Russian-American Homebuyers

by Gonzales Group

The rapidly growing Russian-American population is a consumer segment with strong buying power and prefers to buy high-priced, quality name brand products.

The Russian-speaking community is very diverse and possesses subcultures within it. For example, a person from a small rural town in the Ukraine will probably have different buying habits than someone from Moscow. A Multi-generational household is another cultural characteristic to consider with this homebuying segment. While the grandparents may not speak English, their grandchildren may consider English their first language.

Role of the FamilyFamily plays a critical role with the Russian homebuyer. It is customary for most Russian parents to support their children throughout their entire life. Even after the children have celebrated their 30th, 40th, or 50th birthday, parents will often bring them food and provide financial resources.

The bond of a Russian mother and son is very strong. Historically, in Russia parents celebrate the birth of a son more than the birth of a daughter. The ratio of men to women in Russia is less, which accounts for the males privileged social position and pronounced adoration. Russian mothers and their daughters also have a strong bond. In most cases, mothers teach their daughters to be hostess’ and administrators of the home but also encourage independence. The family bond among Russian woman usually is determined by national traditions, her sociability, and where she lives. There is a strong tendency among immigrant Russian women to remain close to their mother and sisters while the family social network expands. Russians around the U.S. possess varied acculturation levels. Many professional Russians who immigrated a decade ago will typically reside in urban areas.