Century21 set sail in Tenerife. The article from the Island Connections.
“We will change the real estate market in Tenerife.” – those were the words of Anton Sorokko, the general director of the Century21 Asten, the first Tenerife’s Century21 broker opened on the 22nd of November in the heart of Playa de Las Americas. The grand opening at the Oasis commercial center on Tenerife’s golden mile gathered nearly a hundred guests. Among them was the President of Century21 Iberia Mr. Ricardo Sousa, general directors of Century21 offices in Barcelona, the Arona notary Mr. Nicolas Castilla, real estate agents, contractors, clients, family and friends.
Century21 is a well-established leader in real estate all around the globe, with every 5th property sale made through one of the 7.250 agencies that bear its logo. In 2012 Century21 was named the most easily recognized name in real estate. Which is no wonder considering that with 3.500 agencies in the US, where it has been operating since 1971, the brand has been actively expanding ever since. It is now presented in 73 countries, with 1.000 agencies in France, 190 agencies in Belgium, 1.500 agencies in China, 60 agencies in Russia to name a few. Century21 is the market leader in Mexico, and sell stocks on Japanese and Chinese Stock Exchanges. The last two years the brand has been expanding in Spain.
What is the secret of such a long-term success? The secret is the people. The brand chooses the best professionals in the area, real estate companies with a genuine knowledge of the local market, clear focus on the needs of their customers, and dedication to excellence in their work. “Century21 recruits heroes,” – confirms Ricardo Sousa. The team at Century21 Asten is making records sales in 2013, speaks all major languages, and for years has been providing top quality services to its clients.
So how is Century21 agent is different from all the other agents? That was the question we asked at the grand opening last Friday.
“My main client is the home owner, – says Artem Popov, a sales manager at Century21 Asten with a 8 year sales experience. – This is where I build relations of trust and credibility. I need my owner to know that I am there when he needs me. It is only Century21 that gives added value to the homeowner with professional marketing research, tailor-made advertisement, legal and tax advice, and my job is to bring it to a very personal level.”
“We are looking for homeowners who are motivated to sell, – continues Marcello Dodi another Century21 Asten member, who has recorded the fastest sale in the company – 5 days between the listing and the deposit paid. – What we give in return is the promise to sell their property within 6 months. When we have an exclusive right to sell, we sell it. How we do it? Let us meet in our office in Oasis commercial center, and I will explain.”
“Our goal is simple, – clarifies Maria Simane of Century21 Asten, who has just signed a sale of a 3-bed townhouse in El Rincon, Los Cristianos. – It is to create a habit, where every time an owners thinks of selling his home, the first real estate agent he or she thinks of is Century21 Asten. We want to become the agent of choice in the area. When I think of the best espresso in town, I go to Cappuccino bar in El Camison. When I think of selling my apartment, I call Century21 Asten.”
If everything is clear with the orientation towards homeowners, what is happening with the buyers? Where is Century21 Asten going to get them from?
“We have a well-established flow of buyers that our company has been always known for, – explains Anton Sorokko. – Most of them come from Russia, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. We own a major web site in Russian language domnatenerife.ru that is in the top3 rankings on Russian search engines, and receives 60.000 visits per month. That is a fantastic tool to generate buyers. Now, having acquired the right to use the Century21 brand, we receive yet a more powerful tool – the global Century21 website at century21global.com, that will provide enormous publicity to our homeowners and generate buyer flow from all around the world.”
“When we sit and talk with buyers, we clarify and qualify their needs, – says Victor Valverde, a member of Century21 Asten team with a 15 year real estate experience. – When we know what they want, we only offer them the products that match their criteria. So when we show up with buyers at the front door, our homeowners are sure that they meet genuine buyers, who have clear understanding of what they want, are motivated to buy, have money at hand, and are ready to pay the deposit on the very same day.“
Century 21 Asten has big plans for the south of Tenerife. There are four offices to be open during the coming year to cover the area from Los Gigantes to El Medano. At the moment Century 21 Asten is looking for independent contractors to work with homeowners and buyers, as well as for the owners willing to sell their properties.
“The job of selling homes has never been easy, – smiles Graziella Belmonte, an elegant Century21 Asten sales manager specializing in Los Gigantes area. – But we love this job, and are proud to play the key role of bringing people together to make the dream of homeownership come true!”
Every agency is legally and financially independent.
