In this article we want to introduce you to the real estate agent Luis Ferreira and a little bit of his life journey.
After living most of my life in North America I decided to move to Portugal at the age of 56 to keep my mother company and take care of her. The last 15 years I was in Montreal I worked in the Hospitality Industry, working in one of North America's best steak house's I worked as a waiter, worked in the kitchen, Maitre D’hôtel, manager and general manager, catering to people from all walks of life with the highest of expectations regarding service, quality, and product knowledge.
I came to Portugal thinking of staying for a year and then going back, I've been here 4 years now, in these 4 years I've kept busy by first opening a Tapas bar in the Algarve which was something I had knowledge about and liked because of dealing with people, unfortunately it didn't work out and I sold my shares and moved back to Alentejo.
After a few months I decided to open a Senior citizen home mostly because of my mother, my knowledge about catering to people and because I had a big empty house that could accommodate 8 people in comfort. We were a staff of 5 taking care of them and we created a great atmosphere for everyone. After 18 months because of complications and too much bureaucracy I decided to close.
Fast forward 6 months I started a new career at the tender age of 60 and here I am at Engel & Völkers. It turns out that this new challenge is not much different then what I've done before which was to cater to people's needs in different ways albeit, finding out what interests them, matching them with the right product and seeing a smile on their faces when it happens! To me the dedication this new
career demands become more of a way of life then a career, it takes good communication skills and product knowledge that only comes with time, hard work and guts, eventually the rewards will materialize.
If you are looking for a career with a bright future in Portugal this area (Melides, Comporta and surroundings) is in my opinion an up-and-coming market, now more than ever the demand for properties has skyrocketed in the area with that comes new business opportunities. In normal circumstances this would even be better. If you like being your own boss and like the outdoors, it is a great way of life. This will be the El Dorado of real estate in Portugal in the near future in my humble opinion.
Some doors close behind you and others open in front of you, I am glad that this one opened for me.
May the work that uou have be the play that you love!