In this article we want to introduce you to the consultant Francisco Mendes and his career as a real estate consultant.
1. How did your journey with Engel & Völkers start?
During my first experience as a real estate consultant in Grupe Terresens I had the opportunity to work in partnership with Engel&Volkers Comporta where I had my first contact with the Licence Partner Vitor Paiva. It was precisely at that time, in 2018, that I got to know a little of the project that was being developed by the brand in the Comporta region. Later, I received the invitation from Vitor Paiva in a moving phase and that is when I officially started my journey in this brand until today.
2. What motivated you to look for a change?
Above all, and for those who do not know me, I love challenges. After having decided to take a break from my career in the hotel business, I needed a new direction and that is when everything happened naturally. Sometimes we are confronted by a natural need for change and that is exactly what happened to me. I never thought of becoming a real estate consultant, it was something that naturally happened and that was what motivated me to bet on this new path.
3. What do you value most when working with Engel & Völkers?
I value the strong reputation that the brand has in the real estate market, which together with its values form an excellent combination so that I as a consultant can develop my daily work. The brand's internationalisation to almost every corner of the world and the vast portfolio of clients are also particularly important factors for me. Internally, I value the team I work with on the daily basis and the way each one individually and collectively looks at the challenges of the market.
4. What is your analysis of the sales market in the area you will be working?
Honestly, the Comporta market is growing and over the next few years will bring plenty of challenges. It is an area that will take time to consolidate, which makes me think that I am facing one of the most peculiar markets in Europe, not to say in the world. In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic year, there was an increase of around 20% in turnover and this is a great response to the current market trend.
5. What advice would you give to people who are looking for a professional change but are afraid?
It is a fact that life contexts influence professional changes a lot and many times they can limit the way we can look at it. Above all, we should see change as a positive and evolutionary process and if we have that mindset, I think it becomes less complex. Believe me and get out of your comfort zone, because it is outside of that you have the biggest challenges!
6. What are the secrets to being successful as a real estate consultant?
I think there are no secrets, but rather a set of good practices: namely: attitude, focus and commitment with the clients and in everything that is the daily responsibilities of a real estate consultant. However, we do not succeed alone, and it is important to value the team you work with, because without we cannot give all the necessary answers to the market, in my case I have to thank my teammates for the excellent work and for contributing to my daily success.
7. What are you most passionate about being a real estate consultant?
Above all, inspire my clients with my work. There is nothing more comforting than to feel that my clients have found in me the solution to buy or sell a property and that is what drives my passion for real estate. Throughout this journey I have understood that this is a business of people for people and when I feel that my clients give me a positive return on my service, nothing else matters.
8. Comporta is in fashion. Do you think it is an interesting place to develop a career as a real estate consultant? Why is it so?
Comporta is becoming what it never was, a sea of opportunities in many professional areas. In the real estate sector, Comporta is without a doubt an excellent area to develop a career. Comporta is the focus of the major real estate investment and that makes it less complex to adapt to the market, the volume of work is enormous and that can be felt in the daily routine.