October is part of National Hispanic Heritage Month! Gonzalo and I are excited today to have this conversation that needs to be discussed, but not everybody knows how to talk about it. On this podcast, we talk about a lot of things real-estate-centric and I‘m so excited about what has come out in the last few years of having conversations about different people groups in America. Today we’re going to talk with Gonzalo about the group that we refer to as Latinx. There are different terms and we’ll dig into what they mean with Gonzalo.   [1:04] Monica presents the topic. [6:04] Gonzalo explains neither Hispanic nor Latino is a race. It is a culture and ethnicity, not a race. [7:02] Hispanic is a term used by the government. Hispanic is somebody who descends from a country or culture where Spanish is the main language. [8:53] What matters is how the person identifies, as Latinx, or Hispanic. People often identify as Latinx. People talk about Latin culture, not Hispanic culture. [10:31] It is important never to label somebody else; let them label themselves. [11:05] Latinx is new. The intention of Latinx is to make it non-gender-specific. [16:23] National origin can be a tricky topic for Hispanics. It is a point of pride. Never assume where somebody is from. [20:12] Also, national origin is a protected class, so be very careful asking people where they are from. [22:11] Highlight things that you have in common instead of things you don’t have in common. Always consider how the receiver of the question would feel about the question. “Tell me more” is a neutral question. [26:21] Whether a person is first-generation or has been here for generations makes a difference to them. It’s important not to make assumptions about people based on their appearance. [28:28] A mistake real estate agents make is asking the client if they would like an agent who speaks Spanish. That is the customer’s choice to request, not the agent’s choice. [32:00] An agent who is having communication issues with a customer should look for a remedy. [33:15] The most important part is understanding the customer’s needs. Language isn’t the top priority. The decision-making should be similar to any other customer call. Gonzalo explains a non-discriminatory approach. [35:16] There have been conversations going on about race in the United States for several years. Race is an unspoken important element in our culture and our lives. [41:17] In most Latin American countries, home ownership is not as accessible as it is here in the States. [42:44] Many people come to the States and don’t realize the opportunities they have for homeownership. Education about opportunities is important. In the U.S., you have to borrow money first before you qualify for a mortgage, which will take education in the Latinx communities. [44:12] Gonzalo talks of high-context and low-context cultures. In the U.S., we tend to be very transactional, especially around real estate transactions. In Latin culture, people like to be friends and want to feel connected. [45:35] Communication is important. In conversation, they don’t go into business right away. Friendly small talk comes first. A Latinx customer may feel mistreated by a U.S. agent’s directness. [48:22]  We are all humans and we all care about our customers. Be sure that you show that care. [50:48] Gonzalo has made greater connections with his customers. He feels he had become more sensitive to the customer’s cultural needs.     [51:32] Throughout Gonzalo’s career, he has had customers around the world. He likes going and meeting customers in other countries and it’s such a good experience. [53:54] Multi-generational housing is common in Latin culture. It has to do with access to homeownership. [58:29] It is important to remember the diversity of the Latinx community. There are different cultures in each country. [1:00:50] Monica invites you to expand and start getting to know your Latinx neighbors. [1:02:01] Gonzalo recommends biographies i