America is certainly a melting pot of other countries, but the pot has developed a culture of its own. The American has a national image - we are go-getters, entrepreneurs who make our own fortunes. We're confident, brash, loud and aggressive. We're casual - we cut through formalities to the chase. But to the rest of the world, the same characteristics that we hold in high esteem can be construed as arrogant and disrespectful. Especially when we visit abroad, we are blissfully unaware of how and when we trample on other nations' traditions, protocols, and identities.

For example, in other countries, learning English in school is mandatory. Here, foreign language is an elective. "If they want to do business with us, they can just learn our language," we tell ourselves and our children. So when we do business in a foreign land, we are often ill-prepared for the experience, and cause more embarrassment than inroads to effective international commercial partnerships.

The phenomenon was given a name - the Ugly American -in the 1960's, a phrase that entered the lexicon with the publication of the William J. Lederer's and Eugene Burdick's novel "The Ugly American." It was shortly made into a feature film of the same name starring Marlon Brando. The ugly American as an image is not attractive - he or she cares only for personal gain at any cost and does not respect other cultures.

As REALTORS^®, we have foreign clients coming to us, but that does not make us any less responsible in showing respect for their cultural backgrounds. We have to make certain that we aren't ugly Americans. We must take the time and patience to introduce our foreign clients to our ways, but in such a manner that we don't forget that they are coming from a different belief system.

Relocation experts and training executives are telling their companies that change is happening in the industry, and that international relocation is increasing exponentially. Other nations are coming to us and relocating their families to live in the United States. Immigration continues to grow in the U.S. with immigrants and foreign-born home buyers now constituting as much as 12% of the nation's market. In areas such as California, Texas, Florida and New York, foreign-born buyers can be as high as 25% to 25% of certain markets. The non-traditional buyer, including foreign born or foreign language speaking buyers are among the drivers of this year's record breaking sales record, according to Layne Morrill, president of the National Association of REALTORS^®.

David Horowitz, vice president of education for National Realty Trust (NRT,) the acquiring arm of Cendant says, " The reality is that the world market is coming to us. We are getting more requests for the kind of information that helps people work with foreign clients."

Horowitz adds, "We particularly need to be sensitive to the physical considerations of other cultures. That could mean learning everything from the gestures of the body to Feng Shui, the Asian belief in the art of placement of objects and directions."

Horowitz points out a few faux-pas that can be easily avoided. "There are gestures that we can make with our bodies that can be considered incredibly rude in other cultures. How you sit and cross your legs can be important. If you show the sole of your shoe to a Middle Easterner it is considered very dirty and disrespectful."

"In many countries it is rude to beckon with your forefingers. So before you show a foreign client a home's feature by beckoning to them, turn your hand upside down and make a scratching movement instead."

"In the States, we teach our children to make good eye contact, but in other cultures, direct eye contact is considered hostile. Women have to be particularly careful that their eye contact is not misinterpreted as flirtatious. A woman for example, would not extend her hand first in greeting in many countries. She must wait for the other person to shake hands."

A simple thing like presenting a business card is a ritual in other countries. We just trade cards and stick them in our pockets, but if you did that to a Japanese, they would be very offended. You should present the card like a gift with both hands, and receive a card the same way. Read the card and make a note on it and treat it as something special."

Horowitz plans to make more information available to the NRT, along with other industry professionals. Petey Parker, with Ebby Halliday REALTORS^® ( www.ebbyhalliday.com ) has begun an international panel of agents and brokers with foreign language skills or experience living in other countries to help facilitate the moves of relocating foreign families, Americanized citizens and immigrants who come from other cultures. She says that Halliday is by no means the first brokerage to improve and emphasize services for international clients.

For more information on doing business with foreign clients, Horowitz recommends reviewing resource materials such as those available on Amazon.com where you can find books such as "Kiss, Bow and Shake Hands: How to Do Business in Sixty Countries" by Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway, George A. Borden and "Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World " by Roger E. Axtel.