If we go back three years, we could hardly imagine that we are already so far advanced in terms of flexible working today. On our way, the Corona lockdowns with the changing demands on a modern employer have forced a strong tailwind on us. We have made good use of this without grumbling and are grateful today that we have taken our homework seriously and consistently worked through this process. And we can now proudly say that in three major steps we have been able to make ourselves even more attractive for clients and employees.

Step 1: New business offices in our market areas

The real estate business thrives on local competence. Only those who are close to people and properties can do their job properly. With four newly opened offices in just over three years - Zurich North, Zurich City, Pfäffikon SZ and, from February 2023, Winterthur - we now cover all the regions in which we have managed mandates in recent years and want to have an even stronger presence in the future. In doing so, we have always opted for spacious and representative properties, which on the one hand represent the Ginesta image as a qualitatively above-average real estate service provider. On the other hand, we have focused on ensuring that all offices offer sufficient space for employees from other locations to be able to work there. This is just as conducive to the company-wide exchange of knowledge and cooperation on comprehensive or special projects as it is to a better work-life balance for our employees. Today, people organise their working day according to the tasks at hand, pay attention to short distances and have the freedom to organise it in harmony with their private schedules.

"For me, in my job with many external appointments, this is clearly the model of the future: I am much more flexible and the customers also feel and appreciate this. In addition, I save time for long journeys, which I can always put to better use." Angela Kienast, Acquisition and Marketing Consultant

Step 2: the introduction of new digital tools

All employees have mobile work devices. And to ensure that everything runs smoothly, we have been successfully using digital telephones since the summer of 2022. You no longer see any telephones on our desks. Anyone on a call, a video call or a conference call uses a headset and enjoys above-average voice quality without annoying background noise. For order processing, we have implemented state-of-the-art online collaboration tools, which can also be used, for example, to distribute assistance tasks in the assistance pool during holidays or other absences. This also allows tasks to be completed when and where they best fit into personal daily planning.

Step 3: a new mindset

Those who are used to working at their fixed workplace still have the opportunity to do so today. But especially those who are on the road a lot or who, for example, like to have a private lunch appointment in the city or want to go to the gym closer to home after work, simply look for the nearest office to work there. In this way, everyone divides their day according to their preferences, which leads to a great quality of life with a high degree of self-determination. Since we took this step, we all feel that we are being richly rewarded for it. Because the exchange has become better, just as the way to a specialist in a particular field has become shorter. Simply because we also know each other better as people. This modern way of working together requires a lot of mutual trust and also self-responsible employees who know how to deal with it. And here, too, we report exclusively positive experiences and can state that with this model we attract employees who are aware of the price of additional freedom and gain a lot of motivation from it, which pays directly into our overall performance. Or in other words: Win-win.

"For me, the Ginesta model has only advantages: I am closer to our potential clients, I regularly meet my teammates from all offices in the greater Zurich area and finally, I have more time for private activities as I don't have to make unnecessary trips." Riccardo Fazzino, Acquisition Consultant

Priceless: the other advantages in the area of sustainability

With the changeover to more flexibility and greater proximity, we are experiencing many other positive effects on people, quality and, above all, the environment. The way for our clients to reach us has become shorter and we are on site more quickly for viewings or also in the area of our management mandates. As a result, we spend significantly less time in the car, avoid pointless journeys, use public transport more often and thus massively reduce our CO2 emissions without our clients having to compromise on service quality. This is a positive balance not only for our travel expenses, but above all for the climate. In addition, we have noticed that less paper is printed out thanks to clever digital solutions. After all, a lot of paper weighs heavily and hardly offers any added value today. Through all these measures, which also virtually dissolve local distances thanks to more frequent meetings and video telephony, the sense of community at work and in the pursuit of sustainability has become noticeably stronger. One feels part of a modern company that has all aspects for a good future in mind. A meaningful approach that pays off.

 "The opportunity to work in different offices is always a change of perspective for me, which promotes my agility and additionally sharpens the senses for my task." Jessica Ecknauer, Acquisition Consultant

 "Working flexibly at several office locations not only gives me the opportunity to be closer to the customers and thus save car kilometres, but as a young father I also have time for important things such as lunch with my family or longer rest breaks after a restless night, as I can still start my work on time in the home office by avoiding traffic jams" Cédric Hochuli, Head of Valuation Desk