Dhalia working to expand overseas network

After consolidating its chain of strategic partners in the UK and Ireland last November, Dhalia Group is currently working on clinching partnerships around continental Europe. Discussions are under way with companies in Germany, Austria and Norway, and it is envisaged that within the next two months, partnership agreements will be signed.

Dhalia's chairman and CEO Franco Valletta says the company has assigned staff with the responsibility of sourcing new partners while nurturing the existing network. Presently, the network consists of ten strategic partners across the UK and Ireland, comprising a chain of 70 representative offices.

Business development director Chris Grech says the partners are part of Dhalia's plans for international growth and have been highly impressed with our company's vision and business strategy.

Malcolm Prescott, a director at Webbers estate agents, says: "There has always been a demand for people wanting to purchase property abroad, but always had a challenge in identifying a company that could assist them in the country of their choice. Having been established since 1924, Webbers is a name that people have come to trust and so feel very comfortable embarking on purchasing property abroad with us.

"In striking an alliance with Dhalia, it was important for us that our two companies were of the same standing, both in reputation and delivery of service. Over the past few months, we have been building a strong relationship and are sure that our clients will be dealt with the utmost professionalism."

Eight representatives of six of the companies - Anderson Strathern of Scotland, Webbers (counties in southwest England), Bedfords (East Anglia), the Wright Estate Agency (Isle of Wight), Fisher Wrathall (Lancashire), and Matthews Benjamin (Cumbria) - were in Malta last February on a familiarisation visit which also coincided with Dhalia's annual conference. During their stay, the UK representatives also visited properties and projects in different parts of the Maltese Islands.

Commenting about the trip and the alliance with Dhalia, Geoffrey Rowlinson, a partner in Fisher Wrathall, says: "We are delighted to add Malta to our destination countries. Our company also conducts business in Dubai, so there is a lot of additional scope, especially in the commercial aspect of the business, which can add to our alliance with Dhalia."

Mr Grech says there has been an additional positive side effect to the sourcing of international partners. "In the case of our partners in the UK, we helped introduce the various companies to each other, and as a result, they are now working more closely together," he says.

In the meantime, promotion of local property abroad has started in earnest. Last weekend Webbers, which Mr Valletta describes as a "very pro-active" company, held an exhibition in Devon in which Malta was widely promoted. Andrew Gatt, Dhalia's operations director, attended the exhibition to represent the company and promote Malta.

Mr Grech explains that although Dhalia has, in recent years, striven to be present at important international events like these, strategic partners play an invaluable role and are in a better position to follow up with enquiries.

In the past, after an exhibition, Dhalia's representatives would return to Malta and follow up enquiries from here. Overseas clients, however, usually feel more at ease dealing with a local estate agent with a good reputation and track record, who would deal with the Malta agents on behalf of the client, themselves.

As the network of strategic partners continues to grow, Dhalia aims to steer the network's focus to other markets besides Malta. Mr Grech says Malta is too small and the projects too few to make it feasible for an entire network of agents to promote.

With this in mind, Dhalia plans to redesign its Dhalia Property Pages into an international property magazine which would feature international projects the strategic partners are promoting.

The publication, which is to be substantially upgraded, would serve to promote Malta as a destination, feature information on local investment opportunities, besides articles on countries where international projects or properties the Dhalia network is marketing are situated. The magazine would be widely distributed among the partners and Maltese and foreign clients.