Name: Paloma Harrington

Title: CEO

Experience: several years of experience

Location: Italy

Company Name: Casa e Progetti

View Home Stager’s Profile

My name is Paloma Harrington and I am the founder of the Home Staging Association UK & Ireland, and Vice President of the European Association of Home Staging Professionals (EAHSP). I’m also the Global Director of Operations of IAHSP® International and oversee its activity and expansion worldwide. I am an ASP® Accredited Staging Professional, a Property Styling Expert and Luxury Home Staging Specialist.

Paloma runs her own Staging businesses in the UK and also in Brazil, focusing mainly on pre-build marketing material for property developers worldwide.

Talk to us about your early days in Home Staging :

1) How did you get your start in Luxury Home Staging?

I started working with home staging back in 2017 when deciding to change careers after having worked with Marketing for the past decade.

I landed a job in one of the leading staging companies in London at the time, whose main clients were property developers that focused on high-end properties in Prime London.

We also did a few mid-market apartments across London, but the core of the business was the luxury market, where £10m+ properties were the norm.

I was quickly immersed in that world, which forced me to seek education and learn as much as I could about this profile of client and of potential buyers.

From customer service to the actual furniture sourcing, it all functions at a different level of care and exclusivity when it comes to the luxury market.

2) What are some of the most important elements of a successful Luxury home staging project?

Any property on the market benefits from professional home staging, but there isn’t a set formula that would fit all homes, and a lot of forethought is required when said homes are luxury properties.

When staging for the luxury market, specific trends are less important than timeless appeal, in the overall scheme.

Bold and unusual touches that complement memorable accents are a must – bonus points for unique items such as an exclusive artwork, a rare sculpture or a designer piece.

Focusing on the lifestyle that can be achieved when purchasing the property is a great lifeline to follow as well, which in this case include home offices, media rooms, outdoor kitchens, dedicated hobby rooms, fitness room and fully-equipped spas.

A sign of a luxury staging well done is when good looks and comfort meet, bringing together an atmosphere that a buyer will relate to and creating that “wow factor” that sells a home .

3) Tell us something more about your passions and lifestyle.

I am very passionate about home staging, obviously, and about working with and empowering women – hence focusing so much on education and professional development across my work with the Associations I have the honour to represent.

But when the topic isn’t work and I can focus on myself, I could say I am a very active person and I do love to keep moving and stay healthy so I can keep up with my own pace!

I enjoy going to the gym and I love running, especially ever since I got my adorable Springer Spaniel last summer.

I also love to travel (who doesn’t?) and am always looking forward to the next destination.

4) How do you help clients understand the importance of small details when staging a home?

Communication is extremely important when dealing with clients, especially those that carry an emotional attachment to their homes.

It is important to make them understand that the way someone lives in a property is very different than the way we sell a property.

There is no room for individual taste or anything personal, as the goal is to appeal to the highest number of potential buyers possible – and that is the role of the home staging professional, who will research the market to find out the profile of that property’s buyer, and how to connect with them via their work.
The same applies for vacant properties: an empty space does not appeal to anyone. Buyers can’t visualise themselves living in an empty space – no lifestyle is presented and therefore no emotional connection is established, making the decision-making process of putting down an offer a lot slower, if there at all.

5) Do you have any experience working with real estate agents? Tell us more about it and the way you build value for them.

Home Staging is an incredibly effective property marketing tool, proven to bring results when it comes to selling or renting properties.
Staging professionals often work alongside Estate Agents and developers. They all have the same objective: to achieve a quick sale with little to no price reduction – in fact, frequently a property will sell for over the asking price.

According to the Home Staging Report by the HSA UK & Ireland, 71% of Estate Agents in the UK & Ireland agree that staged properties get more viewings than non-staged ones, whilst 86% of agents reported that staged homes sell faster than non-staged homes, and up to 10% above the asking price.

This is the value that home staging and staging professionals bring to agents everywhere.

Real estate agents that understand this and will be able to create sales and marketing material that wins clients, making their business a unique success by standing out from their competition and achieving better results for their clients.

6) We want to attract buyers who are in a specific price range. How would you adjust your decorating choices if the current setup was too expensive-looking ?

We have all heard of the golden rule that less is more.

If a space is too expensive-looking, I would create space and remove anything that stands out too much. I would also stick to neutral colours and be mindful of the function given to each room (for example, a hobby room might be something a mid-market property wouldn’t normally have).

Simplifying a space is usually the answer in cases like this, combined with the right choice of pieces and colours.

7) What do you think is the most important skill for a home stager to have?
Successful Stagers are passionate about what they do and unafraid of hard work. Organisational skills and a good eye for detail are also key to succeeding in this dynamic profession, as well as being creative and resourceful.

A good understanding of interior trends and, most importantly, the property market, is also vital in order to excel and deliver a complete service.

8) What makes you stand out from other home stagers?

All professionals have something unique to offer, as we all come from different backgrounds, with a different set of skills and varied experience, making differences something to be celebrated.

I hold something unique when it comes to what I bring to the table as a Staging professional due to my marketing background and my international connections. These allow me to focus on the best sales angle whilst accessing and applying my global knowledge of trends, whether it’s related to the interiors world or the property market.

Latest Work by Paloma Harrington

Know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Luxury Ecosystem: People & Stories? Please, send me a request to cassiano@221luxury.com

Name: Sanja Radovanovic

Title: CEO

Experience: since 2013

Location: Rome, Italy

Company Name: The Art of Staging

View Home Stager’s Profile

1) Talk to us about your early days in Home Staging :

I started my staging business in Chicago, Illinois in 2013. My first client was Beverly Fleischman from Coldwell Banker in Wilmette. She was my repetitive client who, back then, had already understood the importance of staging properties not only in order to achieve better and faster sales, but to also give an extra service to her valuable clients. In doing so, she would always offer them a Home Staging Consultation. Expanding the circle of clients in the United Sates was definitely easier than it is in Italy, but we should also not forget that Staging was born and created by Barb Schwarz in 1972.

2) How did you get your start in Luxury Home Staging?

Pure luck. I started my career landing luxury home staging projects. Chicago’s North Shore is very well known for luxury homes and its lifestyle. In Wilmette, the town where I used to live and work, the average home value is $718,839 and properties go to pending in approximately 6 days (according to Zillow).

3) What are some of the most important elements of a successful Luxury home staging project?

Staging a Luxury Home is all about emphasizing the space and creating a lifestyle. Luxury homes require strategic marketing and a deeper knowledge of Interior Design.
Some important, if not crucial elements are:

• Having a proper knowledge of the luxury real estate market.
• Understanding the buyers’ profile as luxury buyers tend to be more sophisticated and demanding.
• Luxury homes usually come with distinctive and innovative design features, or have unique views. A good staging needs to correctly highlight those features.
• The right furniture and accessories are key. Besides the appropriate scales and proportions, quality furniture and luxurious textures, trending decor and treasured art and antiques will do most of the job. Luxury buyers appreciate exceptional quality and design.

Home Staging on a luxury property must make a statement!

4) Tell us something more about your passions and lifestyle

I am all about nature, sports and adventures! I have a great passion for gardening and if I didn’t have to work, I would spend my days between March and October in contact with nature among flowers, plants, crops and fruits. The sea is my preferred place to go find some peace of mind. I like staring and listening to the waves when I need to brainstorm or plan. Long walks on the beach especially soon after dawn give me the right mindset to start the day full of energy and inner peace. I favor a healthy lifestyle, but I realize I’m not always able to maintain it due to long working hours and business or networking events and trips.

5) Do you have any experience working with real estate agents? Tell us more about it and the way you build value for them.

Together with investors, real estate agents and brokers are the best clients! When you build strong partnerships, you create wealth and build value for each other.

Agents who choose to continuously work with Stagers are those who have decided to set themselves apart from the competition. When they include Home Staging in their marketing strategy plan, they do something that most others don’t. This alone is one of the biggest differentiating factors, and a powerful new listing acquisition tool. Moreover, this shows the owners that they care about them and most of all, about their equity.

6) How do I build value for real estate agents?

With my Home Stagings, I help them get more in a hot market, whereas in a slow market, I help them keep more.

After several years of building grounds together with MARI Team Immobiliare, an agency that stages every listing regardless of its price point and at their own expenses, I have become the first Real Estate Creative Director in Italy; this to emphasize that I have too developed myself professionally, and thus been enriched through this partnership.

We want to attract buyers who are in a specific price range.

7) How would you adjust your decorating and staging choices if the current setup was too expensive-looking?

It is usually the other way around when the existing home owner’s furniture does not reflect the actual value of the property, making it “look or feel” cheaper or dated.Something too expensive-looking not necessarily is tasteful or on trend. The must-do when staging a lux project is to create one of a kind interior environments of the house that do allow to emotionally connect. Highlighting the architectural features and special amenities is another must do. I always like to remind my clients that buyers When buying a luxury properties, they are also purchasing the lifestyle that comes with it.

8) What do you think is the most important skill for a Home Stager to have?

Apart from having received proper training on the subject, it is crucial that a professional Home Stager has some important soft skills such as: creativity, lateral thinking, team and stress management, and last but not least, emotional intelligence.

9) What makes you stand out from other Home Stagers?

The capacity to manage and furnish a large number of Home Staging projects at the same time, and the speed of project execution— of course in comparison to other professionals in Italy.

Latest Work by Sanja Radovanovic

Know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Luxury Ecosystem: People & Stories? Please, send me a request to cassiano@221luxury.com

Name: Jaime Valcarce

Title: CEO

Experience: since 2005

Location: Madrid

Company Name: Jaime Valcarce Consulting Inmobiliario S.L.

Team Size: 10

View Agency/Agent Profile & Properties

1) Talk to us about your early days in real estate: How did you get your start in Luxury real estate?

I started in the real estate world in 2005, when I was only 21 years old, selling in the best areas of Madrid. I have learned this business from a very young age, now I am 40 years old and have a lot of experience behind me.

2) Tell us something more about your passions and lifestyle.

My passion are houses and the automotive world. I dedicate myself professionally in to Real Estate World, which is a pleasure. And I enjoy the automotive world in my spare time, I am a PetrolHead

3) What was your first sale ever? And the most important (your breakthrough sale)?

My first sale was an apartment in Puerta de Hierro for €850,000, when I started in the real estate world at the age of 21 and the most important sale I’ve made was €11,000,000. In my company we make many sales a year between €2,000,000 and €6,000,000

4) Knowing that you are a top voice in Luxury real estate what do you consider to be a new tendency that is influencing your market ?

Gated areas and houses with a good energy rating, efficient with the environment.

5) What’s the current state of the market in your area? What is your top prediction for 2023 ?

Buyers are demanding good homes, for this reason the new construction home is going to sell better than the second hand.

6) 3 things that differentiate you and your company ?

1. We offer buyers a personalized service, understanding their needs very well
2. We offer sellers a totally ad hoc marketing of the property being sold, to directly impact potential buyers. In such expensive homes, it is important to be careful about this
3. We provide service to the end, we make everything easy for the buyer and the seller. It is a 5 star service.

7) What is the profile of the luxury buyers in your market and from where do they come from ?

Entrepreneurs, 50% of our buyers are Spanish and the other 50% are foreigners. The foreigners come from Europe, Central America and South America, Miami and the United Arab Emirates, mainly.

8) What is your top tip for freshly licensed agents ?

Perseverance at work and listening to the client above all else. Listening is essential in this business.

Know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Top Voices in Luxury Real Estate? Please, send me a request to cassiano@221luxury.com

Name: Francesco Papurello

Title: Broker, Owner

Experience: since 1991

Location: Stresa – Lake Maggiore – Italy

Company Name: Stresa Luxury Real Estate

Team Size: 4

Transaction Side: 2

View Agency/Agent Profile & Properties

1) Talk to us about your early days in real estate: How did you get your start in Luxury real estate?

I started working in luxury real estate in Stresa on Lake Maggiore in 1991, after a two-year experience in Milan where I was in charge of property management for real estate funds and insurance companies. Let’s say that it was quite natural for me to deal with period villas, given the large number of properties of this type in the area and my flair for certain types of architecture.

2) Tell us something more about your passions and lifestyle.

Ever since I moved to Lake Maggiore, my motto has always been: ‘Here I work, but I am also on holiday‘, which is still true today. Life here on Lake Maggiore flows peacefully, enjoying the beauty of the places, enjoying a lunch or dinner overlooking the lake. What I call ‘lake Maggiore life style‘. I love walking with my wife on the paths that connect the various villages, from which there are wonderful views. In the summer season a boat trip is always much appreciated. And finally, I love looking after my olive grove, which always gives me peace and relaxation.

3) What was your first sale ever? And the most important (your breakthrough sale)?

My first sale on Lake Maggiore was in 1989 when I was still living in Milan. I remember being excited, I was struck by the owners’ motivation for selling. They said they were selling because their children were no longer using it and the villa, had become too big for them. I still find this motivation in the sales decisions today. The most important sale took place a few years later. The villa belonged to an important family of business people in Milan. It was one of the most important villas on Lake Maggiore, both in size and beauty.

4) Knowing that you are a top voice in Luxury real estate what do you consider to be a new tendency that is influencing your market ?

Today, customers look for quality, both in terms of location and property type. The most sought-after qualities are privacy, panoramic views and proximity to services. For buyers from the East or Asia, the property must be perfect, equipped with every technology and ready to live in. Others, like to customise their home, so even a property in need of renovation can be attractive.

5) What’s the current state of the market in your area? What is your top prediction for 2023 ?

As of 1 April, we see that although it is a low season, there is no shortage of requests from foreign customers. We believe that the outlook can be positive, at least as good as 2022. We must consider that Lake Maggiore still has attractive prices compared to other locations, with ample room for growth.

6) 3 things that differentiate you and your company ?

The human relationship is the most important feature for us. It sounds like a banality, but knowing how to listen and interpret the customer’s needs is fundamental for our entire team. This allows us to offer a better service. New technologies, we are always at the forefront to offer our customers the highest quality. Constant presence at the various steps in the sales process, and finally reliability, availability and transparency.

7) What is the profile of the luxury buyers in your market and from where do they come from ?

A large part of our customers come from abroad, particularly from Europe, the United States and a few countries in Asia. Thanks to our participation in some worldwide networks such as Luxury Portfolio, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Mayfair International, we reach customers in the various countries. The typical client in our area is between 40 and 70 years old, they are usually professionals, industrialists or retired people who move their residence.

8) What is your top tip for freshly licensed agents ?

I can suggest some advice from my own experience: great commitment, perseverance, great seriousness and professionalism. Never give up. These are still my mantras today.

Know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Top Voices in Luxury Real Estate? Please, send me a request to cassiano@221luxury.com

Top Voices in Luxury Real Estate @ Chrysol Value Real Estate, Barcelona, Spain

Name: Christina Nueno

Title: Broker, Owner

Experience: + 20 years

Location: Barcelona

Company Name: Chrysol Value Real Estate

Team Size: 5

View Agency/Agent Profile & Properties

1) Talk to us about your early days in real estate: How did you get your start in Luxury real estate?

Chrysol Value was founded in 2016 after a long experience in Real Estate.
I came to Barcelona from La Rioja and Madrid in 2001. Before that, I worked as Director of a dried food and snacks company “Aspil” owned by Borges Group and at Continente/Carrefour (Promodes Group) purchase central.
When arriving in Barcelona after having my first baby, I met some influencing business people in order to assess me to reorient my career. That was when I met Luis Hernandez de Cabanyes CEO an owner of Renta Corporacion. After talking for a while, he convinced me to join his group. Renta was at that moment, a young real estate company, he wanted to grow and sure he did. I entered as Manager of a new division: Operations and Office. When I started there, we were 15 employees. We grew until being 140, we went public and I learnt a lot working there. We lived very good years and also very bad ones, the sad years of the crisis. In 2010 we reach an agreement and I left the company, at that moment I was the International, office and Land manager and member of the Management Committee but there was no much room from the banks to work so I decided to leave before the bankruptcy hit the company.
After that experience I went to work for Mango (Textile leading company) as Expansion Manager, a tough work travelling 4 days a week every week.
By that time, I had two children so one day I decided to quit because I hardly did not see them and even though what they say reconciling was almost impossible.
I remember it was July and my children where at Maine in a summer campus, I decided to go one month to Boston my birth city to think about my future.
And there walking by The Charles River is when Chrysol was borne.

2) Why Chrysol ?

In a melting pot (“crisol” in Spanish) are often mixed metals at high temperature to obtain a unique solution.
CHRYSOL VALUE REAL ESTATE, was created as an analogy to this idea to respond to the needs in the different areas of the real estate sector in order to maximize the value of the assets.
Our philosophy is to provide an efficient and customized service providing value and confidence. We work with effort in the search and acquisition of properties to meet the needs of our clients.

3) What was your first sale ever? And the most important (your breakthrough sale)?

I started selling luxury properties at Renta Corporacion, so I have had experience on this field for 20 years. We have sold many houses in Pedralbes, Tres Torres, Galvany and Paseo de Gracia.
The luxury residential market in Barcelona is discreet so we do not publish or talk about our major sales, but I can say that during my career I have participated on the selling of astonishing penthouses, villas and buildings.

Chrysol is specialized in the upper area and neighbourhoods of Barcelona but also in other areas where you can find luxury and special properties, in Barcelona you never know where you are going to find a real estate jewel. Our “boutique shop” is a catalogued space. It was built in 1936 and is one of the lasts “emblematic” retails on Barcelona. We wanted a unique and cozy space with a touch of personality that provides us and our clients comfort such as being at home.

4) Tell us more about your powerful and professional female team

Today Chrysol team is formed by 5 women: Belen, Adriana, Barbara, Laura and myself. I think that women have higher emotional intelligence for the real estate market, they can see through the eyes of the client and understand their needs. Chrysol team is able to give a personal touch to the properties we sell. The purchasing of a house it is a very emotional one so is good to understand the needs and be able to give the client what he’s looking for.

5) 3 things that differentiate you and your company ?

What differences Chrysol of others is:
Knowledge: when you talk with a Chrysol agent you are talking with somebody experienced and professional not just commercial but legal, fiscal and all the areas surrounding the selling of a house.
Service: Chrysol is service oriented. Filling the needs of the client whether is a purchaser or a seller is our goal, we give a very customized service.
Efficiency: in Chrysol we know and love our work, we understand the market and the clients so we can meet the client expectations. We have a 5 star google reviews and we work very hard to achieve this goal.
Ethics: when you talk to Chrysol you know that you are talking to an experience, licensed agent and with a company that gives 1% of its turnover to social causes. We put values in front of everything. This year we are helping financing an immunotherapy treatment for breast cancer with the Clinic Hospital

6) What’s the current state of the market in your area ?

My agency stands out for the name of the company, well known in the sector, for the history we have behind us, and for the high professionalism and experience acquired over the years.
We are also particularly known for having carved out a respectable space for ourselves in the luxury properties market, and in any case important properties.
We pay extreme care and attention to the selection of the properties whose sale we negotiate, analyzing in advance all the relative documentation, because we want that when a negotiation is opened, there are no hitches due to problems with the property.
We therefore prefer to work hard and well before setting a property up for sale, for the peace of mind of the seller and the buyer, and above all so as not to have to work unnecessarily afterwards.
Foreigners are generally very selective in their choice of home, and before embarking on a journey to come to Italy, they want all possible information, such as photos, videos, floor plans, exact location, etc. However, when they come later to view a property, if they like the property and the agency has worked well, having previously provided truthful information, they buy immediately as soon as the visit is over.

7) What’s the current state of the market in your area ?

From my point of view Barcelona has a great potential for luxury market but some of the last politic decisions do not benefit it. It is a pity that the townhall does not work together with the real estate decision makers in order to find ways to both meet social benefits but also impulse the real estate market, which one can’t ignore is one of the leading engines of the economy of a country. Taxes are huge and there’s a very restrictive policy when restoring or building new houses. That’s why Luxury market is growing in other parts of the country whilst it is more stagnant in Barcelona.

The luxury Barcelona market is divided between local and international clients, we must offer them not just quality but services. In Barcelona there’s not much room for new developments so most of them come from restoring of old ones. It is important to know the different areas, prices in order to asses both owners and clients.

From my point of view Barcelona has a great potential for luxury market but some of the last politic decisions do not benefit it. It is a pity that the townhall does not work together with the real estate decision makers in order to find ways to both meet social benefits but also impulse the real estate market, which one can’t ignore is one of the leading engines of the economy of a country.  Taxes are huge and there’s a very restrictive policy when restoring or building new houses. That’s why Luxury market is growing in other parts of the country whilst it is more stagnant in Barcelona.

The luxury Barcelona market is divided between local and international clients, we must offer them not just quality but services. In Barcelona there’s not much room for new developments so most of them come from restoring of old ones. It is important to know the different areas, prices in order to asses both owners and clients. Barcelona is a beautiful city with a magnificent weather, culture of thousands of years, open minded and great food. If you melt all these aspects in a “crisol” you sure want to live here and Chrysol will help you make this happen.

8) What is your top tip for freshly licensed agents ?

For new agents I will say that being and remaining in the market is like a marathon, you must keep working because if you sow you reap.
Some young agents come to the real estate market to make easy and quick money, they stay for a while and after some disappointments they quit. This profession is hard because you only make profit when you sell, and in order to do that you must work hard.

My father who is a very wise man taught me that you come to this world to add value, to make a contribution so it’s not all about making money. Being a real estate agent it’s not just a challenge but a way of connecting sellers and buyers in one of the most important decisions of their life, their home. So I will tell the new agents, make sure that your are selling homes not just houses and enjoy the path while doing it try to add your little grain of sand.

Know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Top Voices in Luxury Real Estate? Please, send me a request to cassiano@221luxury.com

Top Voices in Luxury Real Estate: @Paolo Del Chicca Immobiliare, Tuscany, Italy

Name: Paolo Del Chicca

Title: Real Estate Agent Since 1974

Experience: Luxury Properties

Location: Livorno And Western Tuscany

Company Name: Paolo Del Chicca Immobiliare

Team Size: 6

View Agency/Agent Profile & Properties

1) Talk to us about your early days in real estate: How did you get your start in Luxury real estate?

My agency, founded by my father in 1956, has always stood out for dealing above all with medium/high-level properties in the city area. I lived several years in Brazil between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, where I frequented high society, and I was able to appreciate the sumptuous local houses. In these circles, speaking of my region of origin, I have always found strong appreciation for Tuscany and for the beautiful properties found there. This meant that on my return to Italy I decided to concentrate my agency business on prestigious properties, such as historic villas, beautiful farmhouses and farm/wine estates, of which our magnificent region is rich, and the success and the fame that I have earned over the years is the confirmation that my intuition had proved successful.

2) Tell us something more about your passions and lifestyle

One of my passions is sport, since I have always practiced activities such as tennis, squash, windsurfing, basketball, and I also deeply love the sea in all its forms.
I am also very passionate about travel, and over the years I have visited the most important cities in the world, always with an eye towards architectural beauties, culture, museums, and local history in
general.
I have always liked to follow fashion in terms of clothing and accessories, and every season I never fail to renew my wardrobe, always giving a touch of personality and originality to what I wear.
In particular, I have an immoderate passion for shoes, watches and tie pins, of which I can boast a refined collection.
Finally, I am a passionate reader, both of novels and history books, and the curiosity that distinguishes me leads me to try to be constantly updated on everything.

3) What was your first sale ever? And the most important (your breakthrough sale) ?

My first sale was when I was very young. I accompanied a client from outside Livorno to see an uninhabited apartment in my city, of which I had the keys and which I had already seen internally anyway. When we got to the floor, strangely the keys didn’t open and therefore I was unable to show the house. Since the customer then had to leave and didn’t know when he could come back to visit it, but had an urgent need to buy, I described it to him in detail, personally guaranteeing that the description was faithful and truthful, and this customer trusted me to such an extent that he bought the house without seeing it!
The sale that has given me the most satisfaction is that of Marcello Mastroianni’s villa with descent to the sea in Castiglioncello, the renowned tourist resort south of Livorno.
In addition of course to the satisfaction of having sold this beautiful and prestigious property, I am particularly proud of how I conducted the negotiation. At one point, in fact, during the visit, the future buyer commented that there were also other villas for sale with access to the sea on the market, and that this one was a bit expensive.
I promptly replied that this was Marcello Mastroianni’s villa, not just any villa, and if he had bought it he could have boasted to friends and colleagues around the world of being the owner of Mastroianni’s villa, not to mention when he would receive them as guests in the villa… having said that, he bought the villa without further hesitations!

4) Knowing that you are a Top Voices in Luxury real estate what do you consider to be a new tendency that is influencing your market ?

In our market, the top trend is the purchase of a villa with access to the sea, an infinity pool
overlooking the sea and the park, or the purchase of an estate / farm, where you can produce wine
and oil with your own label.

5) What’s the current state of the market in your area? What is your top prediction for 2023 ?

The situation is not easy to understand, partly due to the war in Ukraine, partly due to the rise in mortgage rates and the rise in restructuring costs, and therefore making predictions is not easy.
However, there is still a high level of interest both nationally and from foreigners in luxury properties, to be purchased as holiday homes and future residences.

6) 3 things that differentiate you and your company ?

My agency stands out for the name of the company, well known in the sector, for the history we have behind us, and for the high professionalism and experience acquired over the years.
We are also particularly known for having carved out a respectable space for ourselves in the luxury properties market, and in any case important properties.
We pay extreme care and attention to the selection of the properties whose sale we negotiate, analyzing in advance all the relative documentation, because we want that when a negotiation is opened, there are no hitches due to problems with the property.
We therefore prefer to work hard and well before setting a property up for sale, for the peace of mind of the seller and the buyer, and above all so as not to have to work unnecessarily afterwards.
Foreigners are generally very selective in their choice of home, and before embarking on a journey to come to Italy, they want all possible information, such as photos, videos, floor plans, exact location, etc. However, when they come later to view a property, if they like the property and the agency has worked well, having previously provided truthful information, they buy immediately as soon as the visit is over.

7) What is the profile of the luxury buyers in your market and from where do they come from?

About 40% of our clients are foreigners, and generally they are families who intend to buy beautiful properties that are initially intended as a holiday home, but which in the future can also be used as a main residence.
In fact, we must not forget that our magnificent region, Tuscany, has everything one could wish for to live well: a mild climate, a splendid sea, with a coast with beaches and cliffs, rich in both fashionable places and reserved corners, wonderful islands, cities of art among the most famous in the world, medieval villages, a countryside that is a global icon, mountains for skiing, all enclosed in just 2 hours by car!

8) What is your top tip for freshly licensed agents ?

For a new agent, in addition to being serious, polite and personable, the best tip I can give is to take great care of public relations and devote himself as much as possible to acquiring new customers and especially properties to sell, because if you doesn’t have a beautiful and valid product, even with all the capabilities you can be equipped with, you would not sell anything.

Know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Top Voices in Luxury Real Estate? Please, send me a request to cassiano@221luxury.com

Every year, at the end of September, the Hercule Port becomes the main venue of the spectacular boat show – Monaco Yacht Show (MYS).

From 28 September to 1 October 2022, the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) will once again welcome the world of international yachting to the Principality, offering a complete immersion in the exciting universe of yachts.

This prestigious international exhibition is entirely dedicated to yachting and is intended for prestigious clients and professionals in the luxury yacht market. The event usually features more than 125 unique luxury yachts built by the largest shipyards in the world, as well as 580 major yacht companies. More than 35,000 guests from all over the world come to the Monaco Yacht Show every year. This is the chicest way for billionaires to celebrate the end of summer. The largest, most recent and most innovative yachts will be presented in this new edition.

Since 1991 the show has enjoyed the recognition and support of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

The most brilliant yacht show in Hercule Port

Since 2017, the Monaco Yacht Show has been taking place throughout Port Hercule, allowing more space for visitors between the historic exhibition area (Darse Sud, Parvis Piscine and various docks) and the new marquee at Quai Albert Ier, where it was created a special “superyacht lifestyle” space. Exhibitors and visitors alike will enjoy Starboard’s modern exhibition hall as well as a restaurant overlooking the harbor. For comfortable travel in the port, guests can use electric cars or boats. Furthermore, thanks to the official MYS app, you can determine the shortest route to the selected stand or yacht.

The organizers are redeveloping the Dockside Area, the Sailing Yacht Area and the Yacht Design & Innovation Hub, established last year, to be even more in line with their theme, and will move the sailing boat exhibit to Quai l’Hirondelle inside Porto Ercole side. The rest of the thematic zones will remain in place, so visitors won’t have to re-learn the geography of the exhibition, as happened after the large-scale makeover in 2018.

The organizers of the Monaco Yacht Show have announced the list of large sailing boats participating in the exhibition in 2022. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see sailing boats awarded with international prizes.

Monaco Yacht Show 2022 Awards

VIP guests and representatives of the yachting community will be invited to the superyacht award ceremony at the Monaco Yacht Show together with exhibition partners, top players in the yachting sector and journalists. Renowned yacht journalists will choose the winners in the following categories:

• MYS / Rina Award
• MYS Interior design Award
• MYS Award for exterior design
• MYS Finest New Superyacht Award

More than 150 private and exclusive events

MYS annually hosts various press conferences, presentations, cocktail parties aboard yachts, as well as private events with the participation of the world elite, experts and representatives of the media.

The organizers remind you that the first day of the exhibition (28 September), like last year, will be closed to the public and only customers and guests invited by the participants will be able to access the exhibition.

221 Luxury for the world of superyachts

221 Luxury features an exceptional selection of Yachts for Sale on its platform.

All the main shipyards in the world are represented in the gallery of superyachts for sale on 221 Luxury Network. A unique opportunity to view, buy and sell superyachts all over the world, assisted by the impeccable professionalism of our team.

You will thus be able to find superyachts with a legendary and iconic history, new constructions, technological and more classic boats, super-fast yachts and others more suitable for cruising.

There are obviously motor boats and even sailing boats, for a truly total overview of the world of luxury boating. What are you waiting for?

Influenced by their exposure to luxury-goods experiences in other retail environments, affluent consumers today seek special engagement and personalized experiences when shopping for luxury cars (McKinsey, Five trends shaping tomorrow’s luxury-car market, 2021).

Newer luxury Brands have identified customer experience as their main strategy to differentiate themselves against incumbents and have created a go-to-market approach that fully reflects the new customer groups: the new trend is evolving into direct-to-consumer strategy, where web platforms, such as 221 Luxury Network, play a crucial role.

Tips for Successfully Investing in the Luxury Car Industry

When it comes to investing in the luxury car industry, it’s important to have a long-term investment strategy in place. This means diversifying your investments so that you remain safe and protected should the market go against you. Additionally, stay up-to-date on financial news so that you can make informed decisions about what to invest in and when. Finally, be prepared for volatility by having a strong savings and spending plan in place.

Diversify Your Investments

It’s also important to diversify your holdings so that you don’t fall victim to any one company’s product or service. By doing this, you reduce your risk of losing money over time and gives you the ability to adapt and adjust your investment accordingly. Additionally, keep an eye out for new opportunities to invest in the luxury car industry.

Stay Up-to-Date on Financial News

If you want to stay up-to-date on financial news in the luxury car industry, it’s important to be well informed about current events and developments. By keeping track of key financial publications like Forbes or Barron’s (an influential business journal), you can learn about upcoming trends and how they might impact your investment portfolio. Additionally, online resources like Bloomberg Politics provide valuable coverage of both business and political events in the luxury car market that may interest you specifically).

221 Luxury Network: an ideal place to find sports luxury cars

221 Luxury Network features an exceptional selection of cars for sale. The entire history of world-class motoring is represented on the platform. Some very recent acquisitions are represented by an entire collection of very rare vintage Ferrari.

Starting from a Ferrari 330 P3 (1967), a car that won numerous races and earned its place in the history books after a memorable 1-2-3 at Daytona.

Moving on to Ferrari 250 GTO (1962): Ferrari built between 1962 and 1964 thirty-six 250 GTOs with a 3-liter engine and three with a 4-liter engine. The 39 models are all different from each other because they were built by hand by the panel beaters of Maranello led by Sergio Scaglietti.

In two years, the Ferrari 250 GTO reached first place in the Gran Turismo class 23 times and is considered by many to be the best Ferrari of all time for performance, dynamics and that timeless elegance given by the total absence of edges.

That is why it has become the car with the highest selling price in the world. The 250 GTO is such a special car that it is desired by all the richest collectors in the world. Among the owners it can boast names such as Nick Mason, Pink Floyd drummer, designer Ralph Lauren and former Microsoft president Jon Shirley.

We cannot fail to mention GTO MKA Red LHD (1962), 330 LMB (1963), SWB 250 (1960) or 857 S (1955).

On the platform you will find also Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Maserati, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Porsche and much more…

221 Luxury Network is the ideal place to find (and sell) sports luxury cars.

221 Luxury Network and Training Luxury are proud to propose the well-known “Developing a luxury attitude” training course.

“TRAINING LUXURY” is an international company with a group of specialists in leadership and luxury training, recruiting and coaching with a focus in luxury, fashion and consumer goods. “Training Luxury” aims at preparing people to excel in person-to-person business relationships and to improve team cooperation.

The program will be developed in 6 different online workshops, from September 29th to December 9^th:

• MODULE 1: DISCOVERING LUXURY UNIVERSE – 14 OCTOBER
• MODULE 2: UNDERSTANDING THE LUXURY CONSUMER – 21 OCTOBER
• MODULE 3: ELEVATING THE LUXURY EXPERIENCE – 27 OCTOBER
• MODULE 4: CLOSING THE DEAL – 10 NOVEMBER
• MODULE 5: SEGMENTING YOUR LUXURY PORTFOLIO – 24 NOVEMBER
• MODULE 6: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN LUXURY – 1 DECEMBER

A very special program

Training Luxury has been present in the luxury business for 25 years, with more than 17.000 professionals trained in over 40 countries, featuring an unsurpassed portfolio working with companies like Dolce & Gabbana, Zegna, Valentino, Macallan, Canali, Monnalisa, etc…

The programs are practical and yet, they have a solid research background from Neuroscience to neuro-marketing, from participative management to innovation and entrepreneurship.

Topics and activities are designed to fit each situation and need. This allows people to practice real-life situations, in a safe and “protected” environment. That is why every single course is created custom made, with no static, “ready made” product.

Training Luxury facilitates the learning process by using inductive techniques, encouraging participants to discover their own solutions. Then, this is taken a step further where participants learn from each other by sharing their experiences.

Huge benefits for the participants

The course will focus on positive outcome, so that the participants can compare their improvement for themselves by top level specialized trainers.

What are the benefits for the participants?

• Immediate applicability of the learning in the workplace
• Measurable increase of sales turnover, people engagement and talent retention
• Innovative content and background investigations with practical implementation in the training
• Creation of total training “package” from the research, to the “tailor-made” program to follow, measurement and gap closing
• Training to be delivered in most of the major languages

Exclusive contents

Let’s see the main contents of each module.

Discovering the luxury universe:

• Discovering how luxury has evolved and what are the differences today with the traditional concepts of luxury. How luxury concept has changed for different generations and how luxury means different things to different countries.
• Identify the benefits of luxury for different types of consumers. Not every consumer buys luxury for the same goal. Personalizing the service based on the client expected emotional or rational needs is one of the key goals of selling luxury.
• Identify the key ingredients of luxury values and what can be defined as ‘pure luxury’

Understanding the luxury consumer:

• Why people buy luxury products or service? Luxury products and services attract customers beyond the functional element. If the price is so high, why people buy them?
• Identify the nature and drivers of luxury consumers. Not all the luxury customers are the same. They have different behaviours, drivers and objectives. They all move in the same areas, but with different goals. Therefore, it’s crucial to learn how to properly engaging them to have a productive interaction.

Elevating the luxury experience:

• We often hear the word ‘experience’. However, what does it really mean to have a ‘luxury experience’. We’ll find out what are the key ingredients and the different dimensions to explore when defining a luxury experience.
• Even if the selling process in luxury might sound similar to other sectors, the details that define the approach are extremely different. The emotional aspect of luxury has often a predominant role and we’ll explore how to make it tangible in real life situations. We’ll help the participants to identify the different steps in a client journey and what the expectations and mindset of who sells and who buys luxury could be completely different.

Closing the deal:

• Generating positive and luxury experiences depends upon how able are we to stimulate the dream. Luxury is all about the emotional experience and evocative language and storytelling play a key role in seducing the customer and elevating the aesthetic element of the experience.
• In this module we’ll turn features into benefits for the client underlining the value proposition.

Segmenting your luxury portfolio:

• What is networking? Is networking all about serendipity or we can do something proactively to use it in a more strategic way?
• The mindset of a powerful networker and the key elements of strategic networking

Emotional intelligence in luxury:

• What is emotional intelligence and why is it so crucial to use it properly in the luxury environment to go above and beyond the customer’s expectations? The pillars of emotional intelligence and the role of empathy in professional interactions. Understand the importance of stepping into the customer’s environment perceiving the events from their point of view to generate a positive influence.
• We’ll identify the benefits of effective communication to generate positive emotions and of your emotional appearance – the words you say and actions you take. Body Language, vocal tones, and personal habits can enhance or detract from your overall professional presence.

Increase your sales turnover, people engagement and talent retention in the luxury world: STEP TO THIS PAGE AND BOOK YOUR COURSE, place are limited!