Should Real Estate Agents Speak English??

I personally would enjoy someone speaking English to me in any public service.  I went to black market/white house with my daughter a few weeks ago.  I don't know WHAT language the girl at the cash register spoke.  I don't know WHAT SHE SAID TO ME!  I refuse to go to that STORE at the COCONUT POINT MALL EVER AGAIN, because a manager was stupid enough to put someone like that in a position where she was unqualified to deal with the public.

Chris - but seriously, tell us how you really feel  =)  What's black market/white house?  I've never heard of it.  Was she able to speak the univeresal language of money and charge you for your purchase?  What about the other universal language...the smile?  I would have reacted the same as you, I am sure.

A few years ago I was managing an apartment complex that had a high level of Hispanic tenants.  The leases were translated to Spanish and the staff spoke English and Spanish.  This would have been extremely difficult to work with in a purchase/sale though.  As the decision maker, I would not have been able to read the contract.  My attorney would not have been able to read the contract.  The title company rep. would not have been able to read the contract.  If the broker on the other side only spoke Spanish, I would not have been able to corrdinate anything with them unless I had a translator.

Sorry, didn't mean to sugar coat it.  NO she couldn't count money either.  Messed up the data input on cash register and couldn't count back change.  Asked me if I had a dime ( i think) so I could give exact money or something.  DID I MENTION IT WAS AT THE COCONUT POINT MALL!  LOL

http://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/store/home.asp

Did I mention their world headquarters is in Fort Myers, Florida 15 miles away from where this train wreck is working?  She needs to be bussing tables at Buffalo Chips Restaurant.  Box of rocks!

No Hablo Anything else...... Well.. maybe I retained a few other words but I was never fluent in Spanish and never will be.  Anyone bringing me an offer in my native land should speak, read & write my language. I blame our government for this foolishness,  they feel they have an endless supply of tax money to waste on all this duplication they enact into law. 

Back to your question... Anyone speaking only Spanish can help their client remain segregated in a "Spanish Only" community but loses effectiveness outide their zone.

It's ridiculous.  Would I be able to go to France and expect to conduct my business without speaking any French?

Or Germany?  Would it not be crazy for me to expect to work with the public in this kind of business where clear communication is a MUST, not just a nice option?

There may be some businesses where a command of the local language is probably not as important, but real estate is not one of them! 

Wow, you may have opened a can of worms ...GOOD!

This is America, speak English (when dealing with the public) or please take a seat on a plane. 

Another point:  okay, so if the state doesn't require English, perhaps all the brokerages should require English in order for you to work there.

It's great to be bilingual...  up here in my neck of the woods it's handy to know Russian.  I don't - though I have been considering learning Spanish in my spare time.  *roll eyes*

...muttering....wishing I'd taken a language in high school... 

Rich - as you, I see nothing wrong with making some accomodations to get deals to work out.  But when parties vital to the transaction can't read the documents I think Houston has a problem.

Chris - Was that at the COCONUT POINT MALL?  lol  I feel bad for the girl, actually.  She obviously needs the job.  But the manager needs to own up to the mistake.  I can't imagine that it's a picnic for her being totally inept at getting a job done when she hasn't been trained in the basics required.  And that's apart from the fact that she doesn't speak the language.

There were several associates in the store.  There was no reason for the whole situation.  Someone needs to put clothes on hangers, too. 

Maggie first off know I now know why your so beautiful! It's that Latin blood! I'm also jealous that you are fluent in Spanish and I'm not. Of course that is my fault and I preach to my children all the time that they need to learn to speak Spanish. I also believe the real estate transactions can be done purely through a Spanish speaking agent as I've seen it done here in Tejas! But for separate reasons i also believe where possible all things should be done in English!

We should all speak one universal language...

Money.

You know that language no?

Joe no Say! :-P

I would like to think it is important that everone be able to understand the documents being signed.  I am for the english requirement...

Maggie, My market is mostly Hispanic. And the majority of the REALTORS(R) I deal with are Hispanic. Most speak at least some English but I have to say it is very difficult to communicate. But we manage. I've never had to deal with contracts written in Spanish and wouldn't.  It doesn't really bother me. I know that it takes a generation or two to adapt to the native language. ALL the children speak English because that's what they learn and speak at school. And so will their children. I just need to learn some Spanish.

Maggie:  I have lived in Miami  most of my life and I love both languages.  Honestly, I think we all speak Spanglish - because few of us speak only English or only Spanish- especially in real estate. How boring and drab my life would be if I had to limit myself to English only.  But then, thats just mi opinion.  Now if we can get those AR people to give us fruits en espanol - we might all learn!

The language issue is more of a generational things for me. If you were born in the US, educated in the US, then English is probably the most appropriate language. Oh, well, living in Florida I "understand" a little Spanish but do not speak it. Interesting what you hear sometimes!

Will the answer be solved on Active Rain? Nope... can't be solved in the public forum either...or the political forum.... Maybe it can be solved in the schools!

As we all will agree America has from its inception, been a melting pot of cultures. St. Augustine, Fl is Americas oldest city. Ponce De Leon discovered the "land of flowers" and since the 1500's it has changed hands many times with the Native Americans, The British, The Spanish, and eventually became integrated into the USA.

From the earliest of times immigration became recorded, there was a desire to blend into the new country. Europeans, Irish, Italians, Germans, et als came and learned to speak English which was expected to become "Americans" and to function within the parameters of an English speaking country. 

However, there has been a transition and resistance to learning English of late. When was the last time someone saw night classes in English being given or promoted? Budget cutbacks have ended many English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Or citizenship classes.  Perhaps what we need to do is urge politicians to make funds available for start up programs to give Spanish speaking immigrants an opportunity to assimulate to American culture and language properly.  Re-Introduce night classes in High School specializing in English.

Historically, part of choosing to live somewhere else meant being adaptable to that countries language. My Italian relatives who came through Ellis Island had to learn a new language as did so many others. But it was with pride they made that attempt, as they embraced the freedoms they found when they arrived from Italy. They changed their Italian names to American names like George and Mary. They took citizenship classes to learn how to be  Americans and what the laws were, and they practiced speaking English at home and taught their children. While we can preserve where we all came from, it is equally respectful to adapt to where we chose to live. That  means learning the language, the laws, and the culture.  Not expecting the country as a whole to adapt the other way around. Americans are all nationalities under one flag.

Maggie..... very good topic. I agree with Chris Griffith....  that if you have someone as point to the consumer per se, they better speak English well.  I also agree with Dave.... this will be a touchy subject, just as discussions on immigration have become heated.

Overall... I also have nothing negative about any nationality and allowing them to operate in the United States. Or bashing the Spanish sector.....   But there has to be some type of compromise so that those that speak and read English are not at a disadvantage.

I had to do a loan application for a client that only spoke Spanish. I had hired a translator and asked the clients if they had someone that they trusted, that spoke English and Spanish, if they wanted them to sit in with us.... just so that they would feel comfortable.

Overall... very timely post, because of what is taking place. 

Maggie, I was just going to park and read, but I have to tip my hat to Allison for her comment, as my great grandparents also from Italy did the same as hers except they did not change their names. However, when my grandfather went to work for the coal mines in PA, the Irish Foreman couldn't pronounce my grandfather's Italian last name along with the others and gave them all Irish last names. My Italian grandfather's last name was Rose.

Maggie,

What a great topic. let me just say that the first time I visited Miami area I was shocked by how many people did not speak English. I'll be honest I felt a bit lost, since the only languages I speak fluently are English and Russian.

On a different topic, I do get nervous when I work with a customer that doesn't have a good English. Why? Well, that because I have the responsibility of properly conveying the terms of the contract on another language and if they misunderstand me or I miscommunicate something, it is my liability. And yes, you can argue that you could use contracts written in Spanish, but if  something goes wrong and someone sues somebody else and they go to court, they will be force to use English. The USof A is a melting pot of cultures and I am all for it, but the constitution and laws are written in English, so we can't get away from it.

I feel that being able to speak other languages is a big plus in our business.  But, you would be severely handicapped if you could not read, write and speak English.  In our state it would be impossible. 

Our contracts and licensing exams are in English.  We have so many different languages spoken here, no one that would be universal enough to even give you a shot. 

I took my brokers classes with a really good agent who reads and writes English as a 2nd language.  He reads and writes it better than many kids coming out of high school.  With that said passing the brokers exam has proven to be an impossible dream for him.

I don't know what the true stats are but I live in a city where ESL is common and I am not just talking about Spanish speakers.  I love living in a melting pot but when you work in a business where communication matters, I wonder how many deals are lost because of a communication breakdown.

Just yesterday, an agent who barely knew English called me to tell me a gate code wasn't working.  I got very frustrated with her after she got very frustrated with me.  Her accent did not sound of a hispanic origin.  I looked up her phone # in the MLS and she hasn't had one MLS sale or listing this year (under her name anyways) and has had her license for a number of years.

Can it kill deals?  Absolutely!

I truly wish I could speak Spanish, I kmnow I have lost busiiness because I only speak English. One way or another we have to accomodate the non-English speakers and they are not all speaking Spanish.

YES, Real estate professionals should have to speak English to sell real estate in the United States of America PERIOD.

I get too many calls from other agents who can't even set up a showing on my listing. IF we get that figured out then HOW can they write an offer in ENGLISH? And IF we get a contract on the house, HOW can they fully represent THEIR client when EVERYTHING is written in English??

It blows my mind...why Florida allows licensing to be completed in all Spanish is beyond comprehension.

Those that ONLY speak Spanish can ONLY work with those who speak Spanish. Will they ONLY show listings of agents who speak Spanish? Will they only show homes in Spanish speaking neighborhoods? Isn't that called STEERING & isn't THAT illegal?

I think that there are definitely reasons for people to be bilingual.  Given there are so many non-English speakers in South Florida, someone HAS to be able to communicate with them.

On the other hand, I think that there is a lot of extra work going on by state and federal governments to translate forms and other items to other languages.  It creates a need for someone to be bilingual to be a government employee as well.

I think as a sales tool - it is great.  I understand several other languages so I'm a little dangerous if someone's talking strategy and they don't think I understand them...

I can't agree that assimilation is a must - but I think there needs to be some middle ground met.

It's a free country.... so I uess people can do what they want.

I, personally, will not do ANY TYPE of business with ANYONE who does not take the time to learn the accepted language of the USA

Hi,

I believe that in Rome do as romans do, however this country is driven by supply and demand.  So when it comes to languages I think the more the better.   I would use the contracts written in english but also provide blank copies in Spanish to my customers for them to understand.

Cheers,

Mario

That's what translators are for.  We sure wouldn't want to put them all out of business!  :)

Rob

Je vends les immobiliers

Ich verkaufe Immobilien

Πωλώ την ακίνητη περιουσία

Vendo il bene immobile

Eu vendo a propriedade real

Я продаю недвижимого имущество

Vendo las propiedades inmobiliarias

Maggie...this is a hot topic across the country as you well know.  I am bi-lingual myself and I speak both languages well and use them both in my business.  I do feel hispanics need to be allowed to use their own language but when one lives in the U.S. it is only right for them to learn the English language.  Gracias y que Dios te bendiga.

I'm flabbergasted that Florida is encouraging our neighbors from the deep, deep South NOT to learn English by providing a crutch in the form of classes and licensure and contracts in another language.  Seems to me that although it appears to be helping the customer who isn't fluent in English, it could really be doing them a disservice if the other side doesn't speak that language fluently. It is what it is, learn English if you want to take advantage of our freedoms and economy, don't force water to run uphill!

Maggie-When I was stationed in Germany I learned to speak German.  I never complained to any Germans that they should learn to speak English.   

I TRIED to learn speaking Arabic and Kurdish while I was deployed to Iraq.  I never insisted that the Iraqi's learn to speak English.

I live in Hawaii and I NEVER hear any of our Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Filipino population complaining that we should change the language in Hawaii.

This is America and our official language is English.  Learn it, get a translator to help you or go live somewhere else. 

You make a good point.  This IS the United States, after all, and our native tongue is (currently) English.

Part of being in a "melting pot" is that everyone 'melts' into a common soup or stew for want to a better word.

Onions, salt & pepper give spice, meat & potatoes give bulk and substance, and all the other ingredients combine to form a tasty result.

If one part of the soup refuses to blend then they tend to float around and not ever become a part of the whole.

Bottom line; English is our official language, Spanish is Mexico and other countries' official language, French is...................................etc., etc.

If you live here and don't hablo English you need to.

BTW, I have been attempting to learn Spanish for several years now because I visit Mexico often and believe you would have a much better time there if you spoke their language.

They do understand English and Dollars very well though.

My wife and I argue about this all the time. We live near L.A. The spanish population in L.A. County is near 50%. Many are immigrants, or first generation. I'm sure some of you thought, "illegal immigrants, probably". But, I say to you, "so what?". What's it to you? "they are milking my tax dollars!", you say. "Bull crap", I say. Don't believe everything you read or see on the news.

Anyway, as I step down from my soap box, I think that America is sadly under-educated when it comes to languages, and the, "learn english or go home" mentality has to to stop. I tell you this, if you hold on to that mentality, you WILL lose. So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Jeff Belonger-Do you recall when i think it was pats or jims steaks got in trouble in south philly for putting that sign up, "YOU MUST ORDER IN ENGLISH" but they kept it up anyway.

Maggie, Wow girl, I hope you were ready for the comments when you wrote this blog.

I live in Southern California, I think you know what we have to face here. I believe If you go to live in another country you learn the rules and language of that country. To answer your question, if I were to buy a house in a different country first I make sure I can understand the language.

Of course eveyone knows that a person that speak 2 languages is bi-lingual.

Then a person that speaks 3 languages is tri-lingual, 4 languages....................etc.,etc.

But do you know what the rest of the world calls a person that speaks only 1 language??

An American. ;-)

Sad, but true.

I'm so glad you posted this! In Daytona, we don't have very many people who speak Spanish to us. There are a few with heavy accents. That alone is difficult enough. But just last month, I had buyers from Miami, who were considering relocating. The husband was Latino, the wife was American but spoke fluent Spanish, the 2 children spoke no English. They started asking me about the demographics. Problem! We're now treading into discrimination territory. They knew I couldn't discuss it and had already done a lot of research. But they really wanted their children to be in a more diversified area. Except that the school zone they wanted, according to their own research, was only 12% minorities. This was actually news to me. My daughter attends that school. The man asked me where all the Spanish speaking people were. I wanted to say "in south Florida" - I bit my tongue and tried to find a polite way to say "It's America! We speak English!" I honestly can't remember my exact response. But I remember his. He said, "Oh. Say any Latinos here have all been Americanized". I still don't know if that was supposed to be a derogatory statement or not. It probably was. I was thinking, "Uh, yeah, this is America". 

He decided to stay in Miami. It's probably for the best.

BTW, I was shopping in the Sawgrass Point Mall several years ago, and encountered the same thing as Chris. I was in a store, at the register, ready to check out and asked the sales girl a question. She couldn't answer. So she called someone from the back room. He also spoke only Spanish. I walked out of the store.

Maggie-My feelings to this are pretty simple!  If you cannot speak the language or understand the language, get an interpretor!  I have had to do this before, it made the job a lot easier and your customer will appreciate it!  

I would never want someone signing something that they could not understand.  Just because people cannot read English does not mean they do not understand!  That is the key right there!  Understanding the documents.  On top of that, without a interpretor how valid are these docs?  What liability is there on your part? 

Broker Bryant made valid points that I agree with!  

My husband is Puerto Rican/Italian, his mother Puerto Rican and his grandmother, they all live here!  While his grandmother and mother do not speak English very well they can comprehend and are quite intelligent! My husband's sister's since relocated to Florida in Volusia County and are adapting well. Same thing, while they do not speak properly, they are trying! 

They all chose to take English classes. 

I find it charming!  Ask my husband to say woman, it will make your heart race!  Believe me he may say it different but he knows what a woman is!

While it is frustrating for some, imagine how they feel?  They feel out of sorts, they want to learn!  But if they feel they are not accepted, they go where they will be! 

Imagine someone relocating from New York to Florida.  You feel out of sorts.  Heck I felt it and still do from South Florida to Volusia County!  The difference is language and I know people want to learn, they want to be accepted they want to be similar.  It takes time! 

Imagine having to learn spanish now at your current age!  You wouldn't be happy, you would be stressed! Learning another language takes time!

Our hispanic markets are growing, you may end up working with someone who does not speak "YOUR LANGUAGE!"    My recommendation is get an interpretor and let the choice be theirs!    

OK guys, I'm piping in here as I see there's lots of comments and I've not been able to make it back.  WOW!!!  I'll have to return later to address all your great thoughts.  However, I wanted to point out that:

#1  I DO Speak Spanish.  And while I am proud to be an American, I am damn proud to be Cuban as well.  America is a wonderful melting pot and we each bring our own flavors to the mix.

#2  No one has suggested NOT accommodating other languages.  My question was a simple one.  Should real estate agents speak English?  There is a difference.

Catch y'all later!  I have a 3:00 appointment.  :-)  Keep up the good work!

Good Luck Maggie! I Hope You Sell Something!

absolutely!   this is crazy that its even an option, this is still america and English should still be the primary language NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE!  I am all for second languages, and third and fourth. 

I just know that if I were to move to CUBA (or anywhere for that matter) I would have to speak / learn the language to live there, not to mention earn a living there!!!!!!!!!!!  ~ Yes, even if I moved to a heavily populated English speaking community within that City!

Maggie, you have a point. If the transaction starts in one language it needs to proceed in the same language. What if the person were deaf, wouldn't everyone co operate? Funny, people look at me and assume that I don't speak Spanish, I don't, but I hate it when people make assumptions.

Broker Maggie...

I have to catch up to AR so I have not read "all" the comments. YET. That does not mean I won't. I am just not going to right now :)

Instead I am going to give you a great example for everyone to wrap their head around. About a year or so ago we received an offer via the fax machine. The offer was written up in crayon by a 9 year old little girl. It was written up this way because her Mom was/is? a Realtor that could not speak English. When we contacted the Realtor she put her little girl on the phone to translate negotiations. Needless to say we can not negotiate anything with a 9 year old :)

No one wins in a situation like that. The Buyer's missed out of Buying our Seller's home because that Realtor did not speak English.

TLW...ROAR!

I'm sorry to see that this theme is bringing out some feelings that are boarding on discrimination or hate.  I thought the question was: "Should real estate agents speak English?" but it now looks like a new bumper sticker: "How dare you to try to become something without learning English, we should shame you into leaving the country", oh well, I guess that one is not going to work because is too long.  No, I don't believe you should be an agent if you do not know how to read and write in English, and probably speak some too. If you are a bad agent, it does not matter if you speak only English, only Spanish, or if you are bilingual, you will always be a bad agent.  If you do not have any knowledge of the English language then there are other things you can do, without having to leave the country by the way, such as work AT THE COCONUT POINT MALL! =)

 Just a thought!

Maggie,

I agree that you need to know how to speak English ,sometimes the agents that call for showing instructions can't even ask me and some can't even negotiate without a translator.But I also wish that i was well versed in Latin as sometimes I have to deal with the other side and I also believe I have lost business because I was not bilingual so it goes both ways I believe. I think we need to be diverse here in Florida because it is hard for both sides.

How does this agent who doesn't speak English call the listing agent to present an offer for their buyer?  Yes, everything can be done just in writing, but that's not personal.  You need to talk with the other agent to get a feel for the other side.  If you can't voice your counter offer or your rejection of their offer, how will they know what the reasons are?

We're in America, and I believe English is the language of use.  Many cities in the Dallas area have stopped giving out Spanish translations at their city offices...  so sad that people want to live here and live the American dream, but they don't want to take the time to learn our language.

Hi, Maggie!  Wow, I was here earlier and read, but decided to come back later and comment.  This post was part of our dinnertime conversation.  Hubby and the kids thought real estate transactions should be in English.  I do tend to agree, because I know that English is used as a "business language" around the world.  Recently some friends of mine from Japan vacationed in Vietnam, and since they didn't speak each other's languages, they all spoke English to each other.  I loved that!  English is also the language of computer programming, so it's spreading at least in those areas. 

But as I have friends living here, still learning our language, I can see how helpful it would be for them to have forms in their native language.  I would want that for them.  Even if it made my job more difficult, I would want to compromise somehow.  My broker is a lawyer, I'd make him help us get some balance.  :o)

While I enjoy listening to the music of languages (music as in normal every day speaking) I am a firm believer in English as the official language of this country.  If you pay attention to statistics, the best way to remain in poverty in this country is to refuse to learn and conduct business in English.  If it weren't for English, I'd have to speak 4  languages just to keep up with my heritage.  If it had been available to us in my high school in the 1960s and 1970s, I would have taken Spanish instead of French, though.

For Pete's sake, how can someone conduct business in real estate without knowing the language??!! 

Nobody is saying to leave the country.  What they are saying is learn the language if you are going to be conducting business.  I wouldn't go to France and expect everyone to cater to the fact that I don't speak French.

I would learn the language.

People do you have any data that supports comments like:

"they don't want to take the time to learn our language." or "refuse to learn and conduct business in English", are you just making an assumption? Most people I know that do not speak English want to learn it, but the main reason they don't is they have to work to support their family ( sometimes more than 1 job) and have no time.  I have never met someone, that speaks only Spanish, that has not tried or is still trying to learn the language;  because learning to speak English not only can help you to achieve a better financial situation but it is also part of the American Dream.

"You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes"

Carmen, I just had a covered patio put on my house.  It was supposed to take 5 days. It look 3 weeks plus a day.  The works spoke NO English!  The main guy would drop them off in the morning (afternoon), and not return for hours.  Sometimes, they would knock on my door and ask for "aqua" and I would ask where their other friends were with their big cooler of water.  I would just get, "Aqua?" in return.  They could not communicate whatsoever!  Now, my housekeeper has been here for 16 years.  She is embarrassed by her English, and she speaks better and clearer English than many natives speak.  She is wonderful, but she has friends who refuse to learn English.  Their own fault.

Maggie,

To be bi-lingual is a big advantage in Florida, I bet. Latin communities are expanding elsewhere, too. Spanish as a second language is gaining ground slowly, like in the voting forms here in Vegas. I wonder when loan forms are going to be in Spanish?

OK.  I am back.  55 comments and only 3 were mine.  Nice turnout guys.  When I posted this innocently I did not expect the discussion that ensued.  I thank you all for commenting.  Carmen made a valid point that this turned down a path that did not necessarily reflect answers to the question, but rather spoke of our own preferences regarding our beloved country.  (It's beloved to me anyway).  That's really OK, I think.  After all,  it is precisely this freedom of speech that stands as one of the reasons this country is the great place that it is.

America was built by immigrants.  I do not think anyone would deny that.  Except for the American Indian, (and the Eskimo?) we can all say that we have roots elsewhere.  My post was never intended to deny any culture their right to continue their (our) languages, customs, religions, foods, etc. I know I am not the only one who is proud of her heritage that stems elsewhere.  We can embrace our differences and relish them.

I don't think I implied (did anyone's comment do this?) that we should not cater to a market segment if they do not speak English.  We would be foolish to do so!   You do not have to read professional journals or statistics to know that non-English speaking buyers are increasing...and will continue to.  I was speaking of the professionals who make the deals work, not the customers who come to us for our expertise.  As a matter of fact, anyone who learns to speak a language other than English to better serve his customers is going to better serve himself as well, as his market share is now that much bigger.  Make sense?  The pie he can share from is now bigger. 

That being said, however, I have to add that making it easy to become licensed in real estate without speaking the English language serves only the agent.  How is this serving the customer?  Bilingual agents can serve the non-English speaking population.  It's not as if that segment is not being served.  Look at George Tallabas or myself for that matter.  Or the others who do speak another language.  I do not want to make assumptions from names as to what languages any of you may speak.  You know what they say about assumptions.  My point is that non-English speaking customers are best served by agents who speak both the customer's language and English.  Look at TLW's example.  A buyer lost out on making an offer because their agent did not speak English.

I'm not sure if the Florida Real Estate Commission offers tests in foreign languages other than Spanish.  If not, I wonder why?  Where is the line drawn?  Is it the demographics?  Is it the number of customers being served or agents wanting to get licensed?  What is the criteria for selecting which languages will get their own exams?  Dare I say that someone suggested to me that if I was worried about taking the Broker exam that I take it in Spanish?  Do you want to know why?  I was told that the Spanish exam has one version only.  That means if you fail it you already know what the questions are and you can get them all correct the next time around.  WHAT??!!  I don't know if this is true.  I was shocked to hear it though.  I chose to take the exam in English and passed it the first time. 

I think if we show others that are different than we are that we are all really the same, the world will benefit.  But we need a common language to do that.  In this country, it's English.  I remember coming from Cuba in '71 and going straight to NYC where I remained until 2001.  That's quite the melting pot.  I loved it.  I left because of the harsh winters.  I remember my sister and I going to take our naturalization tests so we could become American citizens.  It was a proud day for us both.  I can think back to when I was a teenager and hearing this for the first time on one of my trips to Miami:  "will the last American to leave Miami take the flag with them?"  It stung.  It spoke of prejudice and hate and when I Googled it now to see if I had gotten the phrase correctly I got only one result.  It's not a pretty website it's on. 

My post was not about hatred or prejudice.  My post was about serving the needs of our clients better by equipping ourselves with all the tools.  I think the English language is a tool just like the others.  By the way, it may surprise people that English is not the official language of the USA.  There is none.  In my humble opinion, it should be.  It is the unifying language in this country.

Great topic, but America is a melting pot with great diversity so having said that it would not be fair to say all Realtors should speak English language, also the fact that appraisals and inspections are done in English does not mean that an agent who speaks Spanish will not understand it and explain or represent the best interest of their clients, also most of the agents that speak another language also speaks English.

Paul - please see my response right above your comment.  I think I covered it there.  Thanks for commenting.

Maggie,

It is almost as if you read my mind! =^) Great post!

Maggie - I need to preface my comment by saying that my father is Guatemalan and my mother grew up in Peru and Guatemala and as a teacher that retired last year she taught ESL for 20+ years. - They both are fluent and it's such a gift.  I spoke spanish before I spoke english but didn't keep it up  (;-( - I took spanish through high school and took 2 years in college but still can't do business in it - it's one of my only regrets in life (I'm not one that lives with regrets - but I realize what an opportunity I squandered as a child)

I wish I were bi-lingual and those of you that are have a huge asset!!! Lucky you - and oh, by the way we're so lucky to have you!!! Don't let anyone ever let you think differently!!!

Now for a funny story - when Jack & I were interviewing for job transfers to Florida - we we offered Miami, Orlando and Tampa - you know we ended up in Tampa - but the funny thing that happened is when I asked the Branch Manager that I would have worked for as a consultant to medium size businesses in Miami, "Do I NEEDED to be Bi-lingual" - he said "NO, I didn't need to speak ENGLISH" (LOL) :-) - I am thankful to this day that he was brutally honest!!! It all worked out and as much as I love Miami - I do believe being bi-lingual is a real necessity to business people there except for companies like FPL. 

Hope I made you chuckle! Your friend in Clearwater!     

My my Maggie- this sure got everyone talking. I think I would better serve my clients as bilingual. Since English is the predominant language of this country, I feel any one in business needs to be able to speak it, write it and understand it. Great post : )

Carmen - I'll be adding mind-reader to my list of accomplishments ;-)  lol

Cyndee - I've heard of people losing out on jobs because they did not speak Spanish but I can honestly say you're the first I hear of with that twist.  lol  Thanks for your comment!

Kelli - yes, I was surprised by all the talking!  I guess we can all relate in one way or another.

of course you cannot represent your seller if you cannot speak the language of the country you are in.  You cannot help them or the buyers with mortgage, title, insurance or other critical documents (how about condo docs!!!)

someone came in our office today complaining their listing (with another brokerage) was not showing...

here --->>> is what was in the MLS ... "Beatiful  (beautiful) incluiding (including)  bethroom (bathroom)  trhoughout (throughout) 

What taste in your mouth does that leave you as a buyer representative or the buyer of the conscientiousness of the SELLER??  It even can subconsciously tell you that the seller pays little care of the agent they hire and how their house is presented to the public, then what does it tell you about how they cared for the house!

I lived in Germany for five years and did not speak a WORD when I moved there.  I LEARNED and would never, in a million years, try to represent someone in such a tremendous financial transaction as a bar tab if I didn't speak the language WELL!

Great post Maggie, as always!  What is our dear state THINKING?  R.E.V.E.N.U.E.!!!!

Hi Maggie,

I here this topic every day and I think it's most important to do the right thing for the customer!  No matter what language you speak, it's very important the customer knows and understands what they just signed and, of course, it's important to everyone in the transaction to be able to read and understand it.  By the way, I'm originally from Miami, but live in Broward and Beth has told me what a great person you are.  Maybe we will meet one day!  JoAnn  PS I'm new to this, so bare with me!!

Janie - thanks for stopping by.  One of my pet peeves is the terrible descriptions on the MLS.  Don't get me started!  lol

JoAnn - thanks for the kind words.  Beth flatters me, for sure.  Maybe we will meet one day!  Broward's not so far away =)  You'll do great here.  The hardest part was jumping in!

Yes, I think the real estate agents MUST be required to speak English.  How can they possibly look out for the best interest of their non-English speaking client if they cannot understand what an English speaking agent is saying or writing in offer or counter offer? 

Ross - I think you and I see eye to eye on this =)  Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Nice Post, you drew alot of commentary.  I have struggled with this issue in my own practice.  I am considering adding a staff member specifically for that Hispanic customers.  They deserve the care and understanding that the rest of us enjoy.  The problem with language is not all words tanslate the same.  So some minor twist could change the whole deal.  I do think you can get by and I said, "get by" without speaking english in the Florida market and other areas of the country.  Do I think it is in the clients be interest no.  Do I think people making their home in the US without regard to anyone coming here should speak english...yes.  Do they have to after they know and understand it....no.  It will just open lifes doors if they take the time.  Great Post....it brings issues to the front page. 

Gary - I had no idea it would get folks talking this way!  You're very smart to consider accommodating the growing market of Hispanic homebuyers.  I think the ones that will be most succesful are those that change and evolve with the needs and advances in our profession, (like blogging!).  Best of luck to you.

What a great post Maggie and obviously struck a chord with many.  I'm all American but my Mother is part Mexican and although she speaks fairly fluent Spanish (as her Mother/my Grandmother was Mexican born), my father wouldn't permit us to speak Spanish.  He felt we were American and that was that!  How could he have known back then in the 50's what would become of this country.  Now, I'm at an obvious disadvantage and it makes me crazy to know that I had one Spanish speaking Grandmother and an Italian speaking Grandfather yet I know nothing of either language.  Sure, I guess I could learn it on my own but just think how lucky I might have been to have learned it as a child.  Oh well, I digressed.  I do feel that when in Rome (America) do as the Romans (Americans) do and that's speak English!  I find it just a bit insulting that my Grandmother knew enough to learn and speak English as an immigrant and Bob's own Mother is Swedish born as well and came to this country and learned the language.  She still struggles alittle but Bob doesn't speak Swedish - he speaks English!  Oh well, we are after all the melting pot and as they say "only in America"!  Viva la difference!!!  Thanks for sharing a great post! 

P.S. - It is alittle tough to work with agents that are difficult to understand and with all the different nationalities, there really should be one universal language in our Country - "English"? 

Hi Lisa,  thanks for your thoughtful comment.  I'm proud of my own mother who arrived in this great nation as an adult and had to learn the language.  She did quite nicely, if I do say so myself!  It was a heck of a lot easier for us kids to learn the language.  We were speaking it fluently in about 4 months.  It took her several years but she did it!  Now my dad is another story altogether.  After 30 years he can now have a conversation with our American neighbors but it took him many many years to be able to do that!  My own girls do not speak Spanish, nor Albanian or Serbo-Croatian (from their Dad's side).  They do understand Spanish quite a bit. I now wish we had talked to them in the 3 languages as they were growing up.  They would have learned all 3 , I am sure.

Hi Maggie,

As long as they are still children - it's not too late!  Try to get them to learn alittle bit.  Believe me, they may not like it now but they'll thank you later on.  Take it from one who knows.

I guess the key thing is wanting to do it. Unfortunately, I don't think they are interested.  It's not so easy to mold a teen to one's liking.  lol

To me, English is the language of business - internationally. The ability to speak English and Spanish is a great advantage in Florida. I really wish I had paid more attention in my Spanish classes! I know - It   isn't too late to learn!