Faro, Portugal
The role of Real Estate Manager in this project primarily is that of coordinator between the fund who own the resort and the various agencies who are tasked with selling the villas and townhouses of Vale da Lapa. Other roles and functions include: - technical and strategic advice during the due diligence phase; - market & comparisons analysis; - preparation, structuring and presentation of sales materials; - supervision and execution of tasks in regards to licensing and technical areas; - hosting and accompanying visits of potential buyers; - ongoing supervision of the client-facing entities & reporting towards the fund; - selecting, supporting and supervising the various agencies working on the project.
Each condominium requires several formal positions to be upheld. I was the Sales Director for the Real Estate Development named "The Vines", and also the only member of the company or the owners who had experience with touristic projects. Which is why I offered to take on the role of "President of the Owner's Assembly", a position which the owners then voted me into.
Each condominium requires several formal positions to be upheld. I was the Sales Director for the Real Estate Development named "Carvoeiro Gardens", and also the only member of the company or the owners who had experience with touristic projects. Which is why I offered to take on the role of "President of the Owner's Assembly", a position which the owners then voted me into.
The sales preparation of "Carvoeiro Gardens" commenced almost as soon as the construction did. Firstly it was my job to prepare all sales material, ranging from cosmetic presentations such as the brochure, all the way to detail-documents outlining the condominium scheme or specifications of the construction-methods. Once the product was ready to go to market, it became my job to educate and guide the various agencies on the details of the project, to handle our direct clients, and to coordinate the overall sales-efforts. My involvement started with the first contact to a potential client, and I remained their contact-person until after they had signed the legal deed and introduced them to the on-site accommodation team.
The project required a great deal of hands-on involvement on the part of the developer, as a considerable number of decisions needed to be taken during the construction. In several different areas, such as; financial, legal, architectural, engineering, licensing, material-selection, and so forth. This required a "Jack-of-all-trades" approach, someone who analysed each new situation and presented a plan + recommendation to the owners.
Originally my role was supposed to be merely supervising the project lead, verifying his work and providing guidance. However, after a less-than-successful period, the management decided to remove the project lead and to give me the sole responsibility for the project. A responsibility which I kept until leaving the company in 2023.
During the year 2017 the management team was working on developing an entirely new project for the company, named "The Winemaker Experience" (https://quintadosvales.pt/en/the-winemaker-experience/). In early 2018 the project became a reality, and an oenologist (winemaker) was hired for the role. It then became my responsibility to oversee his work, and to ensure that the entrepreneurial perspective was not overlooked.
The evolution from Managerial Assistant to Assistant Manager was a gradual and organic process. With time, and as I got to know the various sectors better, some areas would organically fall under my responsibility. To the point that the general manager & I were working in parallel, with some sectors supervised by him, and others by me. This approach came to an end beginning of 2020, at which point my primary focus became the 2 most important projects the company had at the time: - "The Vines" - an on-site Real Estate development; - "The Winemaker Experience" - a unique wine-tourism project. This shift in focus meant I had to give up the majority of my roles as Assistant-Manager, and my day-to-day focus became the operations of these 2 projects.
Each condominium requires several formal positions to be upheld. As I represented the majority of the property owners, I offered to take on the role of "President of the Owner's Assembly", a position which the owners then voted me into. And a position I held until the ownership group, which I represented, sold their shareholding in early 2022.
In 2017 a group of investors purchased the development "Vale de Milho Village" from a bank which had foreclosed on the development shortly before completion. This group of investors intended to renovate the development and to then sell the properties on to individual buyers. It was my role to represent half of the investors in all project meetings, and with the operator.