Illusion No. 2: There are real estate agents who are represented worldwide!

Real Estates are always local, customers are more and more international

The most important thing when selling Real Estate is local market knowledge. Nevertheless, globalization does not stop at companies like Ginesta Immobilien, which has been active in the market since 1944. Many new, globally active estate agent networks and franchise companies have been trying to gain a foothold in Switzerland for some years now. The question arose as to how the future of a real estate agent with an excellent reputation and the best local market knowledge could be adapted to this new competitive situation.

Ginesta Immobilien is and will remain a traditional local company. Independence, professionalism and quality have always been more important to us than being part of an association. We found the ideal partner in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (www.leadingRE.com) back in 2008, which has fully met our high expectations to date.

The renowned, internationally active real estate broker network was founded in Chicago in 1947 and is now the largest independent network for residential real estate with 550 independent brokerage companies and 4,000 branches worldwide. A total of 128,000 employees in 55 countries work for the network. Leading RE companies carry out 1 million transactions annually with a total value of 350 billion US dollars.

With www.luxuryportfolio.com, Leading RE has an electronic platform for luxury real estate that offers more properties than any of its competitors.

Why Leading Real Estate Companies of the World(www.leadingRE.com)?

1. a network and not a pyramid scheme

A basic distinction is made between broker networks and franchise companies. In broker networks, a company remains independent and benefits from the local know-how of a partner company. The network organizes the platforms for the exchange of information and customers as well as further training. Franchise companies want to distribute a brand in a market area. In such systems, licenses are sold for defined market areas (e.g. Switzerland). The owner of such a license may divide its market area further and sell sub-regions (e.g. Graubünden region) to new owners. These in turn sell further sub-sub-regions. These owners hire employees who are often selected without regard to professional competence, training and reputation. The whole system can be seen as a pyramid scheme. Commissions are shared and must be passed on to the owners of market areas and to the franchisor.

2. professional real estate brokerage firms with a track record of success

Only the best companies in a market area can become members of LeadingRe. It is not money that is decisive, but the track record in a local market area. The network has specialists who visit and carefully analyze the activities of the company, the market and its competitors. Only the best in a market area can become members in a multi-stage admission process.

3. represented worldwide with local experts

Do you need real estate services in Ticino, French-speaking Switzerland or another country? We will be happy to put you in touch with your professional contact worldwide. It makes sense for you to work with a real estate agent who has an international seal of approval and understands their trade.  

4. training and exchange of experience

We have already participated in two of the network’s events, in Rome and Las Vegas. The exchange of expertise with other regions and countries is particularly interesting. It helps us better understand buyers and markets and discover new trends in Sales and Service approaches that may not yet be known in Switzerland.

5. world’s largest marketplace for luxury real estate over $1 million (see chart)

LeadingRE has the largest marketplace for properties over $ 1 million at www.luxuryportfolio.com. The marketplace is an international gateway for us for national properties. In addition, we can present the properties in English and with good animations. Many foreigners already live in Switzerland and have a need to receive information in English. Unfortunately, Swiss marketplaces such as homegate.ch do not offer this multilingualism.

How is Ginesta Immobilien prepared for globalization?

• All our employees speak fluent English. We do not hire employees without foreign language skills.
• We can write all correspondence and estimates in English on request.
• Our property documents are always bilingual.
• Every property with a sales value of over CHF 1 million is listed on the world’s largest English-language marketplace for luxury real estate (www.luxuryportfolio.com).
• We offer search services for buyers and tenants such as home hunting (purchase of properties) and relocation services (search for rental properties), which are typically anchored in Anglo-Saxon areas.
• We have joined an independent, globally very important broker network, which is an international association of first-class brokers.

Illusion No. 2 PDF

Author: Claude Ginesta
Claude A. Ginesta is a federally certified real estate trustee and the CEO and owner of Ginesta Immobilien AG. The company was founded in 1944 and specializes in real estate sales in the Zurich and Graubünden regions. For properties of supraregional significance, the company operates as a real estate broker throughout Switzerland via its branches in Küsnacht, Horgen, and Chur.

Publisher of the Illusions series
Ginesta Immobilien AG, www.ginesta.ch