How do you become number one, in Portugal, in financial consultancy?
Decisões e Soluções was founded with two fundamental aims: to help its customers and the population in general to pay less for
their financing and to reduce their monthly outgoings; and to give work to its
employees and to the maximum number of people possible, involved in the
company’s operations. The issue of us becoming number one was never an
obsession. If you were to ask me if it
was down to chance, it wasn’t. It took a lot of work, but work for me and for
the entire team, and today I take great pride in it.
Could you say the man in charge, Paulo Abrantes, is
what stands behind all this success?
I have never been
very interested in standing out. Every project has someone who comes up with it, who runs it and heads
it. Above all else, someone who doesn’t limit themselves to seeing the here and
now; rather someone who every day thinks about tomorrow. I don’t feel anything
more than proud of the great professionals I have around me.
Today, 13 years since DS first began, how would you
assess its growth?
I believe that with work and determination any goals can be met. This is
my motto; this is our motto. If this then leads to permanent growth, and if
every year is better than the last, I can’t deny that they are. We have made
the most of several opportunities that have come about with changes to the
market and we have transformed difficulties into opportunities. We are going to
continue growing, innovating and being highly attentive to opportunities as and
when they appear. And we’ll be here 13 years from now to see how it all went.
With negative Euribor rates, spreads at 1.5% and banks
lending, has it become easier to sell houses?
It has become easier to apply for a mortgage again, to buy and sell
houses. It has become easier to build a property, to do building work. A great
deal has changed. The market had to react. Banks, insurance companies and
developers had to adapt. People are still here and they need to be kept abreast
of what is going on around them. One of our principles is this: making people
aware of the situation, helping them get to where they can go…today. Never
pushing them into commitments that they cannot meet. We have to be realistic,
serious and honest with whoever comes to us.
Property prices are rising. What could go wrong in the
long term?
This is a good
moment; real estate sales are on the rise; banks are lending, with good
conditions; and there is considerable foreign investment. Property prices are
rising. We are confident about the future, not least because we operate in five
areas of major importance for the population: real estate brokerage, building
works and construction brokerage, financial consultancy and insurance brokerage.
«The issue of us becoming number one was never an obsession»
In 2015 credit was extended to the value of four
billion Euros. In 2016 the value was six billion. Is this growth tendency set
to continue in 2017?
The many banking
institutions operating in our country have ambitious goals for this year, with
regard to mortgages. There has already been talk of growth to the tune of 40%, in
2017. People are once again starting to dream.
What is your view of the real estate and insurance
market in Portugal?
My view is a very
optimistic one, with growth of about 30% in 2017, in relation to the 17 billion
euros achieved in 2016. With regard to the insurance market, there is a
portfolio of 12 billion euros to work on.
DS has various brokerage services. What else can we expect
from it?
We want to continue growing our number of agencies, employees and customers
to whom we provide our advisory service with 360-degree solutions. We have
never been content with what we have, and what we have already achieved. We are
attentive to our surroundings, to opportunities, to the country and to the
world.
DS has more than 100 agencies. Is there enough room and demand, in Portugal for more DS «houses»?Our goal has always been to grow, but to do so steadily. We are going to continue to grow and we have very ambitious goals for the coming years.
Does the DS ‘empire’ have any competitors?
We are not an empire (he laughs). We are just the largest Portuguese real estate and
financial consultancy network operating in our country. We don’t have any
competitors, at least none of any size. We believe competition to be healthy
and even positive, despite not being too concerned about what others are up to;
we are concerned about our customers and in achieving our goals.
«Our goal has always been to grow, but to do so steadily»
You have also been involved with social responsibility.
Is it important for a group like yours to be involved it this kind of activity?
We have always
insisted on supporting those who need it most. DS has always taken its social
responsibility very seriously. We have already supported Fundação do Gil,
Caritas and Associação Corações Com Coroa, whose president is Catarina Furtado,
among others.
How do you recognise your employees’ efforts?
Every month, quarter and annually, we recognise and reward out best
employees, our best agencies. We give out incentives, prizes, holidays... For example since September last year we have been
awarding an extra monthly prize to employees that stand out the most: they have
the opportunity to drive and enjoy, for a few days, a unique experience at the
wheel of a Ferrari
F430 Spider F1.
In 2017 you celebrate 30 years of career. What are
your hopes for this year?
I hope that DS enjoys
its best year ever in 2017. As for me, I feel, having worked for 30 years,
that I’m ready to do more and to do it even better.
