REAL Exclusive Magazine

International Real Estate – Communicating Across Cultures

By Patricia Tan

As I write this article, I am preparing for a marketing trip that will include meetings, presentations and showcasing Florida properties at real estate shows in Singapore, Malaysia and England. Developing marketing materials for these very different markets is somewhat challenging, as you might imagine.

When visiting a foreign country, one of the biggest issues to overcome is usually language. In this respect, I am fortunate because Malaysia and Singapore were both British colonies and English is widely spoken there. However, they do speak their own variety of English, and it is based on the British version of the language rather than American. For instance, just as we might hear our Canadian neighbors ending a sentence with “eh” many a Singaporean or Malaysian sentence will end in “lah”, and Singaporeans are said to speak Singlish, their own English dialect! Thinking that my own British roots, will help me relate to the local brand of English and overcome the issues raised by George Bernard Shaw when he described England and The United States as “two nations separated by a common language” I turn my thoughts to some of the cultural issues I may encounter in my travels.

Regular readers may remember me writing about the many, sometimes subtle, differences in American and British cultures. So I thought you might appreciate some insight into two South East Asian countries. While Singapore and Malaysia don’t often make the headlines here, a quick perusal of public records across Florida will reveal many property owners from these countries.

Singapore and Malaysia have both been centers of international trade for many centuries, as they lay directly on the sea routes between India and China. This led to each country building a very diverse population across many cultures including Chinese, Indian, European and the indigenous peoples who have populated the region for several thousand years. But while these two countries have a lot in common, there are also differences a visitor needs to be aware of, especially if they intend to do business there.

It’s always good to have an understanding of a country’s religious make up and how this may influence behavior and business. Malaysia is officially an Islamic state. Around half of the population is Muslim (Malay), but the remainder of people span many other religious groups including Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists and Christians. In contrast, Muslims make up only 15% of the Singaporean population and the island state does not have an official religion. The majority of the Singaporean population is of Chinese origin (76%) so you may see more Buddhists, Taoist and Confucianists, but Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism are also well represented.

When doing business in these countries, one must first identify which ethnic/religious group you are dealing with, because the way they conduct themselves in meetings, process information, and negotiate will differ.

Malaysians will usually observe the strong masculine hierarchy of a secular Muslim state. While Singaporeans generally have differentiated roles of the sexes in society, in business there is western style equality and women occupy many senior roles in commerce and government.

Negotiations generally have one pace in these countries – slow, by American standards. There is an emphasis on personal relationships and these take time to develop. Negotiations will also be polite, but that does not mean the parties to an agreement do not want to get their own way. Chinese businessmen and consumers often consult astrology to determine upon which day a contract should be signed, and this may influence the pace of negotiation too. While the standard of English spoken is generally good, the visitor must be aware that some phrases are direct translations from Chinese, and may appear aggressive. For instance, you may be presented with an offer during a negotiation, and the presenter will end by saying “want it or not”. To a westerner, this sounds like “take it or leave it”. To the very polite Singaporean or Malaysian they are just asking “is this acceptable to you?”

Be prepared to eat! Food is a very important aspect of life in both these countries. Their multicultural make up is nowhere more evident than in the diversity of their cuisine. A lunch “hour” is generally not observed as good food takes longer than 60 minutes to enjoy. It is not unusual for your hosts to ask what you would like to eat. Whatever dish you suggest, they will have a favorite restaurant or food stall that serves that dish, and that becomes the location for lunch or dinner, whether it is around the corner or several miles away.

So as I prepare for my marketing trip, I am allowing myself plenty of time to sample my favorite local foods: Hainanese chicken rice (Chinese steamed chicken and fragrant rice), Malay nasi campur (Muslim spicy dishes and steamed rice), roti prati (Indian fried pancake with curry sauce) to name but a few. Perhaps I can fit in some real estate transactions between the many meals – that would certainly be a bonus!

Patricia Tan was born in England, and her career in international sales and marketing led her to live and work in many countries around the world before moving to Sarasota in 1997. Patricia is a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), and Transnational Referral Certified (TRC). She is involved in global activities of the Sarasota, Florida and National Association of Realtors, and currently serves as NAR President’s Liaison to U.K. Her real estate business operates from Coldwell Banker on St Armands Key, where her focus is to bring international buyers to the local market. She regularly makes marketing trips to Canada, Asia and Europe, to promote Florida’s Gulf Coast and the Sarasota area in particular. Patricia may be reached at 941-504-9232 or Pat@PatriciaTan.com.

Copyright © 2012 REAL Magazine
Links to this article are encouraged