«I would like to start off – he begins immediately John Mastroddi of MG immobiliare - that I am very pleased to take this opportunity to strengthen the trust of the many customers who already know us and of those who approach our agency for the first time, in order to face and clarify, thanks to the specific skills of the sector, regarding some of the most important issues that characterize the real estate market. All of this is particularly effective and interesting, because it allows us to keep contact alive and directly over time with customers interested in real estate sales, and consequently, it helps us to recognize "customer satisfaction" also with respect to this type of service which it is certainly satisfying, and last but not least, to introduce ourselves to readers who do not yet know us».
Let's start without a doubt from what is currently the hottest issue, namely the growth of inflation and mortgage rates. What is your rating?
«Even if the economic policy adopted to curb global inflation has meant that mortgage rates have undergone slight increases compared to the previous months, I confirm that the real estate market in Ticino remains in good health, supply and demand are at levels satisfactory. I am pleased to share a consideration that I often make with my clients, whether they are buyers or sellers. Over the course of my 30 years of experience in the real estate sector, I have had the opportunity to ascertain that 3% mortgage rates are normal in Switzerland, it has always been the average rate guaranteeing a country that has sound economic and political foundations; the exception were the years with rates at 1%, determined by other serious reasons of an international order".
So what are the prospects short to medium term for real estate investment?
«Having said that the 1% mortgage rates were an exceptional event, we fully understand the feelings of customers and of all of us, who receive information on the many "wars and geopolitical evolutions" that have upset all economic sectors. Let's think about the supply of energy, the marketing and distribution of raw materials, logistics and much more.
The Ticino real estate sector remains interesting in moments like these of inflation and risks outside Switzerland. The brick is rightly seen as a safe haven, above all for families who, having saved over the years, turn their funds their attentions to the house to satisfy a new need for space, rewarding itself with an "upgrade" after years of hard work. In doing so they try to avoid the possible risks of the financial market which, as has been demonstrated, has always used its "cynicism" in the face of geopolitical events".
So what are the psychological attitudes that you feel advised to maintain even in this specific moment?
«We have found how authoritative organizations have monitored the prices of Swiss and Ticino properties, reporting a slight decrease in price adjustments, although buyers and therefore new owners have increased in 2022. In my opinion, this is a great sign of confidence both for the real estate sector and for our country. We always advise our clients to keep faith with their risk appetite and the economic health of the family, allowing themselves to be advised and to carefully select the properties. In times of inflation and the Swiss franc as a safe haven, it is possible to take advantage of it to buy properties owned by those customers, of foreign origin, who take advantage of the favorable exchange rate, for example €-CHF, to sell and grant good discounts on the price in favor of the economic advantage obtained on the exchange".
Focusing on our territory, what is the situation of the real estate market in Ticino and Lugano?
«In Ticino and specifically in the Lugano Region, the search for newly built single-family houses and apartments is still important. As mentioned, prices remained stable, lower than the rest of Switzerland, and in my opinion this is mainly due to the low demographic growth affecting Ticino, lower than that of the other Swiss regions. Let's think, for a comparison, of the growth of the Region of Zurich which in one year was 300.000 new residents. This is a theme that should be addressed and taken seriously by our politicians, precisely at this time of the electoral campaign, to find valid solutions and ideas to attract private individuals and businesses".
What are the main projects on which MG Immobiliare is focusing its attention?
«I would like to emphasize that we are operating on two fronts, that of internal work and that of outsourcing. In addition to our daily work to achieve the objectives of the marketing plan designed to satisfy our customers, and which involves important investments to interact quickly and well with customers, we are supporting a number of qualified partners to analyze and commercialize some real estate developments in areas of high value.
We have also updated the property portfolio, with new mandates for 5, 6 stately homes and 4, 5 exclusive penthouses. In Collina d'Oro, close to TASIS, we have beautiful villas for sale ranging from 3 to 10 million, ideal for satisfying every need. I anticipate that we have some truly exclusive penthouses for sale in Centro Lugano and Castagnola, with lake views, terraces and lots of privacy.
Having a long and qualified experience we are also working to improve and perfect the internal work phases of our agency, equipping ourselves with further technical and IT means to develop new acquisitions of properties that meet our ideal target, such as elegant apartments and single-family houses, and welcoming new potential buyers by better answering customer contact questions, optimizing traffic from our website.
Each house tells a story, we are therefore further improving the images, always studying new formulas that can convey the right emotion to buy and let each customer experience "his story of a house"».
Header photo:
Montagnola: new 5,5 room penthouse lake view
