Fidelity National Title GroupMulticultural Marketing Division

“IN SYNC”CULTURE WITH BUSINESS

 Title and Escrow Issues for Hispanic and Asian Consumers

 

Objectives

1. Background

2. The role of culture

3. Title and Escrow issues

4. Practical Tips

Population California

• US • 300 million 36 Million

• Hispanic • 44 million 13 million

• Asian• 13. 1 million 4.7 million

Ethnicity Demographics

Greater Bay Area 2005 Population Data (By Race & Ethnicity By Counties)

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

Santa Clara Alameda Contra Costa SanFrancisco

San Mateo Sonoma Solano Marin Napa Monterey

Greater Bay Area California - Counties

Popu

latio

n in

num

bers

White Asian and Pacific Islander Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Black or African American Others Two or more races

County Santa Clara Alameda Contra Costa San Francisco San Mateo Sonoma Solano Marin Napa Monterey TotalWhite 465,777 352,864 397,194 283,329 256,457 250,138 119,910 167,484 65,484 51,842 2,410,479Asian and Pacific Islander 509,782 357,529 137,499 240,859 169,553 18,748 61,624 12,790 6,702 26,852 1,541,938Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 416,660 297,212 213,227 98,891 155,964 96,024 84,121 29,222 36,033 201,127 1,628,481Black or African American 42,307 188,655 93,820 46,779 20,188 6,208 57,482 4,540 1,655 9,691 471,325Others 187,558 163,978 124,252 29,656 63,510 50,838 54,044 14,553 13,803 87,298 789,490Two or more races 47,806 61,070 40,494 19,563 23,599 13,894 18,245 7,020 3,768 12,194 247,653

References: U.S. Census Bureau; American Factfinder

What is Culture?

“… is a set of learned behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideals that are shared

by a particular society or population.”

EXERCISE

Using your non-dominant hand, perform the following tasks:

• Write this sentence: The sun is shining on the treetops.• Write today’s date.• Sign your name.• Draw a tree.• Turn to the person sitting next to you and show them your work.

Understanding the Hispanic culture….

DemographicsPopulation by Race and Hispanic Origin

Percent of Total Population

Non-Hispanic

White67%

Hispanic15%

Asian5%

Non-Hispanic

Black13%

Other7%

Central & South

American8.9%

Cuban4.2%

Puerto Rican9.2%

Mexican70.7%

National Origin of Diversity• Mexican – oldest, newest, nearest, most dispersed, increasing diversity• Puerto Rican – dual nationality, citizenship, urban concentration• Central Americans – refugees, nationality pockets, proximity to Mexicans• Cuban – multiple waves, generational shifts• South American – Peruvians, Colombians, etc.• Others - New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Dominican enclaves

• Family -In Latin America, the definition of the

family conveys more of a sense of inclusion.

• The “extended family” is considered more important and proximate. Uncles, aunts, cousins, godparents (padrino, madrina), compadres and comadres (best friends) all are invested with a sense of belonging and obligation to the core group. Hispanic Beliefs about purchasing a Home

Hispanic Generalization

Hispanic Beliefs about Purchasing a Home

• Hispanics generally view home ownership as a good investment.

• However, many do not believe it is possible nor have any

awareness of programs that can help them purchase a home.

Hispanic Generalization

Personalism, Passion and Loyalty

1. “Personalismo”This means Personalism: person to person interaction

2. “Pasión” means passion. Filipino and Hispanic cultures are known to facilitate the free expression of emotions in certain contexts.

Hispanic Generalizations

3. “Lealtad” means loyalty. Once an individual has proven himself via his/her “personalismo”and the client has invested the relationship with “pasión” (passion), loyalty follows.

4. The Role of Shame, “What will they say?”One of the results of living in a culture that places a great deal of emphasis on the group is the significance of shame.

Hispanic Generalizations

The Decision Making Process

• Females, extended family and trusted friends often play a role in the home buying decision.

• Males typically play the role of provider, and in negotiations they

will usually take control.

• The female, albeit often behind the scenes, plays the important role of home administrator.

• Since fulfilling their children’s needs is very important to Hispanics. Understand that kids are also your clients.

• When it comes to their decision about purchasing a home, single parent families will often look to their extended family for help.

Hispanic Generalizations

CLASS EXERCISE: NAME THAT CULTURE!

Guess the correct Spanish-speaking country with the following cultural facts!• As many as one hundred indigenous languages are still spoken in parts of this country.

Mexico• Roast pork is the favorite meat and is eaten on special occasions in this country.

Cuba• The national instrument is the marimba.

Nicaragua• This country’s average workweek is slightly more than 48 hours, one of the longest in the world.

Peru• This country’s capital has the largest number of Jews in Latin America.

Argentina• Women will meet with greater acceptance in this country than in other Latin American countries.

Costa Rica• In this country, people stand close and frequently touch one another on the arm while talking.

All• After fútbol (soccer), bullfighting is the sport that draws the highest number of spectators in this

country.Mexico

Understanding the Asian Culture

Vietnamese10%

Others11%

Korean10%

Japanese7%

Indian20%

Chinese23%

Filipino18%

• The sub group distribution changed from 2000 to 2004• Asian Indian has grown to 2nd largest in the sub markets• Chinese continues to be the largest segment

Source: U.S. Census Bureau –2000: Issued February 2002

Asian American Population Composition

Asian American Generalizations

• Value Conscious

• Courtesy and Hospitality

• Social Relationships Before Business Relationships

Family & Community

• Family’s buying decision is strongly influenced by the well-being of their children.

• Family Oriented. Great emphasis is placed on strongfamily relationships. Extended family is consideredjust as important.

• It is common for parents to financially contributetowards the purchase of a home for their children.

• Although generally non-confrontational, Asians won’t hesitate to voice their opinion when necessary.

Non Confrontational by Nature

• While there are exceptions, most Asian Americans are conservative and reserved by nature.

• When an issue occurs, they will not disagree openly in an effort to save face and respect the other party.

Faith, Philosophy and Celebrations

• Birth of a child, birthdays for the elderly and weddings are communal celebrations.

• Strong sense of faith often influences their family, lifestyles and belief systems.

• Oral traditions, philosophy and superstitions are influential components especially with Feng Shui.

EXERCISEDefine the meaning colors and numbers…

ColorsRed: Chinese Good luck; Koreans MourningWhite:

Asians – Death, funeralsBlack:

Asians – wear to weddingsPurple:

Asians – not worn to happy events, “wouldn’t last”Numbers3 & 7:

Koreans - lucky4:

Chinese – Sounds like death5:

Chinese – Sounds like no or negate8:

Chinese – rich/luck 9: Japanese – Sound (word) for suffering

Title and Escrow Issues

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Hispanic and Asian Customer Practical Tips

Don’t

• Assume that their English is not proficient

• Be overly aggressive• Refuse a social invitation • Embarrass or put on the

spot• Raise your voice or point

with your finger

Do

• Radiate warmth & hospitality• Be humble• Value social relationships• Talk about family and praise• Learn about the culture• Exhibit sincerity• Be sensitive to modes of

communication

Diversity definition

At FNF, diversity is the power to identify and deliver value to all employees, customers and communities that we serve. We are committed to recognizing and

embracing the influence of culture on every individual.

Our philosophy is that “All Together We Make a Difference!”

Q&A