E&V method: a successful sale for our real estate agents

Even in the real estate world, teamwork can make the difference and be decisive for the success of a sale, even turning a past buyer into a seller. This is demonstrated by the case of a successful sale, involving an enchanting villa on the water in Verbania, completed by Flavia, Office Manager of the Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore and Lago d'Orta offices, and Fabio, Agent and Team Leader of the Engel & Völkers agency in Verbania.

Let's get to know them better and find out more about the advantages of relying on the right real estate agency for buying and selling a property through a short interview.

1 - How did your journey in Real Estate started, where does your story as an agent begin? How many years have you worked for Engel & Völkers?

Flavia: My journey in Engel & Völkers started 6 years ago, after a managerial experience in the airport business. I had always been fascinated by luxury real estate, in fact, I had obtained my real estate agent's licence in 2009. This allowed me to embark on this fantastic adventure in the world of real estate.

Fabio: My experience at Engel & Völkers started five years ago. I was still working in real estate, but in a different context. After a while I decided to enter the luxury segment, which fascinated me a lot.

2 - What do you deal with specifically and for which area?

Flavia: I started as a real estate agent and then became the Team Leader of the Verbania office. This year I became Office Manager of the Lake Maggiore offices (Laveno, Arona, Verbania). A great satisfaction.

Fabio: Until last 2021 I was in charge of a specific area in the north of Lake Maggiore, from Ghiffa to Cannobio. Since this year, however, I have been managing the Verbania city and hill area individually. This year I also became Team Leader of the Engel & Völkers agency in Verbania. As a result, I don't just manage my own area, but also have a supporting role in relation to the agents in my office, which I perform side by side with our Team Assistant.

3 - You have recently dealt with the sale of a particularly important property. What do you remember about the moment when it was entrusted to you? Was it the first property of its kind? 

Flavia: The sale of this villa in Verbania was very special. Its owner was in fact a client to whom I myself had sold the property in 2017. So the client went from buyer to seller. Having remained on good terms over the years, when he decided to resell the villa he immediately referred to me. At the same time, one of Fabio's clients (the one who is now the current owner) was interested in buying houses for sale in Verbania with lake view. So I called my client and convinced him to grant this one visit, which then resulted in the successful sale of the property.

This villa reflects all the most sought-after characteristics for properties on Lake Maggiore: a charming property, with a direct view of the lake (the famous villas pied-dans-l'eau). Although there are other properties of this type in the Engel & Völkers portfolio, for the new owner it was love at first sight, even after seeing the video and virtual tour of the property.

4 - What was it like working together? How decisive was the teamwork and how did you set it up?

Fabio: Flavia and I have been working as a team for quite some time, so we had already established a certain type of relationship and the right chemistry. This is a very important aspect because it allows us to help each other out and give each other a helping hand even when there are difficulties, each putting our strengths into play.

Flavia: I think that the teamwork was very important. Fabio told me that his client was still looking for a property of that type and asked me to convince the seller to let him visit. Trusting Fabio's professionalism, I immediately contacted the seller and we managed to organise the visit, which then led to a purchase proposal and finally to the sale. I was certain that Fabio knew his client's real needs, so I did not hesitate to contact him.

5 -  What were the main challenges of this sale?

Flavia: The main challenge arose at the bureaucratic level. At the time, the villa was in the name of a company, so we had to convince the client-seller to grant ownership of the property and not also of the company. This would obviously have meant a major difference in taxation. The real victory was to present the client/seller with a proposal exactly in line with his expectations, without haggling.

Fabio: The second challenge, on the other hand, was more of a technical nature, related to a series of discrepancies found in the property, for which we had to mediate between parties, until we found the best solution for both parties and concluded the deal.

6 - Can you tell us something about the property? Does it fall within the most sought-after property types? How long has it been on the market?

Flavia: The property has actually never been on the market because it was the subject of a particular sale. We only sent the property sheet to customers in our database by email, with interest in line with the offer.

Fabio: Certainly this is a property that our customers like very much and perfectly matches their requirements. Moreover, it is a property in the centre of Verbania, therefore with a particularly prestigious location.

7 - What has been your sales strategy? Do you usually have a precise method or does it change?

Fabio: We have a very large and well segmented database of clients, so we are confident that we can send each one proposals that are exactly in line with what they are looking for. We knew that this type of villa on the water would be a hit with our clients, so we were confident that we could sell it, even though the sale was essentially 'private'.

Flavia: In this case, for the first time we had a video call between buyer and seller before writing the proposal. As they both spoke German, they were able to discuss different topics in their own language and reach an agreement more quickly. Of course Fabio and I had full control of the video call. We had never used this tactic before, and although we were a bit sceptical, it worked very well and helped us to shorten the distance and time of the negotiation.

8 - What do you think was the key to the success of this sale? We know that the buyer was so satisfied that he also entrusted the shop with the sale of another property. How is it proceeding?

Fabio: It is going as usual with this type of property: high interest, even if the price is particularly high. On the other hand, there is also the historical moment we are living in, which influences the choices of potential customers. In any case, based on my experience in this field, I am confident that we will be able to work well on this property as well.

9 - How do you follow up with your customers and what are your suggestions for establishing a good relationship that leads to success as with this villa in Verbania?

Flavia: In this sale I dealt with the seller, with whom I have always maintained a relationship of transparency and trust. Even though 7 years had passed since the sale, I always tried to maintain a relationship with him, writing to him even just to wish him happy holidays. I find it really important to be able to maintain an after-sales relationship over time, because it almost always turns out to be an essential prerequisite for future sales or purchases.

Fabio: My client had already relied on me for the purchase of another property but unfortunately it had not gone through. Fortunately I had memory of this client and his needs, so as soon as the opportunity to broker this villa in Verbania came up, I immediately contacted him to see if he would be interested. His wife literally fell in love with it. I believe that understanding the client's needs well, making an accurate analysis of his requirements and needs, is an essential part of our work and indispensable in order to be able to submit proposals that are absolutely in line with expectations. Only in this way can we truly fulfil the customer's wishes and sell them exactly the house of their dreams.

Looking for your dream home on Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta? Take a look at our beautiful villas on the water