Andrea and Lars Keller have been an important part of Engel & Völkers Switzerland for more than 13 years. They run six of the agencies with the highest turnover in the canton of Zurich, which makes them our largest licenced partners in Switzerland. In this interview, we find out more about their lasting success story, and the factors that have been vital to this success.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: Hi Andrea, hi Lars! With your six property shops in Bülach, Wallisellen and Winterthur, as well as Küsnacht, Rapperswil and Zürichberg, you’ve been a hugely important part of Engel & Völkers for over 13 years. How did you come to join Engel & Völkers?
Andrea Keller: Lars was the driving force behind our move to the real estate business. He came from the IT sector, but even back then he loved taking a look at every building site he ever passed. I was already working as a marketing consultant in the construction industry, but I never would have thought we’d end up as real estate agents.
Lars Keller: Software architecture, planning and quality are decisive factors in the field of software engineering, and I was already convinced back then that software development has a lot in common with building an apartment block. But I was also a salesman and a consultant, and I learned that good planning, high quality standards and a serious approach are the keys to success in this business, too.
E & V: What’s your recipe for success?
Andrea Keller: We complement each other really well. Lars handles the finances and infrastructure, and I’m responsible for HR and marketing. We’re also both involved in operations as agency managers, and we share the same standards when it comes to quality. Our most important assets are our staff – well-qualified people who are motivated to give their best are vital to our success.
Lars Keller: I would add that clear processes are important to us, whether in working the markets, in evaluating properties or in marketing. Here we try to take a uniform, process-oriented approach at all six locations, which makes things a lot simpler, generates synergies and – we believe – helps to ensure our long-term success.
E & V: So what do you think makes an ideal real estate agent?
Lars Keller: For us, the ideal real estate agent has already gained experience in the sale of services, and has a good network within their region. In addition to this, a structured approach and high quality standards are extremely important. Everything else can be learned.
E & V: What developments and trends are you seeing in the real estate industry in terms of digitalisation? Especially since the lockdown.
Lars Keller: The properties we’re currently selling generally find buyers within a short space of time, even when – in our eyes – they’re a little (too) expensive or not in the best location. Our biggest challenge at the moment is finding good properties. Having said that, the new work-from-home requirement is causing many of our clients to look for a new place to live, as their current home is at least one room short and is just not suitable for combining living and working.
Andrea Keller: Even since lockdown, not much has changed when it comes to living trends, but virtual viewings and Zoom meetings have definitely increased. For us, however, these will never replace face-to-face conversations. This is why we’re not big fans of working from home – there’s no substitute for personal contact within a team.
E & V: How do you see your future development?
Andrea Keller: We’re continuously expanding, but we want to make sure our growth is organic. Our challenge after taking on three agencies on the ‘Gold Coast’ was to align them with the processes and standards of E&V Zurich North, which we have succeeded in doing thanks to our dedicated staff. At the moment, we’re working on making all six agencies equally successful, and expanding the teams as needed. We need good people who enjoy their job and enjoy contact with others – and this is what we’re looking for.
E&V: Many thanks for the interesting interview. We wish you further success in the future!
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