The Tribune

A prominent Bahamian real estate firm yesterday confirmed it has resumed office operations for the first time in nine weeks after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were eased.

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty said its offices across The Bahamas re-opened from 9am to 1pm in accordance with the government’s requirements. It added that staff and agents used the office closures to further their professional development, team building, and to sharpen sales and marketing strategies.

“Our entire team has been working remotely non-stop and, in many ways, has been busier than ever,” said George Damianos, Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty’s chief executive. “Once the government announced we were going into quarantine indefinitely, we immediately pivoted and began working from our home offices, turning our focus to virtual and digital strategies and beefing up our marketing.”

The company’s executive team has spent two months meeting daily via Microsoft Teams to assess every aspect of its business - from accounting and marketing, to administration and operations. Sales and administrative teams have gathered on weekly calls since March to sharpen their professional skills via the Ninja Selling course, and attended bi-weekly Sotheby’s International Realty training webinars.

“One of the most significant differentiators as a real estate brand is this incredible network of Sotheby’s International Realty agents and marketing experts that we tapped into to gain invaluable insight into the best way forward post-COVID, and how to navigate the downturn of business caused by the pandemic,” Mr Damianos said.

He added that critical details from these calls were incorporated into marketing and sales strategies in the form of e-mail marketing campaigns, corporate communications and a ramped-up social media presence.

Administrative staff supported agents from home as they responded to international inquiries, prepared listing agreements, built brochures, fielded offers and closed sales. The accounting department also worked remotely paying client and company invoices.

“I am utterly impressed with how we’ve come together as a team in this time of crisis,” Mr Damianos said. “This quarantine has offered us the remarkable opportunity to connect more frequently and deeply as a team to exchange ideas and best practices. We are proud of the way our team has stepped up to support and encourage each other, and built upon their already-impressive talents and skill sets.”