Interview with Francis Scheirs Managing Partner of El Premio

I interviewed Francis on his remarkable views on the housing industry particularly in Spain.

Francis tell us who you are and why you are in Spain of all places?

"Well, as many things in live all come at the right time and for me it was a serious health issue that triggered the switch. My earlier business life was all about running around the world, living a 7/365 product sales man rat race successfully, forgetting that the human framework has his limits. Coming out to Spain made me realize the only two options I had, and I chose the right and only one I guess."

Housing industry is far from Product Sales, why choose that avenue?

"You know, dealing with people and discover what makes them tick, especially when they are looking for a house, is quite enticing. What always surprises me is the irreversible proportionality of a house purchase e.g. going for the lowest price and expecting the highest material quality and a worriless transfer. This is forgetting all about the ever dominating rule of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). At the end of what seems a low cost project,  when adding all effort, time and cost together, it will almost always result in exceeding any reasonable priced all in residence with a service."

Now you make me curious, "with a service",  what do you mean?

A customer recently said that "El Premio sells dreams, and it does not feel like being sold to. The all-in approach is what differentiates you from the overcrowded standardized real estate jungle going for the sellers interest."

Let me explain what brought on this exclamation: El Premio will assist the buyer during and after any purchase, small or large, with all possible services, from applying for a mortgage, where needed, to painting or decoration and anything in between. It will save much energy, time and money.

See, to find the desired property in your own country is often a challenge, can you imagine how hard it must be in a country with different habits, laws, let alone language. An ownership abroad requires adjustment, confidence and organizational skills. Once one moves in, it is important to be able to jumpstart the new experience in ones mother tongue and find amenities where they understand you and reply in your own language, at least for the first couple of purchases.

What triggers the process?

Before going on a wild goose chase in dragging the buyer throughout the Costas it boils down to mapping the wants and needs. This allows for a benchmark between the buyers preselected internet properties and budget with carefully El Premio selected alternatives. And guess what: 9 out of 10 the latter is signed for.

How come?

We work according our unique 9 step plan especially designed to discover and find the expected property. This is a joint responsibility of the buyer and the intermediary, resulting in a TCO purchase far below the predefined budget + the hidden costs incurred. I live and work according but one adage: Spend No More. That is a peculiar statement for any sales person, but it happens to be true. When I see an opportunity for improvement I point it out to the customers. When they follow my advise in helping many clients they spend no more.

Why Spain?

To use a paraphrase: Daring architecture; amazing regional diversity; sophisticated cities; postcard beaches; fantastic weather; a sleepy countryside festooned with citrus and olive groves; delicious seafood, potato tortilla, tapas, and paella, delectable sangria, and choice Rioja wine, all of this is Spain.

But remember: if you’ve only seen the Costas in Spain, then you can’t even imagine what you’ve been missing of the “real” España in the rest of the country.

Economically in a roller coaster today I can see little signs of hesitant recovery in my industry as prices are slightly moving up. But it is not a walk in the park yet, though the effect on performance punctuality has set in as our subcontractors are starting on time and work through to the finish.

In concluding what is your best advice?

Let us take care of the hassle and the worries. We do not sell property, we help you to purchase the desired property. Use our platform and live your dream!

Thank you Francis for this positive note in troublesome times.

Coordinates www.elpremio.es

This is a contribution of The Interviewer by Paul Van den Brande