56 | AWARDS for Excellence 2010 OPP AWARDS WORDS | Amit Katwala
www.opp.org.uk | APRIL 2011
Service comes fi rst
Every month OPP profi les the winners of last year’s OPP Awards for Excellence 2010 and gives you the real reasons why they scooped up the prizes. This month we look at the Best Estate Agent and Best Lawyer categories. What was it that made these entries stand out from the crowd and what does it take for an overseas property agency to stand out in such a crowded and competitive marketplace?
AIPP member uv10 is a Brazil-based property specialist with extensive connections in the northeast of the country, especially Natal and the resort of Pipa. As a long-term investor into the country, uv10 has an unparalleled knowledge of the local buying processes and the best areas to invest in at any given time. Highly selective about what it sells, uv10 encourages potential investors to look not only at its range of beach-front holiday home opportunities, many exclusive to the company, but also to consider the booming domestic market driven by an acute housing shortage of at least 8 million new homes.
Best Estate Agent: Gold medal winner: UV10 “A challenging market makes wise product selection more important than ever,” says uv10 in its awards entry. “The etiquette at uv10 is “if we’d buy it, we’ll sell it”. If not, it’s quite tricky to appear believable in front of a client.” The company considers a number
of factors when selecting its listings. It looks for developments in locations with a distinct market – be they city centre, beachfront or rural opportunities. Uv10 considers where the nearest towns are and the quality of the local transport connections as well.
Also of paramount importance is the exit strategy – uv10 focuses on areas where Brazilians have bought, because they make up the biggest market for rental and resale. Of course, for a product to be attractive it
must also be a sound investment, and uv10 looks to ensure that the current pricing leaves scope for capital appreciation, as well as making sure the developer is legitimate. Due diligence is “remarkably
uncommon but invaluable for clients” in Brazil and uv10 makes sure they thoroughly investigate before taking on a development to sell. “We visit the site to see if it has been accurately represented and to verify quoted distances from the beach, airport etc. We also look into the proposed construction quality to ascertain whether it meets with the standards demanded by our target market. There are many developments that we don’t touch from the outset due to misinformation, lack of licenses, overpromising on planned infrastructure etc. It quite simply goes against all uv10’s principles to touch these investments, regardless of any income that could be earned.
Fortunately our on-the-ground experience means that we are able to spot them a mile off.” Uv10 employs a number of
marketing techniques to stay ahead of the competition, including the use of a PR agency, as well as creating engaging website content and embracing social media. “Whenever we launch a new product we can be guaranteed that at least 5,000 people will see it before we even start advertising it on any third party sites.” The company also believes in
treating its clients right, and believes that “the projects we offer and their stunning locations sell themselves without too much interference from us.” This means that they do not
“We don’t touch developments where there is misinformation, lack of licences, overpromises etc”
arrange viewing trips in the traditional sense as it “implies ownership of the client, which they would fi nd uncomfortable”. They do however help with fl ight bookings, corporate rates and restaurant and tourist recommendations.
Qualifi ed | leads, targeted marketing, PR, and a healthy desire to avoid get-rich-quick schemes puts uv10 in a strong position
What sort of commissions does uv10 charge? “Developers in northeast Brazil offer anything from 5 to 10% commission dependent on the value of the property,” the company says. “And uv10 spends a fortune on targeted marketing and does the majority of the qualifi cation / sale process before the developer even hears of the client. The purchase is then handled by uv10 to title deed and beyond – and the developer gains excellent value for their commission.”
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