Christophe Vanhaute, director MASTERS EXPO exhibitor Kaza Exclusive

With more than fifteen years of experience, Kaza Exclusiva fulfills the wishes of its clients: finding high-end real estate on the Spanish Costa Blanca. Foreman Christophe Vanhaute breathes entrepreneurship and knew at a young age what he wanted to achieve in life: "As a young boy I saved a lot. I put all my hard-earned pennies together, had them exchanged into hundred Belgian franc bills and put the money under my mattress. I slept on this, this was my dream." MASTERS wonders: who helped him realize his dream?

Text: Mical Joseph
Image: Kaza Exclusiva

What was your very first job?

"I grew up in Belgium helping my parents in their restaurant in West Flanders. Through my work in the business, I very quickly developed a sense of independence as a child. Because of this feeling, I also quickly had the ambition to run my own business later on. At one point I chose the hairdressing profession and by the time I was 19^e to 32 I had my own barbershop. I also started the cleaning company Greenhouse in which I employed 2,800 workers. The latter company had grown bigger and bigger, so of necessity I sold the barbershop."

How did you end up in your current job?

"Because we were always busy with the cleaning company, we bought a house in Spain where we occasionally went for relaxation. Life in the south suited us well and in 2008 my companion and I decided to sell half the shares of the company. Then we decided to withdraw completely from the cleaning company which meant our full focus was on Spain, but we did not yet know exactly what we wanted to specialize in.

Our first step was the purchase and renovation of Hotel La Serena - Altea in Altea. It was such a success that we participated in the Belgian TV program 'Met Vier in Bed'. A program in which four competing Bed and Breakfasts compete with each other. We won and because of this victory, I got in touch with someone who wanted to buy the hotel. No sooner said than done: the hotel was successfully sold."

Christophe Vanhaute with Vicky de Waele, Irma van Tellingen and Bert de Vooght

And then?

"We started by realizing high-end apartments called Urbano Blanco Apartments, which attracted Belgian and Dutch tourists. The interiors were sublime, but after this project I was still not optimally saturated. I came into contact with Bert de Vooght, my current partner, of Kaza Exclusiva. Bert had faith in me to make Kaza Exclusiva a success again and together we put the company back on the map. The company got a new look and feel and with a new outlook we went through every aspect to get to the result it is today. For us it's not about quantity, it's about quality."

Villa in Altea el Planet, Ref. 5029

In that, who was your wheelbarrow?

"I believe that every entrepreneur needs one person in his or her life who tells the truth about business. That is also my job as a real estate agent and I used to expect the same from my advisor. During my career, I have known several people in my network who guided me to achieve successes. For my clients, I also want to be a kind of wheelbarrow, but of course a coach in guiding them in their search for a property in Spain!"

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

"I have a tremendous love for both interior design and houses. My heart and soul is in the housing market. I learn a lot from the contact with the client and during the search for the right home I get a good picture of the client which of course helps in finding a suitable home. I can say that my great passion lies 'in bricks'."

Villa in Benissa, Ref. 5099

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

"A big learning moment for me was starting the cleaning business. We grew SO fast and SO hard, no one believed we had legitimately achieved this. The success was unprecedented and this was a turning point in my career for me. As a person, I grew tremendously at the time."

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

"If you dream of something, make that dream a reality! And then when you are in the process of making that dream a reality, don't let others stop you. Stand behind your own vision.

Have you been a wheelbarrow for anyone?

"I try to be a mentor to clients and play the story very honestly. Playing games is not for me and sometimes I even play devil's advocate to really keep my clientele on their toes."

Visit Kasa Exclusiva at MASTERS EXPO. From November 18 to 22 in RAI Amsterdam: MASTERS EXPO - The Forward Edition. Ticket sales start this month.