The journey from tracking tigers in Indian forests to becoming one of only 68 Certified International Property Specialists (CIPS) instructors worldwide is an uncommon career path. For Trisha Roy, founder of Open Spaces International in Gainesville, Florida, this trajectory highlights her commitment to embracing her identity and her understanding that real estate is fundamentally about connecting people across cultures and borders.

A Path Shaped by Necessity and Opportunity

Roy’s entry into real estate was driven by practical necessity. After earning master’s degrees in wildlife ecology and business management in India, she found herself a single mother in Gainesville facing an unexpected challenge.

“I realized that I am under-experienced and over-qualified for even the smallest job in Gainesville,” Roy recalls. “I was refused a job at a local house because I had no experience in flipping pancakes, and I couldn’t turn up at 6:30 in the morning because my children go to school around seven o’clock.”

Real estate offered the flexibility she needed as a parent while allowing her to use her educational background and relationship-building skills. “Being a realtor made sense for my boys. I could still attend the school picnics, the school meetings. I could do the PTA meetings like a volunteer at the school,” she explains.

Building a Global Network in Gainesville

Gainesville presents unique opportunities and challenges for international real estate. As Roy describes it, the city is “a pocket of education and culture and cultural thought” surrounded by rural areas, creating a distinctive market dynamic.

The University of Florida’s presence shapes the market beyond student housing. “University of Florida has been able to bring so much expertise from around the world, bring in students from around the world, bring in professors from around the world, be the melting pot that it is,” Roy notes.

However, the college town identity also creates limitations. “At times, I’ve spoken to large businesses and they say, ‘Oh, Gainesville, it’s a college town.’ College towns have an identity to themselves. Their biggest consumers are students, and students have a certain amount of resources and beyond which they don’t.”

This dynamic leads to what Roy sees as a missed opportunity: “A lot of our children who attend our universities and get these advanced degrees do not find jobs in the Gainesville area, because big industry does not easily find its way here.”

Understanding International Buyers

Roy clarifies the definition of international buyers, noting that according to the National Association of REALTORS, international buyers are those who have been in the United States for two years or less. This definition shapes how the market is analyzed and understood.

In Gainesville, international purchases often involve parents buying properties for their university-bound children. “Their parents are buying housing for them because it’s a great investment. So you stay free of cost for four years, get that degree, turn around and sell it,” Roy explains. “International purchases of these kinds are typically cash purchases, and we see a lot of those in the Gainesville area.”

Florida’s prominence in attracting international buyers is clear. “Since 2009, since this study has been published every year, Florida leads. Not just leads. Florida leads by a sprint ahead. So we are at usually at 19, 21, 22 percent,” Roy notes, with Texas, California, and New York trailing behind.

Market Dynamics and Setting Expectations

Roy characterizes the current Gainesville market as balanced, a stability largely attributed to the University of Florida’s economic influence. “Our economy is guided by the University of Florida. It is also a steadying influence when prices went rock bottom, Gainesville hit bottom, but not as bottom as other parts of Florida.”

She emphasizes the importance of managing seller expectations in the post-COVID market. Median home prices have risen from around $250,000-$270,000 before COVID to approximately $350,000-$360,000. However, the rapid growth during the pandemic was not sustainable.

“I had this conversation with a seller maybe two days ago. Her property, which she bought in 2019, has gained $100,000 on a $220,000 purchase. It’s $320,000 now. And she said, ‘Oh, I expected to gain some more,’” Roy recounts. She helps clients understand that such rapid appreciation was an anomaly rather than a new normal.

Investment Opportunities and Strategy

For investors considering Gainesville, Roy sees clear opportunities, especially in properties near the university. “Multi-family or a single unit in an apartment or facility property near the university always increases in value over time. It’s almost like a formula,” she explains.

She shares an example: “One of my customers bought his property for $140,000, sold it eight years later at $250,000. This was during COVID, and now it’s worth a lot more.”

For longer-term investors, Roy recommends looking at emerging areas within Gainesville where property values are currently lower but show growth potential. “There are areas in Gainesville which are rising. There’s a lot of places where property values are right now not there, but there are rising values.”

Her core investment advice is straightforward: “If you can buy some land, buy land because nobody is making any more land.”

The Global Advantage in Local Markets

Roy’s international connections provide tangible value to clients navigating complex situations. “When our customer comes to me with a problem, I always am able to find the resources to find a solution,” she explains. “Somebody came to me and asked about properties in Greece. I do not practice in Greece, but I have dear friends who do.”

This network extends beyond transactions to lifestyle guidance. “If you have a need of living in another country, I can guide buyers and sellers to live in Belize, live in Costa Rica, live in Nicaragua, different countries where real estate is different and the quality of life is different.”

Relationship-Based Approach

Roy’s approach emphasizes long-term relationship building over transactional efficiency. “In global real estate, I always teach my students that we’re in the business of building relationships, and our relationship lasts our lifetimes. It’s not transactional. It is relationship-based.”

This philosophy requires patience but yields significant returns. “It’s not quite like a lead coming on Zillow that you run, show them five houses and they buy the sixth one. It’s a lot of nurturing. But the benefits are huge also, because when a person from anywhere in the world finds value in what you do, who will they refer when somebody else in their sphere of influence wants to make a real estate purchase in your part of the world.”

Looking Ahead

Despite the challenges facing Gainesville’s economic diversification, Roy remains optimistic about the market’s fundamentals. The city’s geographic advantages, including its relative safety from hurricanes and strategic location within Florida, position it well for future growth.

Her perspective on market conditions is pragmatic: “There is no such thing as a bad market. Remember housing—we have those essential needs: food, clothing and shelter. Shelter is housing. Everybody needs a home to live. You just have to understand the needs of the community, needs of your sellers and buyers.”

For Roy, success in international real estate comes from embracing authenticity while building bridges across cultures. As she puts it, “I embrace my heritage with everything I am,” while serving as a connector between global communities and local opportunities in one of Florida’s most unique markets.