Every successful business case is an advertisement, says Robert Kraus

Robert, what makes the real estate business special?

Real estate is a very interesting product because it is "permanent" this makes it different from other goods. Many clients purchase real estate only once in their life and our role as a professional real estate advisor is highly desirable especially for them. On the other hand, we are business partners for those, who deal with the purchase and sale of real estate on a daily basis, such as development companies, investment real estate funds, etc.

What was your profession before joining Engel & Völkers?

I have devoted my entire professional career to business. I was there when shopping chains came to the market in the Czech Republic, they built their position on the market. The development of shopping centers and related logistics centers began on a large scale. At the time, I was working in the field of professional media, which dealt with this topic.

What brought you to the real estate business and why the commercial team?

When I was a kid, the house was the only thing I could paint, unlike my grandfather who was a visual artist. That was, with a little exaggeration, my first contact with the field.

I have always been interested in real estate, especially the purchase of large, beautiful properties, whether historic or investment, which is why I am part of the commercial sales team.

In your segment, is it easier to take care of a central location in Prague or a peripheral location?

I tis dificult to compare, I can not say that doing business in one location is easier than in another. For example, Prague 1 is definitely more affected by the covid-19 pandemic than other Prague districts. Tourism is in the first place for the Prague city center, two years of the pandemic can be seen in the drop in real estate income. In localities of Prague where there are mostly standard apartment buildings with long-term stable tenants, covid-19 had a minimal impact.

How does the collaboration between colleagues across Engel & Völkers work?

I consider the setting of specializations in individual teams to be a very good competitive advantage. For example, a client buys an apartment building through our department and colleagues from The Residential Rentals team arrange for him to rent the apartment units. I believe that clients appreciate a multifunctional service - multiple services in one place, where each of the colleagues specializes in something different.

Selling houses worth millions of crowns is a matter of great trust. Why do you think your clients choose you?

Engel & Völkers is a company that has built trust with clients, this is also due to the company culture. Especially when selling apartment buildings, the trust between the agent and the client must be really great. Also, every successful business is an advertisement for us. Clients like to turn to us because they know that we have many years of experience and often come to us for recommendations.

Do you think, that residential investement is a good choice?

Buying a residential building has always been, actually is and will be a good choice in the future. An important consideration is often the financial return on investment, on the other hand, some historic houses are sold as "works of art", the price of which rises in the long term.