REAL ESTATE

Foothold in Asia: Century 21 Real Estate Corp., the international real estate brokerage, has opened 30 offices in Hong Kong.

Finding that foreign markets are increasingly receptive to U.S. home-selling techniques, Irvine-based Century 21 is stepping up its activity overseas, especially since the real estate downturn at home. With more than 6,000 franchises, the company now has operations in 15 countries, having recently signed franchise agreements in Puerto Rico and Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Still, taking aggressive home-selling strategies to other countries can sometimes mean a culture clash. In Hong Kong, for instance, sellers don’t usually put for-sale signs in their yards.

“Many of the real estate practices that we take for granted, such as yard signs and multiple listing services, are relatively new in many international markets,” said Richard J. Loughlin, chief executive officer of Century 21.