SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Patricia Ng looks around her office, pointing at brokers and listing the languages they speak: Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, Cantonese, Russian.

"I have 16 different languages here," she says proudly. "Still, I'm desperate for someone who speaks Vietnamese. Good brokers who speak Vietnamese are in high demand these days."

Just as baby boomers reshaped the housing market, immigrants, by their sheer numbers, are redefining the way business is done today in real estate.

Immigrants who came to the U.S. during the 1990s wave have started buying homes, and that is forcing real-estate professionals — including lenders, developers and bankers — to adapt.

"If you look at the next wave of consumers, they are it," said Frances Martinez Myers, chairwoman of the San Diego-based National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. "There is now a whole campaign around 'What do I need to do inside my shop to reach out?' "

The United States is home to about 34.2 million immigrants, or 12 percent of the total population, and their numbers continue to grow as the native-born population shrinks.

Since the 1990s, immigrants have accounted for a third of household growth, and they represent about 12 percent of first-time buyers nationwide, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Rachel Drew, a researcher at the center, said immigrants are making up for the decline in native-born populations entering their 30s, which tend to be home-buying years.

"They're filling the gap left after the baby boom," she said. "That is making a big difference in keeping home buying and home demand strong."

Renato Cruz, 33, is one of them. The Brazilian arrived in the United States 13 years ago during the immigration boom of the 1990s. Last year, he bought a one-bedroom condominium in Boston's Brighton neighborhood for $149,000.

Cruz, a banquet chef, worked a couple jobs, shared an apartment with friends and put away every extra penny he had to save money to buy. He also worked to establish credit and studied the home-buying process by talking with friends and agents.

"It's the best thing I ever did," Cruz said. "My house has already gone up in value, so if I ever decide to leave, that's money in my pocket that I couldn't have worked a year to get."

On average, immigrants who purchase homes do it about 10 years after they arrive in the U.S., Drew said. For many, it can take that long to feel comfortable with the process, save enough money for a down payment and establish credit.

"When you have immigrants coming to the United States, they're unbanked," said Cristina Miranda, a spokeswoman for Fannie Mae, the biggest U.S. buyer of mortgages. "Many have no idea what to do with a credit card, and they keep their cash under a mattress."

For the past several years, brokers, lenders and agents have offered classes for immigrants to learn how to buy a home and manage their money. They also publish multilingual brochures and have hired more multilingual agents.