Ruth Kennedy Sudduth is the director of the residential brokerage division for LandVest/Christie’s International Real Estate

Boston Agent (BA): Colliers recently cited Boston as one of the top five markets for international consumers. Why is Boston so popular on the international real estate scene?

Ruth Kennedy Sudduth (RKS): Boston’s educational institutions are the primary draw, as the bulk of the foreign interest we see coming in is usually first sparked by some kind of educational affiliation (most commonly, a child entering school or someone visiting for a professorship or guest teaching role).

A second major draw is the combined influence of technology (healthcare and biotech included) and finance – the other two dominant industries in Boston. Those have been traditional pulls for migration into the city, but as more of an ongoing draw, versus the “rush” that has been triggered by education. Originally, the majority of these international consumers stemmed from Europe and Latin America. Now, it’s dominantly Asia.

BA: Foreign clients bring their own unique cultures and expectations to the homebuying process. How can agents prepare for those nuances?

RKS: Be flexible, listen, and do not make assumptions. What is critical at the high-end of the residential real estate industry is the agents’ ability to tailor the service they provides to the demands of the client. A good deal of our focus at LandVest is on our team’s ability to adapt to the needs of our clients.

BA: There have been reports that international real estate is slowing in Boston. Is that consistent with your perspective, and where do you see business heading the rest of the year?

RKS: Data suggests that in the most heated global markets – and referencing the Luxury Defined whitepaper, specifically – some of those markets have come off the boil. That said, there has been considerable diversity in market performance across New England.

While in-town urban markets have been extremely strong, some of the traditional destination markets still offer tremendous buying opportunities. A few that come to mind include Woodstock, Vt., the Adirondacks, and Camden, Maine, where great properties can still be had at or near price levels of a decade or more ago.

Ruth Kennedy Sudduth is the director of the residential brokerage division for LandVest/Christie’s International Real Estate.