Every year, thousands of Dominicans living abroad entrust their savings to a decision that goes far beyond buying a property: maintaining a connection with their country, protecting their family, and building wealth in the land where they were born.
During my many years in the Dominican real estate sector, I have seen the importance of this buyer grow. Dominicans in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Spain, and other destinations are increasingly participating in our market, even though they buy from hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Not everyone is looking for the same thing. Some want a home for their parents, a place to vacation or retire, or an investment that generates income. But everyone needs clear information, support, and trust.
Therefore, before asking ourselves how to sell to the diaspora, we must ask ourselves what it is really looking for and how we can responsibly support it.
You're not always buying square meters
Behind many purchases lies something deeper than price, profitability, or payment options. You might be looking for a retirement home, a property for your parents, a vacation spot, an investment, or simply to preserve your heritage in the land of your birth.
We don't just sell real estate; we participate in life and wealth decisions.
First mistake: believing that because he earns dollars or euros he can buy anything
Living in the United States or Europe doesn't necessarily mean having great financial resources. That client also has rent or a mortgage, insurance, taxes, education, and other obligations. Before offering them a property, we need to know how much they can comfortably afford, what down payment they have available, and, if they need financing, their true mortgage capacity. Let's not start by showing them properties; let's start by asking questions. First, we qualify. Then we offer.
Second mistake: only selling them price
The buyer needs to understand the value: who is developing and building, if there is a trust, how their resources will be managed, when delivery is projected, what financing options are available, and who will be responsible after the sale. Here, the responsibility doesn't lie solely with the advisor. The developer must also provide clear, verifiable, and timely information about the project, its progress, contractual terms, and the delivery process. In a remote setting, transparency and trust are essential.
Third mistake: promising what we don't control
“That will definitely be delivered in December.” “That apartment will be rented immediately.” “You’ll get financing without any problems.” “That project will have CONFOTUR.” Be careful. Explaining reasonable expectations is one thing, but turning them into guarantees is another. Credibility takes years to build and can be lost with a single broken promise.
Fourth mistake: disappearing after the reservation
For me, this is unforgivable. The buyer who is out of town needs information during construction, photographs, progress updates, documentation, banking guidance, and support until delivery. The sale doesn't end with the signing. That's where another stage of our responsibility begins.
The diaspora needs advisors
The Dominican diaspora doesn't need us to sell to them from afar; they need us to advise them despite the distance. They are Dominicans who have worked for years, often with great sacrifices, and who entrust part of their savings to our real estate market. Let's sell to them, yes. But let's do it by following five simple steps: Listen. Qualify. Inform. Document. Accompany.
When we truly understand what they are looking for, we will discover something I have learned during these four decades of professional practice: the best sale is not necessarily the one we close today, but the one for which, years later, the client still thanks us.
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