Paula Perz looks after the transactions of our most demanding clients. She started working with us 7 years ago and very quickly showed how much potential lies in her. Shortly after the implementation period, it led to the first rental, and after 2 months of work, it broke the monthly transaction record, which is still hers!

The last quarter was again record-breaking for Paula – she made the biggest turnover in our company.

How does she recall her beginnings in the real estate industry? What does she like most about her job? Did she expect to be successful when starting? These are just some of the questions she answered in our interview.

QUALITY: How did you get into real estate?

PAULA: It’s a longer story. After defending my master’s thesis (I am a master of political science), I moved to Italy. During my studies I had a lot of journalism classes and I wanted to develop myself in this direction. In Italy, I got a job in an online fashion magazine. Later, thanks to my friend, I started working in a company that dealt with interior design. It was the first moment I thought real estate was the direction I could go. Traveling around the world, I have always admired the most luxurious, sophisticated and unique. The visit to Miami was another reason why I became interested in the real estate market. Why did I choose a career as an advisor and not an interior designer? I have always liked being in touch with people, so I decided that maybe brokerage in renting and selling real estate will be something I will do. After returning to Poland, I started looking for such a job. I saw the Lions Estate advertisement (back then Home Estate) and sent my CV. After a few weeks, I got an invitation for an interview.

QUALITY: How did you find yourself in this profession?

PAULA: My mother also works in real estate and conversations with her have guided me in looking for a job in this industry. I am convinced that real estate has always been there and will always be. It is a thriving and reliable business.

Besides, the work of an intermediary does not involve work from-to. You can manage your own time yourself. Of course, once you gain experience and make a name for yourself. This is one of the strengths that convinced me to do this job.

QUALITY: Did you know when you started working in real estate that you would be successful?

PAULA: Moving from an office job where I was an assistant to a sales director and assistant to the president, and a freelance writer who wrote articles for a fashion magazine, to the real estate industry, meant I didn’t know how successful I was. It was hard for me to imagine this job exactly. I started with 0. But contact with people and establishing relationships with them was something that was always very easy for me. I didn’t think about whether I could be successful, but I was at peace enough to know that I would do it.

QUALITY: So how looked the implementation of the advisor profession for you like

PAULA: I had a mentor who I appreciate very much. Each new employee got his supervisor who taught him to work on the system – real estate database. We had different tasks – already part of the interview was a phone call to the “property owner” who was an experienced agent from Lions Estate. I remember that my task was to convince this fictional, inflexible owner to throw out the red couch from his apartment, which he considered to be the last craze of fashion, and to buy a new one, corresponding to the style of the new tenant.

We were prepared to work with the client for about a month. In my case, this preparation was so good that I was able to finalize the first transaction immediately in the first month of actual work, and after 2 months of work, not only did I discover that I was pregnant, but also broke the transaction record, which was not so far changed. I have signed 11 contracts! I also started off with a bang and I’m doing pretty well.

In the meantime, the intermediaries at the Lions Estate were divided into individual degrees. Currently, I am at the highest level – Partner. I also came all the way, “from zero to partner”. 🙂

QUALITY: What do you like the most in you prermium property advisor profession?

PAULA: Premium Real Estate is also a Premium client. Setting the bar very high by understanding his needs and service at the highest level is something that motivates me a lot and still teaches me something, and the finalization of the transaction is a satisfaction that is a huge reward for me and gives me a sense of fulfillment as an adviser. The sale of the most luxurious real estate in the capital and customer satisfaction, and often the transformation of such business relationships into a long-term friendship, is another reason why I love what I do. Besides – managing your own time. Despite the fact that sometimes I work after 6 p.m., and sometimes I pick up the client on Sunday from the airport to present him real estate, this freedom makes it easier for me to organize my life much more than if I had fixed working hours. I am already a mother and it is never easy to combine motherhood and work, but here it is something that can be perfectly reconciled.

QUALITY: What is the biggest challenge for you?

PAULA: I am so fulfilled in my work that despite 7 years of experience in this industry and in the company, I do not even think about changing. There are no insurmountable challenges (laughs). There are rather a lot of new goals to be achieved. I like to set them for myself.

QUALITY: What do you think determines success in this industry?

PAULA: I think mostly from a positive attitude. Sometimes the work from the first e-mail or telephone contact to the completion of the transaction is so multi-stage and so perverse that a positive attitude, patience, the ability to reconcile the needs of both parties to the transaction (i.e. being such a wise mediator), negotiation skills and understanding the client’s needs are key.

QUALITY: What service can your customers count on?

PAULA: I am aware that the wider the service we give them, the more likely they will come back to us. We work with wealthy, extremely busy people, so they care very much that the person who works for them does as much as possible for them. Everything that is related to the sale and rental of real estate, we try to provide everything. We work with credit advisers, interior designers, renovation teams, transport companies that ensure smooth transition to a new dream home, or even help with strictly official and legal issues.

“Very professional service for both sides of transaction from the beginning to the end. The Company is truly reccomendable.”

QUALITY: Clients who are looking for real estate complain that it is very difficult to find a good real estate agent. Someone who, apart from presenting their offers, will do additional work and look for offers especially for the client. Why is that in your opinion?

PAULA: The customer must feel that they have a choice, that we want them to have access to everything that the market offers in their criteria, but it is important that they trust us. The search criteria themselves sometimes change during the presentation, so it is also worth showing what we consider interesting, unique, and relevant to the person we are working with at the moment. Because we know the market best. Recently, we had this situation: The client was looking for a property in the very center of Śródmieście and only Śródmieście was at stake. The most important thing for her was the terrace. We offered a beautiful apartment in the developer’s standard with a large terrace, in Powiśle. A friend convinced a client to look at this property, and the one, fascinated, bought it immediately. That is why in our work it is important to understand the client’s needs, but also to be aware that often clients do not fully know that they might want something else. Knowing how to advise wisely is key.

QUALITY: What character traits do you need to be successful in premium real estate?

PAULA: Interesting question, because we are very different at work. Some Advisors are more analytical, others more theoretical. My colleagues often say that I am open, positive, easy going and I know what I want. I think veracity is very important. Focus, patience, commitment and the ease of establishing relationships with people.

QUALITY: What are the customers who buy luxury real estate?

They are very wealthy people who have achieved great success and expect to work with the best. They expect us to properly take care of their interests. As for personality, of course people are very different. Many years of friendships that sometimes develop after the transaction is completed, confirm that working with them is pure pleasure for me. The more demanding client we can meet, the more we can be proud of ourselves.

QUALITY: Are there properties that you know will sell immediately?

PAULA: The property should be tailored to the client’s needs, but the view of the greenery, a spectacular, large garden, a beautiful panorama of the city or a huge roof terrace, private elevator or Spa in the building are the features of the property that many of our clients dream of. If not all of us. 🙂

QUALITY: Which client you remember particulary and why?

PAULA: There are many clients I remember. Most of them gave me a great deal of positive thinking. The sight of them picking up the keys to their dream apartment or house is something that you will remember. The clients I visited recently in a penthouse in a beautiful restored townhouse in the Center were so happy with the end result (they bought it in developer condition, and I recommended the interior architect whose services they used) that they found that they couldn’t imagine a better place for yourself. A flash in the eye of the client, admiring the sunset from the 31st floor of Złota 44, a walk with the client around a house partially built on water in Warsaw’s Mokotów district and his words of appreciation for finding such a unique property – these are the most pleasant moments.

To raczej konkretne chwile, które zapadają mi w pamięć.

QUALITY: What was the most suprising transaction for you and why?

PAULA: The last transaction, the value of which was over 8 million – 5 days passed from the first call to finalization. It was all the more surprising to me that the client came with a budget of 3 million …

QUALITY: And which transaction do you most often mention?

PAULA: There is no such transaction, but now I will often mention this transaction at Złota 44. Because the way it was finalized is the result of a positive business relationship. I was recommended by another broker from the commercial market, who decided that I would take best care of his client. As a result, I helped my client make a big dream come true in just a few days. I negotiated the price of the property, which at the same time became a great investment and I did not disappoint my colleague from the industry :).

QUALITY: What do you like the most in Lions Estate?

PAULA: What I like the most here is that in every situation, whatever happens, you can count on the support of both agents and people on the management board. There is an atmosphere of friendship and family here. The employer-employee relationship is not particularly visible. We spend many important moments together, we go to breakfasts, parties, do sports in the summer … We train and motivate. We enjoy each other’s successes, there is no unhealthy competition among us, nor jealousy. Despite the fact that there is a huge turnover in employment agencies, now it is very small. Our team is very stable. Once Lions always Lions 🙂

QUALITY: Do you have your favourite district of Warsaw?

PAULA: My dream district, where I would like to have my own house one day, is Stary Żoliborz. It’s a favorite neighborhood for artists for a reason. I love Czarnieckiego Street for its atmosphere and proximity to the park. I grew up in Żoliborz and this part of Warsaw is much closer to me.

QUALITY: How do you think the real estate market has changed recently? Has the pandemic affected him?

PAULA:

In March, the lockdown terrified me. My negotiations stalled then, when I had everything confirmed (including the price and contract draft). Suddenly there was information that all offices are closed, events canceled, contact with people only from a distance, covering the mouth and nose is obligatory. My client began to remain silent. Then he called and said that the situation had changed so dramatically that he would not buy this property for a previously negotiated price. He can buy it, but cheaper. It took a bit of a nerve, but I managed to sell it. The client’s satisfaction with my negotiating skills was so great that he eventually paid me a higher salary than agreed. In addition, he bought another apartment from me, purely for investment purposes, and our cooperation is still ongoing.

Ultimately, the pandemic had no negative impact on the premium and luxury markets. Many new Investors appeared.

The number of transactions at the Lions Estate has increased recently. During the pandemic period, I made the highest turnover in the company. The sale of real estate started very intensively, as the pandemic encouraged some to sell their real estate, and motivated others to invest.

QUALITY:  How has your job changed during the pandemic? What are you doing differently? Why can customers feel safe?

PAULA: Working during the pandemic meant that around 80% of rents or 90% of rented apartments to expats were done online, through video presentations. The client had no contact with the property, and we provided him with very reliable documentation, including plans and photos. Through a virtual walk or a video conference with us, he watched the apartment.

Of course, we used gloves, disinfectants, we had masks on our faces – all this we still use in direct contacts with customers. We also care about the distance between us. All this has allowed me, my clients and property owners to avoid any risk of contamination.

Public offices have launched many online operating procedures, so it is much easier to avoid contact with people without standing in a long line.

QUALITY: Thank you for the converstaion!

PAULA: Thank you!

Paula Perz
Partner Lions Estate

mobile: + 48 694 315 662
email: paula.perz@lionsestate.pl