In a recent survey, 81% of Chinese-Americans indicated that feng shui encouraged their most recent home purchase¹  and 36% of those surveyed also said they would avoid a real estate professional if they had NO knowledge of the principles of feng shui

With more than 20% of Canada’s population being foreign-born (60 percent coming from Asia, specifically China²), foreign home ownership is consistently on the rise. (Recent estimates indicate 10% of newer inventory is immigrant owned in the Toronto Centre and 6% in Vancouver ³.)

Understanding the practices and cultures of all real estate consumers is essential to serving your clients better.  Feng shui, although an ancient science of design developed over 3,000 years ago in China, is a popular practice today in both eastern and western cultures and can play an integral part in a real estate transaction.

Feng shui principles are designed to help balance the flow of energy (referred to as “Chi”) in homes, offices or gardens and promote harmony,  and good fortune for all those occupying the spaces.  When it comes to real estate, the stronger a home’s flow of energy, the better.

Here are 3 areas of feng shui that can have an impact on a home’s vital energy.

1) Architecture & Design

The architecture of a home and placement of its contents are key considerations in feng shui as they directly impact the flow of energy.   Such things as staircase location, front and back door alignment, interior and exterior colors, décor, furniture placement, water flow and cleanliness, all impact energy.  The finest details can have the biggest impact on a home’s vitality.  Here are 7 Ways to Improve Feng Shui in Your Home.

2) Location

Truer words have never been spoken but this holds even higher consequence when referencing feng shui.  For example, homes that are located on higher ground are said to attract positive energy.  Homes with their front facing north are “unlucky” and can bring misfortune to the occupants.  And, homes that have views of water are said to attract and hold “good chi” more effectively ⁴.

3) Numbers

Numbers are also an important component of feng shui.  In Cantonese, the number 4 when pronounced sounds like “death” so for obvious reasons, the number 4 is not a desirable feng shui number.  Other unlucky numbers include 0, 5 and 6, while lucky numbers are said to be 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9.  The importance of numbers though are not limited to addresses, this extends to the time, date and price of a real estate transaction as well.

Now I understand that changing the elevation of a home or its address is near impossible, but understanding and respecting the importance of the feng shui will undeniably help you serve your real estate clients better.

Don’t forget to download the 7 Ways to Improve Feng Shui in Your Home here.

Until next time, make it count.

Richard

Sources
[1] http://bhgrealestateblog.com/feng-shui-a-driver-of-home-selection-and-investment-for-chinese-americans/
[2] http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/canada-population/
[3] https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2016/2016-04-07-1100.cfm
[4] http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/lucky-homes-tap-into-asian-property-market/news-story/578dcb1e22aaa707ec2859de29d8d3f9

Disclaimer
The information is provided solely for informational and educational purposes and is not intended to provide, and should not be construed as providing individual financial, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice.  Professional advisors should be consulted prior to acting on the basis of the information contained in this post/website.   Richard Robbins International Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the content.