Admin

International is more than an office in Canada!

By
Real Estate Agent with Chas Everitt International

Having just returned from my fourth NAR over a period of 12 years it amazes me how the term international is still used so liberally in the US in names and descriptions when it really does not apply at all.  Having an office or representation in Toronto Canada hardly makes the brand or product international!  I call it the World Series syndrome where the the name is hardly representative of the reality of the participants or global footprint!  I actually spoke to one rep who used the word international in his name and he very proudly told me that it was because they were going to open an office in Hawai! (Hello!)

Anyhow - the reason for being so irked is that for those who live in the far flung reaches of the planet (like Cape Town South Africa) it is so dissapointing to go over to nAR and get excited about so many great products and tools for our real estate industry only to discover (sometimes after buying the product or service) that for some reason or another it is not suitable or completely adaptable at home!

Take this blog site for example!  It's great and I have to sign up under New York because their is no country choice - pick a State (any State) Hey I love New York so I just adopted it to register - forgive me but we need to get creative living at the end of Africa!  When I buy software very often you are stuck with a $ currency symbol and this is just crazy that the programmers don't allow the Windows settings to provide the currency symbol in the windows system you have chosen.  Then we have to contend with a defaults like five digit zip codes (ours are four digits) and of course we are metric instead of sqare feet and our paper size is different (A4 not letter size) and believe me the list goes on and on!

Hardly your problem I know and you are already saying "the point is?" I hear you - in a country with your size population your web designers and programmers (and that's the correct English spelling by the way) really don't have to give a second thought to us on the global fringe - but we do so much want to play with you!

Yes you do get some fabulous companies that recognise that the rest of the world could still be an interesting addition to their sales market and they are willing to make changes and allow regional customisation and I am always so very grateful!  Top Producer for example (being Canadian I suppose) has been a great example about making their product truly international and there are many small guys out there too and all I can say is thank you!    Now come on Active Rain! Put in a country field and allow me to list myself in my own City and Country and by the way the phone format...  allow an international / country code +27 format please!  

Show All Comments Sort:
"Tommy" Decebal
HomeSpector Inc. 516-851-5833 - Farmingdale, NY
Adamescu Long Island NY MASTER Home Inspector

Wishing You HAPPY HOLIDAYS and Best Wishes for A GREAT YEAR 2008.

Tommy   New York Certified Home Inspector Long Island NY Nassau/Suffolk/Queens Home Inspections

Dec 27, 2007 02:22 PM
Mara Hawks
First Realty Auburn - Auburn, AL
Inactive-2012 REALTOR - Homes for Sale Auburn Real Estate, AL

Reminds me of the inaccuracy of "The World Series" in baseball--- because it's only in America, not the world!

Jul 08, 2008 04:22 PM