibitors, according to OPP coverage.