01 Oct '17

Emotions for sale,
not bricks and mortar

8375
door Ines Minten
It was 20 years ago that Thomas Valkeniers took over the Pajota real estate agency in Dilbeek and he now runs four offices. He has seen quite a lot of changes in his line of business and market trends over the years.

The prices for houses and apartments in the Rand have rocketed. ‘The higher the demand, the higher the prices. Property prices around Brussels can be divided into zones but generally speaking, the further you get away from Brussels the lower they are. Zones that were once lagging behind have been catching up by leaps and bounds in recent years.’

Valkeniers was named as the Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014. ‘The title is recognised as a hallmark of quality, helping to boost customer confidence. We are not selling bricks and mortar but emotions. People need to have a sense of well-being during the selling or purchasing process. You have to have people skills or be well-acquainted with the legal in and outs to get on in our business.’

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