SAN ANTONIO-With globalization creating a melting pot ofopportunities, the CCIM Institute and Institute of Real EstateManagement used their national conference, Success Series 2007, asan international forum to deliver a street-savvy guide for doingbusiness on all continents. The annual October event is a week ofeducation, professional grooming, networking and CCIM testing.

The condensed version of several sessions is the passport ofsuccess is learning to respect other cultures before, not after, adeal is initiated to stave off faux pas that could kill one'sability for present and future transactions. It boils down to doingone's homework and being culturally sensitive and competent.

“One of the ways we become more culturally competent is tobecome more culturally curious,” Laraine Kaminsky of GraybridgeMalkam of Ottawa, Ontario, said during a cross-cultural exchangefor Success Series 2007, held at the Henry B. Gonazalez ConventionCenter in San Antonio. Kaminsky, a consultant for internationaltraining, stressed the importance of learning written and unwrittenrules of other cultures before trying to work a deal on foreignland or US soil with other nationalities.