Category: real estate

Real Estate Meaning

For everybody who is not a native speaker hearing the first time the wording “real estate” might seem odd. What is the meaning of real estate?

“Real” means “existing, true” as per the Latin origin from the root “res” meaning “thing”. Some also believe it comes from another root (rex) that means royal as in the past only the royals were landowners. However, as the British don´t use the words real estate, they would rather say “property”, I find it unlikely. But who can know for sure?

According to https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/estate Estate has its origin in Middle English (in the sense ‘state or condition’) and that comes from Old French “estat” which came from Latin root “stare” meaning ‘to stand’.

Thinking of the origins of the words real estate makes total sense to describe a property.

Real Estate Meaning – what do we usually understand?

Or better, many words relate to pictures in our head. For me, if I hear real estate, I think of and nice land with green grass and a fancy house.

Many would define it as land and anything immovable on it, such as buildings. Often, it would include air rights above the land and underground rights below the land.

In the past real estate meant a lot to people. It was their livelihood. That´s where they would live and grow their food, raise livestock etc. In todays modern live things have change a bit. A family no longer need to have a big estate to support themselves. Nevertheless, real estate is still very important for us. Naturally, everybody needs a place to live.

In addition, many people work in the property sector. The real estate industry is estimated to give jobs to at least 4 million people worldwide. However, his is just an estimate as many countries have no real estate license laws.

Above all, the biggest question can only be answered by yourself.

What does real estate mean for you?

Are you thinking to buy or sell, then visit www.all-real-estate.com

Will you be at Portugal’s largest real estate show?

In October this year it will be time again for all real estate lovers to flock to Lisbon. Portugal’s largest property fair will held its 22nd edition from October 10th to 13th.

In this four-day event you can discover large commercial developments, learn about latest trends from leading real estate experts and find potential partners for your real estate business among the exhibitors.

SIL, short for “Salão Imobiliário de Portugal”, is a meeting place for real estate investors, entrepreneurs, technicians, public institutions as well as potential buyers.

You can get a ticket for 8 EUR or if you buy 4 tickets in a bundle it costs only 20 EUR.

There will also be a Competition – the annual SIL Real Estate Awards

SIL promotes Real Estate Excellence, so this can be a good opportunity to get some attention at the Largest Real Estate Show.

The categories are:

Sustainable Construction and Energy Efficiency

The Best Real Estate Project for

  1. a) Commerce, Services and Logistics
  2. b) Housing
  3. c) Tourism.

Urban Rehabilitation

  1. a) Housing
  2. b) Tourism
  3. c) Public Spaces
  4. d) Offices
  5. e) Commercial and Services.

You can see all information and how to enter the competition on https://imobiliario.fil.pt/

If you think, “yeah, that´s all very nice but will be too boring for my kids”, think again! The makers of the fair even thought about that. There will be a Kid’s Club, where parents can drop of their kids. They organise various play and educational activities for children aged between 3-12 years old. Knowing that the kids are having great fun and being looked after, the parents can stroll the real estate show with peace of mind.

You can find more about the Kid´s club on https://www.essential-business.pt/2019/06/04/sil-launches-sil-village-and-sil-kids-club/

Where is the real estate show?

FIL – Feira Internacional de Lisboa
Rua do Bojador, 1998-010 Lisbon, Portugal

Would be great to meet you there!

Can a real estate agent have tattoos?

If you are self-employed as a real estate agent, sure you can have tattoos, you can have or dress whatever you like. The question is if it is beneficial in your business or may even draw away some possible buyers.

Although having a tattoo might be a good way to strike up a conversation and meet new prospects, keep in mind that you will deal with all sorts of clients – maybe even some who don´t like tattoos (yes, they still exist).

Having your appearance as neutral as possible will help your customers to focus on the property you are showing them.

When it comes to an agent who works for a real estate company or represents a certain brand this might be a different story.

What kind of tattoo real estate companies allow or not depends on each individual case. They may require employees who deal with customers to reflect the character of the company in their outward appearance. Important are the policies of the real estate brand, as well as the expectations of the clientele.

The company may specify what its employees should wear and how they wear it. For example, they may forbid to wear jeans, sneakers, or to go without tie or jacket when meeting customers. They may also instruct employees to always remove piercings or cover tattoos when in contact with possible buyers.

One thing is certain: Large and visible tattoos are a no-go

Having a monster tattooed in your face might not be a good idea when you are trying to sell a luxury villa to some conservative clients.

As a real estate agent, you should draw attention to the property you are selling. That´s why your appearance in general – having a tattoo or not – should not be too intrusive.

5 reasons for less technology in real estate

New buildings nowadays seem like technical centres. It makes all sense as it serves both, protecting our environment and comfortable living, right?

Well… Let´s consider a few things here.

All these technical equipment didn´t pop out of nowhere. It was produced in factories. If you are concerned with the environment, make some research to see how much energy was needed or how much CO2 was produced in the making process.

With our effort to reduce energy consumption by using sophisticated technology in real estate, we have increased the cost of our construction.

Not only that. The additional costs for maintenance and service for those technologies will need to be paid for as long as the building is in use. Unfortunately, in many cases those maintenance costs exceed the amount you saved in your electricity bill.

Technology in real estate – here are five reasons to consider why less can be more

1 – High construction costs
Today, building technology is one of the biggest costs in a new construction.

2 – Short lifespan of the system
Unfortunately, many built-in technologies are less and less durable. In complex technical systems, there are many things that can break.

3 – High power consumption for unnecessary comfort
Whether timer-controlled lighting, sensors that measure the presence, automatic irrigation systems or the simple operation of complex technology chains – the “modern living” costs more electricity than some people think.

4 – Lack of workforce
At the first maintenance of the installed system, you might face a problem. No expert is available. Or maybe no one who is familiar with the complex system in your real estate. This not only leads to long waiting times for maintenance and repair, but also to increased prices for services requested.

5 – Increased electrosmog
Whether electrosmog can make you sick has not yet been scientifically clarified. Although, if a certain level of electrosmog can make you sick is still in question all agree that it is probably healthier to live with as little electrosmog as possible.

There are so many good reasons to pause and consider our approach to modern construction. We should ask ourselves how much technology we really need for comfortable living.

Keep in mind: maintenance-free systems will always save you time and money, in the construction process and beyond.