We return to 1 January 2024: a new year and a new Albert office. Under the leadership of Kris Bauwens, we are further expanding our office network with the opening of a new location in Gistel. Kris can best be described as a doer who always puts his customers first.
Kris and Albert. After just under five years' experience in the industry, Kris joined Albert in late 2021. It was founders Jan and Peter-Jan who immediately took him in tow and offered a clear vision of the future. The maturity of our group, our dealings with customers but especially the trust in Kris were the decisive factors to take the step towards a growth story within Albert. A well-founded strategy and support ensured the opening of the Gistel office in early 2024.
Kris, a real estate agent with his heart in the right place. When we ask Kris about the most important aspect of his job and even of the industry, he immediately replies, ‘the gratitude of my customers and always being ready to help them’. Real estate brokerage is not simply selling or letting a property, it goes much further than that. It is about bringing the right parties together and achieving a healthy balance for buyer, seller, tenant and landlord alike. Kris is known for his creativity, say out-of-the-box thinking. In each file, he invests more time and research than the average estate agent, not only to spot opportunities but also to serve the client in the best possible way. A complete and substantiated dossier is the basis for making every transaction go as smoothly as possible.
He also values openness and honesty when dealing with his clients. Taking time, having a cup of coffee, listening to their needs is more important than a ‘time is money’ attitude.
Kris and the future of real estate. When we ask Kris about the evolution of the market today, he notes that people today are looking for a new property in a much more focused way. Prospective buyers/candidate tenants are taking a more qualitative approach, their search is more deliberate than a few years ago. Whereas in times of corona a new home was almost a fast-moving consumer good, fortunately we see a stabilisation today.
In his active region, triangle Gistel - Ostend - Middelkerke, he sees two divergent flows. On the one hand, people move towards the centre and want to live just more compactly, and on the other, we have young families moving to the ‘outside’ and invariably looking for space. You can see it as two different camps in which we as an Albert office are in the middle with something for everyone.
Kris and his message for future estate agents. Kris: ‘As an estate agent, you cannot solve everything, but you can always support and assist people.’ This attitude is Kris' common thread in his profession and he would like to pass on to future estate agents. It is also important to keep trusting in the goodness of people, with an open mindset you are always a few steps ahead. It is a tough sector, but with the right motivation and attitude to really want to help and support people, a challenge in real estate is definitely for you.