This year, Katarína Power Pokrupová celebrated her 5th year in our company. She started as a Sales Advisor in a team of residential rentals, at that time she was responsible for Smíchov district. Since October 2020, she has been leading her own team of commercial rentals, which is just beginning its existence and thanks to Kate, the team is doing better and better.
It’s a big challenge (laughs). When a Sales Advisor from my team succeeds in a business or an interesting property is listed thanks to him, I experience a great feeling similar to a mother whose child succeeds. It's different than enjoying personal success and then buying something nice as a reward for yourself. I always highlight every success in our small team, I must say we have a friendly atmosphere.
When you rent residential properties, a tenant or an owner could be basically anyone. When I rent offices now, there are always professionals on both sides, the so-called B2B business is more about negotiation and emotions no longer play such a role.
The most important is a cooperation. It is very common, that one of the colleagues represents the owner, the other the tenant and it is very important that the needs of both parties are met. As our team expands, I notice a healthy rivalry between team members, for example in gaining new contacts, in the number of acquired properties, etc. We definitely don’t stab each other in the back we can laugh together and it unites our team.
Meeting different people. Now, at a time of pandemic measures, clients are coming up with very interesting concepts. One of our clients builds a fitness center with brand new exercise machines that are not yet known in Prague, even with a new type of training. Another client is about to open an organic bakery, I come across interesting ideas for the coffee houses, etc. From a certain point of view a pandemic helps some people to begin to realize their dreams.
In some way it is a challenge to lead your own team and at the same time be the mother of a two-year-old son. Fortunately, I have a very empathetic husband, a great nanny and I work in a child-friendly company. It is very pleasant to know that I can bring my son to work and sometimes take him with me for a property viewing. Thanks to all this, it works quite well.
I remember a client, who moved from the Netherlands and rented an apartment for his own living through our agency. Later he was looking for a space suitable for new fitness center. He was that kind of client, who is very focused on his target with amount of enthusiasm and the other business party was an experienced developer, my long-time client. Thanks to this combination, I experienced very intense negotiations, which taught me a lot. Furthermore I have a good feeling about this amazing space, which is going to be created in Prague soon.
I'm an absolute workaholic, I just can't stop working. I believe in a positive mindset and thanks to that I manage to lead a team of commercial rentals during a pandemic and spread optimism among my colleagues.
The ideal property is either an office with an area between 50 and 150 m2 in a good condition in a popular location such as Karlín, Holešovice, Smíchov or a space that is somehow interesting. I have just listed a space that served as a puppet theater in the past and it is very atypical place. I know it will be difficult to rent it, but not everyone gets this kind of experience, it is exceptional and it is a challenge.
I can partially imagine to work there. There is even a branch of Engel & Völkers in Chile, it is a beautiful country and I like Spanish language. I would probably enjoy working in this very non-traditional country for us. Many Germans moved to Chile after the war, so perhaps the conventions of our German company would meet better with the local culture. In Peru, on the other hand, it would certainly be more complicated. There is strong bureaucracy and corruption, the inhabitants do not have a mentality that would suit me. To tell you the true I am glad that I live in Prague.
Our first wedding anniversary is coming soon, Engel & Völkers has grown very close to my heart. Not only I met my husband here, our former colleague was my witness at the wedding, and now my sister-in-law works in my team. My vision is to build a strong commercial rental team, expand it with another 2 to 3 new colleagues and continue what we do. My wish is that a small start-up company looking for a space of 15 m2 should receive the same service from us as a large international company with a well-known brand. With professional terminology, I would like to give a chance to earn lots of money to the owner of the "B" category building. A lot of real estate agencies focus only on "A" category owners.
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