Meet the stars from Portugal
At the beginning of this year, we asked a simple but yet interesting question to 8 of our best RE/MAX agents in Portugal: What made your last year a very successful one? The answers are breathtaking! Read about their individual success stories and get fantastic advice.
„The importance is not being nº 1, the importance is being the best possible“ Nuno Gomes RE/MAX Prestige
My name is Nuno Gomes and I am the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Prestige in Lisbon, Portugal. My team currently consists of only five agents, due to the fact that I am transitioning from being a real estate agent to becoming a Broker/Owner. I have been with RE/MAX for eight years now. Before joining RE/MAX, I was a marketing director for a multinational company, where I developed my skills as a marketer and learnt a lot about having a vision for the brand and the business. What made 2013 a successful year for you? I would say 2013 was THE big year for me. After eight years of hard work developing my business I was finally able to start two projects that a few years ago were only a dream. Not only did I open my own office but I also published my own book “O que aprendi no caminho para o topo “(“What I learned on my way to the top.”) For the last couple of years I had been frequently asked by a publishing company to write my personal story about my success in the real estate business. However, I decided that I would only do it after 5 consecutive years of sales leadership in the real estate market, since I believe in consistent success.
I would like to point out that all this was only possible because I belong to the RE/MAX family. RE/MAX allows anyone to have their dreams come true if they put into practice everything that they have learnt in all of the trainings. Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? The secret to ensure that I maintained myself at the top for so many years was investing annually in a lot of marketing (including online) to promote my image, brand, product and service. In truth, the wheel has already been invented and all we have to do is make it turn faster.
The book has a biographical component and another part more focused on my career path. I write about the difficulties I faced, the challenges I embraced, how I formed the “Nuno Gomes Dream Team” and which are the attributes that determined my success. It also contains an important chapter with my client testimonials. The book became a huge success (the first edition was sold out in less than 6 weeks) as it has a great impact on different groups of readers. It’s not only targeted to real estate professionals since its inspirational contents are transferrable to all industries and professions.
Website: www.remax.pt/nunogomes Email: nunogomes@remax.pt Facebook: www.facebook.com/ngteam
„Be persistent and resilient“ Susana Andrade RE/MAX Telheiras
My name is Susana Andrade and I am a real estate agent working in Lisbon at RE/MAX Telheiras, an agency with about 45 agents. I’ve been with RE/MAX for 11 years now and prior to that I owned my own real estate agency. Before I gained experience in real estate, I worked for a French multinational company as assistant to the CEO, which allowed me to professionalize my organizational and time management skills. As a real estate agent, I love what I do and I do it with pleasure, I take care of my client’s lives as if it was my own. That is probably why I have several clients that have been with me for many years now and who choose to work only with me. What made 2013 a successful year for you? Due to the difficult economic situation predicted for 2013, I quickly understood that I would need to do something that would differentiate me from others in order to endure this crisis. Attending the RE/MAX Convention in Las Vegas was also an inspiration to change my course of action. As Portugal is an attractive market for international investors I decided to focus on that market niche and began to establish my own network. In order to make myself known, I produced magazines and brochures that I handed out at international real estate events, such as “Stockholm Fair”, “London Real Estate Show” and “Malmo Fair.” In addition, I built a network of contacts in Hong Kong and Moscow. All the conversations held helped me significantly understand the needs of foreign buyers in the Portuguese Real Estate Market. Of course, I also take care of the local market and my Portuguese clients by finding good investment opportunities for buyers or helping home owners sell for the best price. So far this strategy has been very successful. The results began to show in the second half of 2013, and 2014 has already started very strong! I believe that constant investment in my career
will set me up for stable, future success for the years to come. Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? The advice I’d like to give my co-workers and colleagues is: Invest in your own education, training and coaching and be open for all the knowledge provided by RE/MAX. Believe in it and you’ll be successful.
CUSTOMIZED SERVICE FOR UNIQUE CLIENTS… ENTS… …
SUSANA ANDRADE YOUR AGENT IN PORTUGAL
(+351) 917 510 226
sandrade@remax.pt
Lisboa
Cascais | Estoril
City with so much to offer
One Place… A thousand Sensations
Tradition, romance, entertainment, modern and trendy life, excitment , food, history, nature and much, much more…
The best way of living near Lisbon. Quality of life with safe urban center near the coast, were the weather and the scennery never let you down.
Sintra A mystical way of life between the mountain and the sea Romantic Village of Lord Byron. Perfect harmony between nature and architectural heritage classified by UNESCO in 1995.
RE/MAX TELHEIRAS Your agency in Lisboa Tel: 00 351 217 121 920 telheiras@remax.pt
www.remax.pt/telheiras 3
Brochure distributed at international fairs
Email: sandrade@remax.pt Sites and Web: www.susanaandradeimobiliaria.com www.facebook.com/SusanaAndradeImobiliaria www.youtube.com/user/susanaandradeimobili
„A bank is like a home owner, the only difference being that a bank owns hundreds of properties“ Hugo Silva RE/MAX Vantagem Group
My name is Hugo Silva and I work in Lisboa at the RE/MAX Vantagem Group that consists of 7 offices with approximately 135 real estate agents in total. I joined RE/MAX 10 years ago at the age of 20 and this it is my first professional experience. RE/MAX enabled me to grow and develop my skills tremendously over the years.
What made 2013 a successful year for you? In August 2012, I began to search for new opportunities to distinguish myself from the rest and to succeed in the tough real estate market. I really felt the need to grow and to make my team grow as well. Due to that I analyzed several possibilities and then decided to work with bank-owned properties which were not seen as big deals at that time. The reason why this worked so well for us was the “work capacity” that myself and my team showed. Handling around 4.000 properties for the RE/MAX Vantagem Group, working 7 days a week, 16 hours a day and complete dedication made this project a huge success.
Of course there will always be objections, barriers and resistance to selling bank-owned properties, but the solution is to be persistent and do everything to overcome those barriers. For example, if a property is in a bad condition, I negotiate with the banks a discounted price or I get a cost estimate to renovate the property. Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? RE/MAX allows anyone to have their dreams come true if they put into practice everything that they have learnt at all of the trainings.
My secret is the way I organize my team which consists of 4 agents, a call center person and a coordinator. I manage everything directly with the bank: conditions, proposals, interest rates, keys, visits, etc. and my team focuses on selling and closing the deal. In 2013 we sold 95 houses - one house every four days. Marketing those properties is very simple. I produce 8.000 flyers monthly and promote the properties on a lot of different platforms. You can’t do anything specific in this niche market because my clients are very different. Sometimes a client buys an apartment for 25.000 € or I have a client that wants to buy 3 shops for 1 million €.
Flyer for marketing bank-owned properties
Email: hjosilva@remax.pt
„Keep working with the same strength and dedication“ Carlo Monteiro RE/MAX Business II
My name is Carlo Monteiro and I am an agent at RE/MAX Business II which is located in Braga in the north of Portugal. We currently have 22 agents in our office. I have been with RE/MAX since 2009. Before that I worked in a textile factory where I started as an operator of the production line and eventually progressed to the director of the entire production area. Having reached all my personal career goals at the textile factory, I decided that I needed new challenges in both my personal and professional life and joined RE/MAX. What made 2013 a successful year for you? What made 2013 a successful year for me was the fact that I could finally harvest what I had sown in the years before. I am always planning ahead and investing for the upcoming years because for me this is already half the way to success. In 2013, for example, I signed a contract for selling modular wooden houses and sponsored a huge launch event. At this event, we filmed a house being assembled in a city center avenue within 24 hours.
al other events, and do exactly the same there – I am present. I‘m not just a sponsor who invests money for advertising and then doesn’t show up. That‘s what differentiates me from others and enables me to make a lot of important contacts and build my own brand and network. Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? Keep working with the same strength and dedication and follow everything that is taught at the RE/MAX trainings.
Link to the video: http://dream-houses.pt/index. php?route=information/information&information_id=6 I also sponsor several cars and a car rally in my city. “Falperra – Braga”, is the biggest local event of the year, which attracts approx. 100.000 people, and therefore is a perfect opportunity to make myself known in my area. I not only just invest money in cars but I am also present with a stand where I promote my brand, my service and my team. I offer complimentary drinks, hand out flyers and magazines and meet a lot of people. During the summer months I also sponsor sever-
Email: crmonteiro@remax.pt Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlo.monteiro.1
„Believe in your project and never give up“ Joao Frazão RE/MAX Vilamoura
My name is Joao Frazão, and since 2004 I have worked at RE/MAX Vilamoura in the south of Portugal in the Algarve Region. We currently have 11 agents in our office. Previously I was a tennis coach but I always liked the real estate business and so I decided to become an agent to follow my preferred profession. What made 2013 a successful year for you? Although the economic situation in my country was bad, 2013 was one of my best years in sales and production which I mainly attribute to my dedication for my clients. The combination of 10 years of experience in real estate and 100% satisfied clients has led to a lot of referrals, new clients and - of course - more business. As I work in a tourist region I have a lot of foreign clients and therefore attending international real estate events is very important. In 2013 for example, I went to both Paris and London and I can honestly say that my best deal last year resulted from a contact I made at the event in Paris.
Of course we also call them frequently to determine the date of their next visit to the Algarve and to schedule property viewings. As an additional tool that differentiates us from other agents we provide a buyer‘s guide to our potential clients which educates them step-by-step about the process of buying a house in Portugal. Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? Just pick some simple, brilliant practices and repeat them daily in a much disciplined way.
The key to my success in 2013 was that I developed an advanced process for following-up with potential buyers. Most of our clients live far away and it may take a few months from the first contact to a personal meeting – so I found it necessary to constantly stay in contact and then be their first choice when they finally come to view homes in the Algarve region. I work with an assistant who helped me to build a client data-base and to set-up a CRM system. Once the new contacts are qualified and inserted into the CRM system we segment them for a customized follow- up. We send out the following from our database: - A weekly newsletter every Tuesday with new listings; - The “deal of the week” offer every Thursday; - Individually targeted e-mails with properties that meet customers‘ requirements; - Occasionally we also send out enticing photos of the area including pictures of sunsets, beaches, etc. to create the desire to buy in the region.
Click here to see the 24-page buyer guide: http://www.remax.eu/Sites/REMAXEurope/RegionalWeb/Documents/ Marketing/Buyers%20guide.pdf
Email: jfrazao@remax.pt
„Never give up on the RE/MAX dream!“ Andreia Falcão and Miguel Valadas RE/MAX Expo Group
We are Andreia Falcão and Miguel Valadas and we work as a team at RE/MAX Expo Group in Lisbon, Portugal. Our agency has about 80 agents, spread over 3 offices and is characterized by a close and good relationship of camaraderie and mutual aid among all agents. Before joining RE/MAX (Andreia in 2010, Miguel in 2005) we had no experience in real estate - we both worked in finance in different privately owned companies. We formed our team about 2 years ago and we have worked in supporting the principles of RE/MAX, always based on the slogan: „No limits” which we interpret as „We will do our best and see what we can achieve!” What made 2013 a successful year for you? 2013 was a very successful year for us – not only were we No.1 in the RE/MAX Expo Group and furthermore in RE/MAX Portugal, but we also reached a unique result - we earned more than ONE MILLION EUROS within one year! Nobody has ever reached this result in 13 years of RE/MAX in Portugal. A combination of several success factors helped us achieve this result: - We are really focused on the mission we set for ourselves - We rely on the solid relationship between us - trust, mutual support and full availability in all situations. - We specialize in “Collection Properties” and generate listings through farming different areas with luxury homes which include the Expo area in the eastern part of Lisbon City and Cascais, approximately 30 minutes from Lisbon. - We are strongly committed to the international market through supporting potential buyers with a legal framework for the ”Golden Visa” Program*) Since we first heard about the „Golden Visa” program we face a new challenge every day. We constantly have to adapt our strategy, create new structures and invest in products that haven’t been requirements in the market where we used to work. We also had to get used to the demands of our new clients. However, we strive to overcome all difficulties and reach our goals because we always believe that we are heading in the right direction!
Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? Be proactive and persistent and never give up on the RE/MAX dream.
Golden Visa Flyer for Chinese Investors *) The Golden Visa Program launched by the Portuguese Authorities in October 2012 is a fast track for foreign investors from non-EU countries to obtain a fully valid residency permit in Portugal (“Golden Visa”). This residency permit allows the investor to enter and/or live in Portugal and to travel freely within the vast majority of European countries (Schengen space). To qualify for a Golden Visa one of the following investments has to be made: a) Acquisition of a property in the amount of or greater than € 500,000 b) Transfer of funds above € 1,000,000 c) Creation of at least 10 (ten) jobs in Portugal
Email: afalcao@remax.pt Website: www.remax.pt/afalcao Email: mvaladas@remax.pt Website: www.remax.pt/mvaladas
„Success is achieved by persistence and perseverance“
Paulo Dias Fernandes and João Paulo Almeida RE/MAX Expo Group
My name is Paulo Dias Fernandes and I am an agent at the RE/MAX Expo Group in Lisbon, Portugal. I have been working in this business for 3 years now and the only thing I regret is not starting earlier. We currently have 80 staff members in our offices and the atmosphere is electric. We succeed through commitment to the business, team work and the desire to make dreams come true in our daily conquests. Two years ago, my colleague João Paulo Almeida and I decided to join forces, in an attempt to combine our skills and complement each other. Our thoughts and dreams have always been larger than life and that has made us grow and helped us arrive to where we are now. What made 2013 a successful year for you? Working as a team has shown good results and, due to that, we keep on looking for new marketing tools, new ideas for closing more deals and new ways of reaching the client in a faster and more effective way. Our working day starts at 7a.m. and many times ends at 12p.m. – so we work 17 hours a day, 7 days a week. We keep 2 hours of our day to position ourselves in the line of action, which is important for our business and we constantly strive for excellence in the services we provide. We equally enjoy providing an excellent service to our clients after closing the deal and are constantly looking for new strategic partnerships. We work together with several other businesses, such as moving companies and service providers for water, gas, internet, electricity and television. We are in contact with these busines-
Flyer with 20% discount on moving services
ses every day and have regular meetings with attorneys, architects, engineering consultants, construction companies, renovators and other real estate offices to establish co-operation. In addition to the national market, we also now invest heavily in the international market as we work in a niche called “Golden Visa” *) Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? Success is achieved by persistence and perseverance. Never give up your values and beliefs, and above all never give up on yourself! When you think it’s time to throw in the towel that is exactly the time when you have to intensify your focus. *) The Golden Visa Program launched by the Portuguese Authorities in October 2012 is a fast track for foreign investors from non-EU countries to obtain a fully valid residency permit in Portugal (“Golden Visa”). This residency permit allows the investor to enter and/or live in Portugal and to travel freely within the vast majority of European countries (Schengen space). To qualify for a Golden Visa one of the following investments has to be made: a) Acquisition of a property in the amount of or greater than € 500,000 b) Transfer of funds above € 1,000,000 c) Creation of at least 10 (ten) jobs in Portugal
Email: pafernandes@remax.pt pdalmeida@remax.pt
„We work with people, not properties.“ Rodolfo Faustino RE/MAX Vantagem Group
My name is Rodolfo Faustino and I am a real estate agent of the RE/MAX Vantagem Group. My agency, RE/MAX Vantagem V in Lisbon, currently employs about 60 people. I have only worked in this office for a few months but I have been with RE/ MAX for almost 2 years. Before joining RE/MAX I had never worked as a real estate consultant and I never imagined becoming one. I‘m an architect and I always loved the artistic and creative aspect of this business. But my passion for houses and people finally made me make that move. In the beginning I thought that it would be possible to combine both jobs, but only a few months later, I realized that being a professional real estate agent requires full time commitment. I started this profession on my own but now I am the leader of a team because I truly believe in friendship, professionalism and specialization.
What made 2013 a successful year for you? As I was quite new in real estate and had to compete in a tough market, especially in Lisbon, I tried to find a core business that would guarantee good results. I soon realized that € 500 rental fee is an important figure in the Portuguese rental market. At that time only a few RE/MAX agents wanted to work with rentals so I had found my niche in the market.
Which advice would you like to give to your colleagues? Our success is based on specialization and the strong relationship that we have with our clients before and also after the deal. We are very organized and focused and we believe in sharing because this is what makes the real estate business a business of excellence.
I decided to use online marketing to promote my listings and created professional pages “Casa 500 – Lisboa” on Pinterest and Facebook. My clients soon realized that I only promote really nice houses with a maximum rental fee of €599 and my business grew very fast and offered me some great possibilities. As the platforms also created other types of rental clients and potential buyers I made the decision to build a team. I now work together with Suse Alves and Carlos Guterres and our success is based on everybody specializing on their core competencies. Suse focuses on commercial properties and the rental business “casa 500,” Carlos specializes in sales and I concentrate on team management, planning, strategy and real estate events. And I also focus on upper-price rentals and generating listings.
The Team: Suse Alves, Rodolfo Faustino, Carlos Guterres
Email: rfaustino@remax.pt Facebook: www.facebook.com/Casa500Lisboa Web: pinterest.com/remaxportugal/casa-500-lisboa/
Do you also have a great story?
Do you also have best practices to share or know a success story of a fellow agent? Let us know by contacting Katrin Zottler at the RE/MAX Europe Headquarter: katrin.zottler@remax.eu +43 1269 7372 238