Claude Ginesta is the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Next Property AG

Congratulations on your election. What does this office mean to you?

I made myself available because Next Property is in a phase of upheaval and new impetus would do it good. I see it as a service to the Real Estate industry. You can’t always just think about your own advantage and the next day. For the last 6 years as Vice President of the Chamber of Real Estate Agents, I have been motivated by foresight and making a contribution to the industry.

What priorities would you like to set as CEO?

We want to protect our shareholders’ customer interfaces and data by all means. In addition to data ownership by one of the leading marketplaces (Newhome), it is now important that the real estate industry as a whole is integrated into a comprehensive ecosystem, giving each real estate company sovereignty over the customer journey. We are a team in this battle and have put together a powerful Board of Directors that will soon set the necessary new course.

How do you assess the situation in the marketplaces?

In fact, exactly what we always warned about has happened – simply faster. This is not just a theory, but the merger of Zillow and Tulia in the USA has demonstrated it. It is worth taking a closer look across the pond to understand where the two largest Swiss marketplaces are heading. Because the threat is exactly the same as in the USA. This should make it clear to the last doubter that Homegate and ImmoScout are not the partners of the real estate industry. 

It was therefore very important that Next Property was founded. We currently have 506 shareholders from the real estate industry. Together with our French-speaking Swiss counterpart Immobilier.ch, which has a further 120 shareholders, we already unite over 600 companies that have taken the reins into their own hands and want to determine the future themselves.

Currently exciting: ImmoScout is trying to implement price increases of 15-20%. We know this from Germany, where ImmoScout.de has increased prices almost every month.

How will newhome.ch develop?

The current user numbers are positive in a difficult market environment with short insertion times and fewer properties. Both properties for sale (fewer properties are on the market for a shorter time) and rental properties (shorter vacancy periods) require fewer and fewer property days. What can be said for sure: The prices at newhome.ch are too low, the portal delivers much more response per franc invested compared to the expensive marketplaces. Newhome.ch could even increase its prices due to its performance.

You have been inspired by America for many years. What have you brought back from your travels for the real estate industry?

I follow Mike Del Prete and see him as the most knowledgeable expert on global developments. His analyses show that the new competition is being fought over the “customer journey” and thus the conquest of the customer interface. The marketplaces are the first to realize that a tenant or buyer is looking for something. In the future, they will want to sell tenant and buyer leads to the real estate industry for 30-40% of the commission. This is already the case in the USA and Germany. Switzerland will not remain an island of bliss for the real estate industry if no one takes a stand.

Where do you see the real estate industry in terms of digitalization?

The marketplaces are doing everything they can to master the interfaces. They buy up all the well-known software companies for brokers and property managers. This is another dangerous development that Next Property is concerned about.

In management, it looks like this: Important add-ons such as marketing features, document management systems or tenant onboarding tools are deliberately not integrated into the management program. The use of the interfaces (API) is again sold to customers at a high price. The software providers also obtain customer data sovereignty with their solutions and monetize it in their ecosystems. For example, the digital rental process is an attempt to direct management companies and property owners directly to the platforms. This attracts prospective tenants away from the providers’ websites.

What have you personally digitized at your company?

This is an ongoing process. We have defined all our processes in checklists, a kind of digital ISO certification. Here I am of the opinion that we should work with checklists like pilots. A customer should always receive the same quality of service, whether in St. Moritz or Zurich North. We are now in the process of largely automating all administrative processes and are realizing that the current broker tools still offer too few innovations.