Masters in real estate for 20 years
Friends and partners for life
Heeren Makelaars opened its doors at Stadionweg 75 back in 2004, but that’s not where its story started. Eran Hausel and Sander Bovenkerk met each other 27 years ago when doing - well, actually terminating - a deal on the Hoofdweg. The two men had each other in their sights from then on. Over the years, a good working relationship developed between them, they achieved multiple successful transactions together and their friendship grew. Eran and Sander were both on the board of Jonge Makelaars Amsterdam (JMA) and every now and then went on holiday with the same small group of men from the industry. It was during this time that the two of them started to think about opening their own real estate firm.
Heeren Makelaars’ motivation: “We can always do better! We’re committed to achieving our full potential. We gained a good understanding of the business elsewhere and are now honing our knowledge and skills. Our mission is to take our firm to a higher business level. But more than anything else, we're motivated by our love of the industry and the fun we have by being in business”, Eran says. Sander adds: “And then there’s the synergy of working hard together as well.”
A driven team
The firm didn’t get off to a flying start immediately. But, armed with their amazing drive and strong work ethic, Eran and Sander put their backs into the business. Back then - and even now - the working day started at eight in the morning and didn't end until seven in the evening and they worked through the weekends as well. They grabbed every bit of real estate that came their way. "It didn’t matter whether it was in Oud-West, Buitenveldert, Noord or the centre of Amsterdam, we sold everything," Eran says. The Heeren Makelaars portfolio still has this same broad mix of real estate in various price ranges and different neighbourhoods to this very day.
“Hard work, creativity and the synergy in the team are very important in our firm. We always had a boutique office in mind and a business in which Eran and I would literally have our feet on the ground in the team despite being the partners. Everyone has a voice and is heard. That’s what makes our firm so strong,” Sander says.
Igor Veendrick confirms this. He joined Heeren Makelaars as an intern almost 10 years ago. Igor repeats something he said in his introductory chat: “Eran, I’m looking forward to the internship and to working hard, but I do want to be rewarded if things go well and be able to stay.” In the first month of Igor's internship, Eran offered him a job and he’s become a partner since too. “Igor has a talent for the profession and we were also looking for a third man to add young blood, new skills and knowledge and ensure the continuity of the business”, Sander says.
Knowledge of the Amsterdam housing market
Heeren Makelaars' driven team consists of senior employees with a wealth of experience and an in-depth knowledge of the Amsterdam housing market combined with the quality of young real-estate talent. The recruitment of new talent is one of the firm's spearheads for further growth. The three partners have set themselves the goal of growing the team to a maximum of 25 people in the next four to five years, without losing its sportive attitude, driven atmosphere, high-quality service and enjoyment of the profession.
Loyalty and a strong network
Team spirit is a very important value to the partners, both in the team and when working with colleagues in Amsterdam. This paves the way for a 'clean' market, fair competition and great transactions. In the Amsterdam Real Estate Brokers Association (MVA), which is part of the Dutch Association of Real Estate Brokers (NVM), fellow brokers seek each other out and discuss day-to-day events and developments in the market. This is when connections and mutual goodwill are achieved. Amsterdam's brokers need each other to make sure they're able to do business in a transparent manner and seal the best deals for their clients - whether they're vendors or buyers.
Heeren Makelaars is always open to future, new networks that enable it to expand in the market. The firm's broad network already extends beyond the city limits. Amsterdam is a metropolis with a lot of international traffic and the partners are noticing this in their client base too. "We'll see even more of this in the future", Igor adds. With this in mind, Heeren Makelaars is combining the national product with international platforms and networks. Its ability to sell real estate both nationally and internationally increases the firm’s visibility with potential buyers as well.
Loyalty is also reflected in the client base that the partners have built up from day one. Family businesses, institutional investors and private buyers who all put their faith in the partners back in the early days are still regular clients now. “That’s extraordinary”, Sander says gratefully.
A firm with style and character
People don’t just choose Heeren Makelaars because of its high-quality service, personal approach and 24/7 mentality. To make a difference to its clients, Heeren Makelaars is striving to create its own unique style. It is doing this by staying creative, following its own ideas, liaising with clients more and being smart with its pricing. "Our style can be described as clean-cut, aggressive and creative; it’s a combination of factors," the partners say.
The partners maintain their own approach and style even when times are tough. The art is to keep the same work ethic when the market is less buoyant. “We've been able to make a difference by continuing full steam ahead, keeping the team intact and even growing it with top-quality employees,” Sander and Eran say. This mentality and the firm's expression of confidence in the market have created a lot of positivity among clients and the firm's catchment area. Thanks to its forward-looking approach and hard work, it was ready to benefit from the recovery of the market in 2013 and achieved huge growth.
Heeren Makelaars' legacy
Over the years, Eran, Sander and Igor have consciously developed at a personal level as well. Eran really enjoys working on the way he interacts with the team, coaches and motivates people, trains new talent and offers a springboard to people who are thriving in the firm. He likes to develop himself and the people around him. Sander’s learning curve comes from the people close to him too: the team. He is particularly fascinated by the interaction and new energy between up-and-coming real estate talent and senior members of the team. Igor combines the best of Eran and Sander with his own talents and character. “Eran and Sander are two completely different people, but they're still very in sync with each other. That’s taught me a lot. And it's something that I pass on to my younger colleagues as well,” Igor shares.
Heeren Makelaars’ legacy? Partners who give back to the people who gave them the opportunity to succeed and then do the same for future generations.
