RE/MAX Egypt’s Top Team of the Year 2020

Team Amr Essam from RE/MAX Avalon in Alexandria

While individual effort counts for a lot in any enterprise, the combined efforts of a group working in synergy can amount to so much more, especially when under the right leadership. For the second consecutive year, Team Amr Essam from RE/MAX Avalon has topped the pool, thanks to the skilled guidance of team leader, Amr Essam. He shares his thoughts on once again leading the field, and the state of the real estate market today.

How does it feel to win the team award for a second time?

I’m mainly happy about the team’s excitement about winning and making a change in Egypt. This gives them a push to do more, especially that currently our team is full of leaders, not only members. This means that the team is growing, leveling up, and is definitely starting to become even more strongly motivated after receiving this happy news. Accordingly, this made them feel proud of being a part of a #1 company in Egypt. So basically, what I’m feeling now is strength, confidence in my team, and most importantly, the enthusiasm the team itself is feeling.

As a team leader, how do you encourage your team to excel as individuals as well as being team players?

Encouraging the team on a personal and group level comes in many ways. First, a specific goal has to exist. Second, there must be an ongoing urge to maintain the position they have earned because of their ongoing success. Basically, it’s all about having something you’re afraid to lose, and continuously wanting to stay at a good level. At the same time, they must have a clear and fixed goal that is viewed across the whole year, and to work on it and fulfill it on a quarterly basis. Accordingly, this goal must be translated into actions that should be taken by the team on a daily basis. The closer they feel that they are to achieving their goal, the more motivated they feel to achieve even bigger goals.

As an experienced real estate professional what advice would you offer to young people considering real estate as a career?

The advice that I would like to give is not only to new people in the industry, but to myself as well. This sector might look tricky from the outside. However, I can assure you that it is a very promising and strong industry, specifically in that we are a country that values real estate investment and that the product we are selling is being requested not only locally, but also internationally. This sector is full of endless dreams that are in need of people to turn them into a reality. However, one must bear in mind that it is not as easy as it looks from the outside. As we have seen, a lot of People have stepped into this sector, but failed. There are also people who entered the field and were able to achieve numerous deals, however, after a year or two, they still left the sector because of its harsh conditions and huge losses. All in all, this sector, like any other, needs patience, and a lot of learning. It also needs to have a person who stays updated, because the market is dynamic and is constantly changing. For instance, clients might nowadays be in need of primary properties, but looking at resale in the future, etc. Or they might be interested now in the North Coast, but their interests might eventually change towards Sokhna. Lastly, a person has to be resilient and must not get too excited because he was able to achieve a lot of consecutive deals, and also not to be demotivated about the losses that are going to occur, as this business definitely has its ups and downs. Most importantly, a person must work in a place where people believe in him or her, as they will give support in spite of any obstacles that arise.

Which sector is currently strongest in the North Coast market, primary or resale properties?

The North Coast and its market work at around 90% in primary properties. However, resale properties are working in specific sectors that come in low prices which do not bring a good commission. Selling them is not easy at all. This means that we cannot build a whole business plan in such a weak sector. We mostly focus on the primary sector because the product range is higher and prices are higher, however, they are still tailored in a way that would suit the client, putting in mind the hard conditions we are all going through these days.

How do you assess the property sectors that will work most effectively?

Each year, we have a clear growth and expansion plan. Thankfully, we’re always able to achieve a big part of it, if not all of it. Nowadays, all types of properties are on the same level and strength. However, it only needs to have a person who has a clear vision and plan that fits the product he is marketing. This is important, because the clients and the sectors are different. Accordingly, this needs a tailored plan that suits the product on sale and most importantly the client’s taste. For instance, if I am selling an apartment for one or two million, then it’s totally different than selling a commercial store that costs 20 or 30 million. In this case, this needs a totally different budgeting plan that is targeting a totally different client. All in all, all the sectors are working well, with equal demand and currently achieving good profits. It’s all about having a perfectly tailored plan that suits the sector you’re focusing on.