Davy Hess, a licensed partner at Engel & Völkers with several shops, talks to us about his career and experience. In this personal interview, you can read his secrets to success – and find out what you need as a prospective licensed partner to get a great start.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: Hi, Davy! Engel & Völkers have presented you with an award for your innovative ideas as a licensed partner. How do you come up with new ideas?
Davy Hess: The most important thing is a good team that thinks along with you, actively contributes ideas and takes a motivated approach. One of the ways we encourage this is by doing a lot of creative brainstorming, for instance. I always try to keep my eyes on the prize, too. We win our customers over with our expertise: they come straight to us, instead of spending ages thinking about property-related issues.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: The ‘Immobilien im Fokus’ magazine, whose next issue comes out this month, was your brainchild. How did this idea come about and what was your intention behind it?
Davy Hess: The aim of this project was to highlight our specialist expertise, so we opted for an informative magazine that is sent to owners’ homes as a gift. This lets us share our real estate expertise with them while also educating them about the broader market at the same time. This, in turn, gives the customer a sense of trust and transparency.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: You have been a licensed partner since 2008 and are now a big part of Engel & Völkers Switzerland, with four property shops in Basel-City, Basel, Liestal and Rheinfelden. How did you come across Engel & Völkers?
Davy Hess: The world of property has always fascinated me. After an internship with Engel & Völkers in Ibiza, I became captivated by the world of real estate. And to this day, I’ve never regretted it.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: In your opinion, what does a licensed partner need to become as successful as you are?
Davy Hess: As a licensed partner, you certainly need entrepreneurial thinking, stamina and determination to build a career. Working independently in the real estate sector offers me an opportunity for professional fulfilment that I can’t imagine in any other job.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: What do you like about the Engel & Völkers system? How does it help you achieve your goals?
Davy Hess: Engel & Völkers is a globally renowned brand that stands for exclusivity, expertise and passion. Many of our customers have already heard of Engel & Völkers from various holiday destinations, which is extremely helpful when we want to break into the market quickly. The tried-and-tested processes for everyday tasks, the professional systems and the brand’s positive reputation are helpful to me as a licensed partner. We also receive excellent support and guidance from the Engel & Völkers master licence.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: What have been your biggest successes during your time at Engel & Völkers?
Davy Hess: Professionally speaking, we’ve set up four successful locations in Northwestern Switzerland over the course of my eleven years as a licensed partner at Engel & Völkers. I’m particularly proud of our most recent shop (Basel-City), which helps us provide our customers with even better service in a top-quality location: Basel's banking district. Personally speaking, I married the woman of my dreams a year ago and we are now expecting our very own little princess.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: What is your recipe for success?
Davy Hess: As a licensed partner, you have to make decisions quickly and stand by them. You also need to be flexible and always be prepared to go the extra mile – even if it doesn’t always result in a deal.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: What are your goals for the future?
Davy Hess: Northwestern Switzerland still has so much to offer in terms of real estate. We want to grow and develop; the future is looking very bright. My main goals are to keep enjoying my work, broker properties successfully and stay healthy and happy.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: What developments have you seen in the real estate sector in terms of services and marketing?
Davy Hess: Owners and house-hunters alike have become more demanding. Many of them appreciate Engel & Völkers’ one-stop shop approach, whether they need help with moving house or with organising appointments (for banking, taxes or insurance). Of course, being in regular contact with customers is very important. It’s always worth talking to people in person, particularly if we’re already marketing their property. Customer events are one good way to do this.
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: Which attributes should a new real estate agent looking to forge a career have?
Davy Hess: Loyalty, motivation and commitment are extremely important to me. Everything else can be learned. We’ve got a great team that's always happy to help, so new real estate agents can count on a great deal of support. Annual training provides the necessary expertise and boosts agents’ confidence in dealing with customers.
We actually happen to be looking for motivated people to join our team at the moment. More specifically, we’re looking for a team assistant in Basel and a real estate agent in Rheinfelden. You can find the job descriptions here. We look forward to receiving applications!
Engel & Völkers Switzerland: Thank you for the fascinating interview! We wish you and your team every success for the last few months of the year, and all the best for the upcoming birth of your child! We’ll see each other soon at the annual awards ceremony held at the ‘Get Together’ in September. And who knows: maybe you’ll be among the award-winners again this year…
As an Engel & Völkers licensee, you can expect excellent entrepreneurial prospects and a broad range of growth opportunities. Our countless success stories speak for themselves. Now it’s time to write yours! Call us or contact us by email. We will be happy to explain the entry opportunities to you. We look forward to getting to know you.
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