Paola Conte Zielcke is the new rental director of Proddigia, a position she assumes after a career two years in the company. He defines this new responsibility as a personal challenge and also as an opportunity to further deepen his knowledge of the real estate sector.
With a Caribbean soul, Paola was born in Barranquilla (Colombia) to a mother of German descent and a father of Italian origin. A warm woman who grew up in a multicultural environment under the influence of the thousand stories brought by her grandparents.
“The most important thing is to listen and understand the customer.”
How would you define these years at Proddigia?
Enriching. I arrived without any experience in the sector and they gave me the opportunity to work as a Sales Agent. Here at Proddigia they trained me and provided me with the necessary tools to start what is undoubtedly my profession today. They have always given me the freedom to express myself, have taken my ideas into account and have made me feel safe. We work from the values, which are the axis of the brand; you feel that you belong to the company, to a team that is admired and supported.
From the first moment, I liked dealing with people from different cultures, getting to know architecture through the properties that are managed… but also preparing budgets and negotiating until a good agreement was reached. The final signature is the best reward and the one that gives meaning to the daily work. Feeling the happiness of people when they decide on what will be their home and knowing that you have been a part is a breath of life.
After a year and a half they assigned me as Sales Team Leader and I went on to work hand in hand with an incredible team that lives sales with passion. And now this new stage as rental director…
Commitment as the key to success?
Commitment in any area of life brings you closer to success. In the professional world, certainly. I feel committed to Proddigia because it gave me an opportunity, but also because I share its values of respect, honesty, effort, teamwork, search for quality, and responsibility.
What does your job consist of?
For the rental department, efficiency and achieving objectives in a difficult market are very important. For this reason, my efforts will focus on the design of strategies and on ensuring the proper functioning of the established procedures. Nor can I forget to accompany and support my team; make them feel that I am here to help them and to achieve the best synergies. Maintaining the necessary motivation is not always easy but it is possible.
“Accompany and support my team; make them feel that I am there to help them”
Would you rent an apartment in Barcelona today?
Families have an income that is not in line with the prices of homes in Barcelona. The disagreement is obvious. I see how the need for affordable housing is not being met, while the most expensive ones are becoming more difficult to rent. However, the client is there and wants to rent. One of the advantages of renting is that it makes it easier for you to change after a few years and that helps make decisions such as choosing an apartment that may not meet your wishes 100%. You have to know how to give up because prices are pushing upwards and the ideal properties may escape us.
What explains the rise in rental prices in Barcelona?
Barcelona is a privileged city with sea, mountains and an ideal climate. It is difficult for it to grow further, so we will move with a limited supply that will never go hand in hand with demand. New foreign population arrives and globalization makes people willing to pay prices that they assume are the standard of the city to relocate. In the end, prices are set by the market and rise when there is pressure on the scarce existing supply.
What is the profile of the clients who rent?
In Barcelona we cannot speak of a single customer profile. Each one is a world with different needs. For this reason, the most important thing is to listen and understand the customer. When you talk to them, you understand their situation and it is easier to advise and accompany them. It is when your work is a success.
Rent or buy? Is it still a dilemma?
I would not speak of a dilemma. Both buying and renting have advantages anddisadvantages. It all depends on the situation, the personal or family moment, the work moment. Undoubtedly, the purchase allows you to generate wealth and Barcelona is a good place to start or establish it. Prices can fluctuate, but the city is a sure value.
However, circumstances do not always allow or advise you to buy. You may not have the initial capital or you sense that your life project may change… Renting is one more option that can allow you to get to know a neighborhood, a city or access a better type of home than the one you could buy.
