Ticino Welcome °71, September - November 2021, REAL ESTATE TOURISTS
REAL ESTATE TOURISTS
WHEN THE SEARCH FOR A HOUSE BECOMES AN EXCUSE TO VISIT DREAM PROPERTIES IN TICINO
Who wouldn't like to look beyond those wonderful gates that can sometimes be glimpsed along the roads that run along Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore? But while most people are content to imagine and dream about wonderful properties, there are those who, without too many scruples and with the excuse of wanting to buy a villa, try to get in. It is therefore essential to identify these customers immediately and to get rid of them.
Ueli Schnorf, co-owner of Wetag:
"I remember that lady and her little white dog with a smile, I think it was a poodle. Several years have passed and I honestly believe that she really wanted to buy a house, but she was very confused and took advantage of my kindness. I don't know how I would have reacted today, but back then I found myself being her tour guide and taxi driver for several days. I would pick her up at her hotel, take her to the most exclusive locations, and tell her interesting and fascinating anecdotes, including historical ones. It is indeed very important for a salesman to know the history of the area in which he operates. But let's get back to the lady, who disappeared from one moment to the next, leaving me with a memory that lasted a long time in my car: the smell of the dog, which had been unwell during a visit to a property in the Maggia Valley...".
Philipp Peter, Wetag co-owner:
"There are different types of property tourists and we can recognise three types: the curious, the conceited and the charming. The curious, the conceited and the charming. The first, certainly the most common type, comes to an agency because he is interested in seeing properties he can never afford. In short, he seeks to include in his holiday tour architecturally unique objects in otherwise unattainable locations with breathtaking views. The second one, on the other hand, tries to make it look like he has big money and uses a renowned agency to increase his credibility and visibility in society. He goes so far as to sign reservation contracts and manages to illegally obtain bank certificates signed by non-existent directors. The last kind is usually linked to a very charming woman. In order to make a good impression, the man makes his partner believe that he has a lot of money, and together they visit dream properties, but when the time comes to make the purchase, he does not hear from her or answer the phone. In short, in all three cases, these characters disappear into thin air and if you lack experience (including a good sixth sense) you risk investing a lot of time for nothing. For this reason, even when selling, it is advisable to always turn to serious, professional agencies with adequate knowledge, precisely to avoid running into these swindlers. For our part, we always carry out checks: the first and simplest is to put the client's name in Google. This system is very useful because most wealthy clients are part of large companies. In any case, for properties over 8 million, we require proof of funds. But you also have to be careful because appearances can be deceptive, I remember a very simple man, sneakers, jeans, T-shirt and baseball cap ... whose name did not appear in any search engine; the first impression could be of a typical real estate tourist but then, talking to him, listening to his life and career he turned out to be a multi-millionaire who has always lived with a low profile. This gives us an insight into the complexity of a job like that of an estate agent".
Ueli Schnorf: "It's not always easy to understand who you are dealing with. Several years ago, two Germans arrived to visit two beautiful villas. They showed up in a very old Ford Taunus and looked like something out of a gangster movie. After an initial check, it turned out that the address to which we had sent the information was that of a prison in Germany and when we contacted them by phone they told us that they couldn't give us too much information... well, in this case we were very cautious, because everything, absolutely everything, pointed to the worst!".
WETAG CONSULTING IMMOBILIARE SA
Luxury Real Estate for sale in Ticino, Switzerland
Riva Antonio Caccia 3
CH-6900 Lugano
Via Antonio Ciseri 13A
CH-6600 Locarno
Via Monte Verità 1
CH-6612 Ascona
www.wetag.ch
www.journal.wetag.ch
[email protected]
+41(0)91 601 04 40
