In a saturated industry, what makes a real estate agency stand out from the crowd? What makes 350 people attend the opening of a renovated office, just to say hi to the owners, and what makes an entire family successfully work together? I went along to Imperial Properties in Santa Ponsa to find out.
Stepping into the newly decorated double fronted office on Avinguda del Rei Jaume I I wasn't sure what was awaiting me, but I was soon joined in a conference room by the Edwards family. Mum and Dad Sian and Paul, and their grown up children, Portia, Georgia, Marnie, Lola and Mason, and the Sales Manager for Imperial Properties Mark Ratcliffe. Welsh accents, some stronger than others, fill the air as they settle down, coffees are offered, water brought, and then we begin.
What brought you here to the island?
Sian: Paul and I have known each other since we were twelve. We have been coming here for holidays for a very long time. We would go to Cala D’Or for half terms and summer holidays and I would always cry when we had to leave. The flights from Cardiff to Mallorca made it very easy for us to get here. Don’t get me wrong, I love Cardiff, but I just wanted more. I love the sunshine, and I knew how family friendly the island was. So we moved here when Lola was only a baby, Marnie was 3, Mason was 6, Georgia was 9 and Portia was 10. As soon as we arrived Paul started working and I was at home initially with the kids.
How easy was it for you to settle in?
Sian: We were advised to put the kids straight into Spanish school, which is exactly what we did. The support was amazing, they helped us so much with the language and getting settled. I had been told by the NHS in the UK that Lola, our youngest, had very bad food allergies, and they’d told me to completely keep her away from the problematic foods, but the Spanish team of doctors we were assigned had an entirely different approach and little by little they got her used to the food. So by the age of seven she was eating them! If we’d done what the British doctors told us she wouldn’t even have touched those foods until she was twelve. The medical treatment we have had from the Spanish system has been really amazing. We have so many happy memories of the kids growing up and the fiestas that we would go to as part of the community. I remember taking them to the St Antoni fiestas one year and them all being sat around a bonfire making miniature bonfires which were then set on fire! You would never have seen that in the UK, I love it!
And of course, the kids all speak three languages then?
Sian: Yes. Mason, who works as a property manager, is having a baby soon with his Spanish girlfriend, he says he even dreams in Spanish. All of our children speak Spanish, Catalan and English. I wish my Spanish was better, I think it was better when the kids were smaller but I keep trying.
So no regrets on the move?
Sian: Absolutely none. And we share our experiences of moving here with our clients. They find it really helpful to be able to talk to us about moving to Mallorca and how we found the transition. We have had such a positive experience and we are very happy to give them our advice about living in Mallorca. We all love living here. I know that sometimes when I talk about living here that people who are thinking about moving will make their mind up to make the move.
So how did you all come to be working together?
Paul: When I first got to the island I worked for Engel and Volkers estate agency. Then I joined Imperial Properties in 2008 and took it over as my own business in 2011. Imperial Properties has been trading since 1985 so it will soon be the 40 year anniversary! As the girls grew up and finished school I encouraged them to get a summer job in the office as a secretary to see if they would like it. And they’ve all worked their way up from office junior to where they are now. Georgia for example has just completed her studies to join the API which is the Spanish Association of Estate Agents in the Balearics, and we will also join ABINI which is the Balearic Association of National and International Real Estate Companies which deals with more international clients. We are preparing for the forthcoming laws which will be coming in to regulate real estate on the island. Each of my daughters has brought a lot of energy and ideas into the business, I would say because of them we have a better network with the other agents on the island and also the island community. Their generation has a fresh way of doing business which means we have more opportunities than ever now. All of them are partners in the business, so they are invested in our joint success.
So, what do you think of the proposal to restrict property sales to non-residents of the island?
Mark: It’s completely anti-business. Every resident will suffer if this were to go through. I have been coming to Mallorca since 1969 and it has been my home for a very long time. I know, as do many people, that the visitors to the island and the second home owners are vital to the economy. Without these people we are just going back to selling potatoes!
What’s the market been like recently?
Mark: Even through COVID we were selling properties through video calls. A lot of people were working remotely and realised that they may as well be living in Mallorca and working from home, or they were needing more space and they were cooped up in a flat. Unlike some other agencies who only specialise in luxury properties Imperial Properties tries to have properties which can be purchased by people with lower budgets than that. I’d say we specialise in a “broad brush”, we have one room studios to “Mega villas” on our books.
What’s the current situation for buyers?
Paul: So we see a lot of different types of buyers looking. Brexit has changed the market, with the 90 day rule, and the current British economy, but we have plenty of Scandinavian and German clients looking. There isn’t a lot of new stock as the tight planning regulations mean that very little new is currently being built so people are looking for properties where they can renovate and add value.
What makes Imperial Properties so successful?
Paul: We just don’t lie. That’s our motto, we are always honest and clear with our clients. Always.
Georgia: We give everyone the same attention regardless of what they are spending. We place a lot of importance in trust, we earn our client’s trust and we take care of them. We are a family business, we know what it’s like to rely on each other, and our clients become our extended family. Even after they have bought or sold their property with us they stay in touch and we stay in touch with them. The contact to the people is what really makes this work so enjoyable.
That’s probably why you had 350 people show up to your office opening!
Paul: We even had the guys from the council who were painting the lampposts stop for a beer!
You can find them online www.imperial-properties.com
Imperial Properties have their main office in Santa Ponsa, and an office in Palmanova and Portals Nous. They mostly deal with properties in the SW of the island.