Saturday, September 24, 2011

Costa Rica and Miami Realtors Agree to Marketing Alliance

Miami Association of Realtors Signs Reciprocal Agreement with Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors
Associations Agree to Share Property Listings

 
Miami, Florida, and Tamarindo, Costa Rica – September 19, 2011 - The Miami Association of Realtors (MIAMI) has signed a reciprocal agreement with the Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors (CRGAR) that will generate business opportunities for members of both associations. Specifically, MIAMI and CRGAR will share property listings via Proxio’s internet data exchange platform and connect professionals through Proxio Pro’s professional network. The reciprocal agreement was signed at the Florida Realtors Convention in Orlando, Florida.



           Miami, Florida                                                                                         Tamarindo, Costa Rica     

 
"We are proud to join hands with the MIAMI Association of Realtors, America’s largest local Realtor association, to attract international investors to our region and promote the growth of Proxio’s industry-leading real estate database," said CRGAR President Allen Lungo. This collaboration will strengthen international exposure for the Costa Rican and Miami real estate markets and enhance referral business for members of both associations. 


"MIAMI is pleased to partner with CRGAR, an organization committed to serving its members and Costa Rica, and to expanding global opportunities," said Teresa King Kinney, MIAMI Chief Operating Officer. "Costa Rica is a strong market for Miami and South Florida, and we look forward to a very successful relationship with CRGAR that will greatly benefit our respective members and regional real estate activities.


 
According to the 2011 Profile of International Home Buyers in Florida, 53 percent of international buyers in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach are from Latin America. Florida is by far the #1 investment destination in the United States for foreign buyers, accounting for 30 percent, a nine percent increase compared to 2010, of all international sales in the country. In Florida, South Florida is the top destination for international buyers, accounting for 31 percent of international sales in the state.

 
MIAMI’s International Council has signed agreements with more than 65 foreign real estate organizations around the world - including the Russian Guild of Realtors in Moscow, Russia; Secovi-SP in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and FNAIM Paris – Ile de France in Paris, France. These agreements link MIAMI members to those of our worldwide partners and globalize the local real estate market.   

 
About the MIAMI Association of REALTORSThe MIAMI Association of REALTORS was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating more than 90 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida.  Comprised of four organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward County Board of Governors, and the International Council, it represents more than 24,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage.  It is the largest local association in the National Association of Realtors, and has partnerships with more than 60 international organizations worldwide. MIAMI’s official website is
www.miamire.com.


About the Costa Rica Global Association of RealtorsThe Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors (CRGAR) has supported Realtor professionalism and the growth of Costa Rica as an international real estate investment destination for over 10 years. As the the only association in Costa Rica that requires its members to also belong to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the United States, CRGAR is the most professional platform for realtors in the country. CRGAR’s growing national base of members and series of international partnerships led to the creation of the Costa Rica MLS (CRMLS). CRMLS is the only national property database with listings that are all legally-registered, entered by a NAR member, and have the association’s backing of referral relationships.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Costa Rica Realtor Association Offers New Real Estate MLS

Costa Rica MLS Launches on Proxio’s Global Real Estate Networking Platform

Provides the Most Reliable Source of Property Listings in Costa Rica

CUPERTINO, Calif. – September 12, 2011Proxio, Inc., creator of ProxioPro, the Global Network for Real Estate, and the Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors (CRGAR) announced today that The Costa Rica MLS (CRMLS) has been launched as the first professional multiple listing service (MLS) in Latin America. The Costa Rica MLS operates in multiple languages and currencies, to serve Costa Rica’s diverse agents and their clients.
Costa Rica - Guanacaste Gold Coast View from Pacific Heights to Potrero, Flamingo and Playa Conchal
The Costa Rica MLS was initiated by CRGAR, one of Costa Rica’s leading professional realtor associations, to provide a single, reliable information source for properties in Costa Rica, with every property entered by a real estate professional. Utilizing Proxio’s technology platform, listings of all types are translated and promoted worldwide through Proxio’s global network of over 400,000 real estate professionals from more than 120 countries, and via syndication to partner websites, where listings are searchable by consumers in 19 languages.

“The Costa Rica MLS is the result of historic cooperation between the most professional realtors in Costa Rica, resulting in a stronger industry here,” said Allen Lungo, CRGAR Board President. “Proxio’s unique, multilingual platform makes it possible for us to bridge languages and create a single, trusted source of listings for the country, benefiting both agents and buyers.”

The Costa Rica MLS
is the only online source of the country’s available properties where every listing in the system is globally marketed via the Proxio Network, and where all agents are members of a professional association and adhere to a code of ethics. CRMLS is managed by CRGAR, the only non-profit association of Costa Rica realtors requiring membership in the National Association of Realtors (NAR), with responsibility for training, supervision, and ethical enforcement.


“Working with forward-thinking real estate associations like CRGAR, to create a truly professional MLS is very satisfying for us,” said Janet Case, CEO and co-founder of Proxio. “We designed our innovative technology to help associations organize their real estate markets, increase the professionalism of their agents, and extend their reach globally—and Costa Rica is doing exactly that.”

In addition to participating in the Costa Rica MLS for property sharing, and the ProxioPro network for professional networking, CRMLS agents can further promote Costa Rica properties by utilizing a Proxio-powered widget on their own websites, so potential buyers can see all CRMLS listings in 19 languages, and all leads can be directed to the agent.

Real estate professionals interested in joining CRMLS can obtain information by contacting info@crgar.com


About Proxio
Proxio’s real estate marketing and networking platform delivers a quick and easy way for brokerages, agents, MLSs, and associations on any continent to extend their reach globally. Proxio’s proprietary technology and services operate in 19 languages, and enable professionals to better serve diverse clients, promote listings globally, increase sales through agent-to-agent networking, and instantly translate listings. The ProxioPro Global Real Estate Network currently hosts over 400,000 agents and 2.8 million listings from over 120 countries. Proxio is privately funded and based in Cupertino, California. For more information, visit Proxio.

About CRMLS
The Costa Rica MLS (CRMLS) is a service offered by the Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors (CRGAR). CRMLS was created for and by the most professionally qualified realtors in Costa Rica, and it freely offers access to all Costa Rica listings to global realtors, investors, and the general public. For more information, visit The Costa Rica MLS.

 

Contact:                                                               Contact:
Allen Lungo                                                           Kate Gerwe
CRGAR Board President                                      Chief Marketing Officer
CRMLS Chairman                                                 Proxio, Inc.
011-506-870-GO-MLS (8708-6657)                      001-408-806-9201
alungo@racsa.co.cr                                              k.gerwe@proxio.com