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July 16, 2024
Mr Kaufmann joined WENET AG as Chief Executive Officer in 2022 after the company was acquired by Ki-Group. Under Mr Kaufmann's leadership, the company is focused on fulfilling its mission to expand access to and ownership of real estate, as well as expanding the marketing of properties internationally. Mr Kaufmann's business principles are to balance the exceptional 50-year heritage of KI-Group with efficiency and technology, as well as increasing market share to secure the company's long-term future.
Before joining WENET AG, Mr Kaufmann was, among other things, the country director of a real estate company, which he built up into a renowned real estate service provider in Switzerland at the time. Mr Kaufmann is one of the most successful real estate agents in Europe and also managed the administration of a renowned construction company as well as the management of the family portfolio, which included the development of the construction company, the acquisition of subsidiaries, the expansion of new construction projects and further investments in the real estate and finance business.
Mr Kaufmann joined the KI-Group as CEO of WENET AG after more than 16 years of experience in the real estate, construction and finance sectors in Switzerland and throughout Europe as well as abroad. During his more than 10 years of highly successful work from Zurich, he was instrumental in the success of a construction company which is part of the KI-Group. In this function he supervised the key account business in Switzerland and neighbouring countries. Prior to that, he worked for several years at the forefront of sales in various customer and management positions, including as head of the construction division for the DACHI+ region and head of the internal investment department in Switzerland.
The Board of Directors explained the personnel decision: "The current good state of WENET AG and our great ambitions have prompted us to accelerate the transformation of our business model in order to further strengthen our leading position," it said in a statement. "We are convinced that Mr Kaufmann will be able to implement this transformation while respecting our team and our values."
In the property market, as everywhere else, demand determines supply and price, and the returns generated determine profits.
WENET - Wealth Investment Network AG is part of the Ki-Group and plays a leading role in property marketing.
Mr Kaufmann, what do you think about the development of the property market in Switzerland?
Switzerland is known for its political stability, excellent infrastructure and high standard of living. The Swiss property market has always been considered a safe investment, but in recent years it has changed in many ways, and changed faster. Property was expensive, but demand was high and the market was relatively stable. In recent years, the market has changed dramatically.
The introduction of the Swiss Property Index, the emergence of the Swiss rental market and the influx of foreign investment have had an impact on the market. These changes have made the Swiss property market more accessible and attractive to investors, and it is likely that the market will continue to develop in the future.
What sets you apart from the competition?
WENET AG is not a conventional property provider that offers everything from letting, management and administration to sales - WENET AG makes the difference here by specialising specifically and exclusively, i.e. 100%, in property sales. We do this like no other provider on the market - here we offer an unrivalled range of services and a unique selling point at this level.
The added value of WENET AG is characterised by what?
Wenet AG offers solid and sustainable investment opportunities for private individuals and companies, from small to large investors. Thanks to a very modern structure and investments in a future-oriented infrastructure, the employees of Wealth Investment Network AG (WENET for short) can optimally fulfil both existing and new client needs and react quickly to changes in the market.
How do you keep your quality standards so high?
A key foundation of this long-standing success is the intensive training and further education provided by the company's in-house academy as well as the high quality assurance of the systematically organised services. As part of the Ki-Group, WENET AG has specialised in real estate brokerage for over 50 years. In addition, we have opened our training centre in 9470 Buchs as of 2023, adding another excellently developed location in German-speaking Switzerland to our 20 office locations.
With us, performance is sustainably rewarded. Our employees are personally guided to success through exclusive training, one-on-one meetings, coaching and, as we are not a franchise or foreign broker, our clients and employees can benefit from our many years of experience in the Swiss property market. Furthermore, renowned partnerships in Switzerland and abroad offer an excellent complement to our practical experience, which is always greatly appreciated by property consultants and brokers in training both nationally and internationally.
What can you summarise about your company?
Wealth Investment Network AG (WENET) offers you a unique all-round service with effective and efficient processing. Whether you are looking for the right property to buy. For a yield-orientated investment project. Or whenever you want to have a professional partner at your side who will accompany you competently and reliably: from valuation to financing to purchase or sale. We have been dealing with property since 1974 and have extensive experience and a broad network.
The future of the property market is uncertain, as many factors have an influence and economic conditions can change. Nevertheless, we expect the market to remain strong in the near future. Firstly, interest rates, which have been low for years, are likely to rise slightly for the foreseeable future but remain relatively low. This is likely to remain the case. Low mortgage rates make buying a home more attractive. The world is moving on, and the property market is no exception to the changes that come with time. With the advent of technology, new methods of buying and selling property and more opportunities to invest in property, the future of the property market looks very promising for WENET AG.
What changes are you or your industry still facing?
The world of property is changing rapidly and people are now turning to digital solutions for their investments. Specialised platforms make it easy to research and compare properties on the market before making a purchase. The availability of data, such as average property prices, average time on the market or neighbourhood statistics, allows people to make more informed decisions about the properties they are interested in. In addition, new digital trends such as virtual viewings, visualisations and digital inspections are becoming increasingly popular. While these technologies make the property selling/buying process easier and more efficient in some cases, they also make it riskier. Due diligence is at the forefront of property sales, which makes virtual tours more difficult, as only a personal inspection on site can provide information about the true actual situation.
The issue of sustainability is also becoming increasingly important in the property market. More and more homeowners are investing in or being encouraged to invest in environmentally friendly and energy efficient technologies to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on their energy bills. Solar panels, water-saving appliances and smart thermostats are becoming more common as homeowners look for ways to reduce their environmental impact and save money at the same time.
With this in mind and in order to keep pace with the rapid development of constantly increasing technologies in the financial sector, a new office location was opened in Eastern Switzerland in January 2023.
Can you tell us about your training centre in German-speaking Switzerland?
WENET AG is growing and we are expanding our network and office space with a further, excellently developed location in German-speaking Switzerland, at Fabrikstrasse 17 in 9470 Buchs SG.
The training and back office centre will be opened here in order to continue to provide our customers and employees with excellent service. In addition to our headquarters in Zug, we are thus adding a very attractive extension in eastern Switzerland. If the previous 20 locations spread across Switzerland were not enough, Fabrikstrasse 17 in Buchs SG offers a new place to meet and develop friendships, partnerships and a family network of employees.
Thank you for your time and we look forward to your closing remarks:
As specialists in property sales, we focus on these changes as well as the needs and concerns of our buyers and investors. Here we accompany and advise our clients in detail from the start to the sale as well as years afterwards, often in the form of a friendship or partnership that has happily developed as a result.
In view of so many positive changes, we see the future of the property market as very promising for WENET AG and are well prepared for both existing and new challenges.
