{{Three Questions for a Representative of Coldwell Banker:}}

<img2881|left>{{ {Mr. Roos, as a Representative of Coldwell Banker in Florida, would you like to give us a profile of your company and its activity?} }}

Coldwell Banker, the first real estate agency in the United States, was founded in 1906.

_ Today we have a dense network of 6000 offices worldwide, 140 of which are located in Florida. Personally, I work at the Coral Gables office. Since I am French I work mostly with our francophone customers, whether it’s helping them find houses when they’ve just arrived or purchasing a vacation home, or making other kind of real estate investments.

_ Basically, with me, they get the best of both worlds: the services of multinational corporation without loosing the “French touch.”

-* {{ {For how long have you been conducting business in Florida? And, by the way, why Florida?} }}

I’ve lived in Florida for about two years, but I’ve been in the real estate business for 23 years. I started out in Paris and I still have my agency there, very near the Champs-Elysées.

_ I chose to live in Florida because its location makes it a very accessible place for international business, and I value that very much, even in real estate is often viewed as a local business.

_ In this field, one has to take advantage of market cycles and being trans-Atlantic allows me to keep up with clients here and in Europe at the same time.

Beyond the professional sphere, as a father of three, I appreciate Florida because it offers my children to be bilingual or even trilingual while living under the sun.

-*{{ { What’s the business trend in your sector? How do you foresee the next few months?} }}

Everyone knows that Florida saw the real estate bubble burst at its peak, and from there sales dropped nearly 60%.

_ The question is this: when will this trend change for the better?

_ Well, prices continue to drop but not as steeply as before.

_ Stocks are also dropping and this may be a sign that things are looking up. American and international investors alike find that it’s a good time to invest because of these lower costs.

_ Two years from now, when the market has certainly improved, Florida will renew its role as a point of interest for investors in the U.S., South America and Europe.

For contact information:

_ Serge Roos, Coldwell Banker

_ [->

_ [www.miamiconseil.com->www.miamiconseil.com]

or in France:

_ [->

_ [www.regm.fr->www.regm.fr]

To reach the FACC of Florida, visit [www.faccmiami.com->http://www.faccmiami.com]

_ To reach French American Council of Greater Orlando (FABCO), log on [www.fabco.us->http://www.fabco.us]

_ To contact French American Business Council of West Florida, Inc [www.framco.org->http://www.framco.org]