October 10, 2020

Anyone who sells their property has a professional broker by their side, but the buyer has no one. I want to change that.

When Mia Brown came to Sweden with many years of experience in the real estate brokerage industry, she saw that something was missing from the market in Sweden. Almost everyone sells their property with the help of a broker, but the buyer stands  alone, without any professional help. Therefore Home Moi  International was created to provide that support to buyers throughout the process of buying real estate..

Hi Mia, can you tell me briefly about your background?

“If we start from the very beginning, I was born in Brussels and  moved as a child to Paris where I lived for 12 years. My family then moved back to Brussels where I attended  High  School  and College, so my mother tongue is French.”

“Through a few years in England, I moved to the US and ended up in Orlando, Florida where I started my career in the real estate industry. I then joined  Sotheby’s  in Orlando. One of the  things I liked about  Sotheby’s  was the  high  standard and the quality of service. Sotheby’s  was considered one of the very best brokers as far as providing an excellent real estate experience. I really enjoyed working in that environment, giving people  an exclusive experience.”

“Sotheby’s was then bought and I moved to Keller Williams. They are probably not so well known here in Sweden, but in the USA they were considered to be the best at developing people in the real estate profession. The time with them was a wonderful experience, they were very professional and developed me as an agent.”

“I had a feeling within me that had grown stronger and stronger, I wanted to do something of my own and follow my own path”

With Keller Williams, are we still in Orlando?

“Yes, we are. I have then worked about seven years as an agent and met a Swedish man who owned a second home in Orlando. For a while I travelled back and forth between Orlando and Stockholm and really started to like Sweden.”

“I had a feeling within me that had grown stronger and stronger, I wanted to do something of my own and follow my own path. At the same time, I seriously thought about moving to Sweden so I began to think about what I could do.”

“The seller has a professional broker by his side, but the buyer has no one”

Is the result we see here “Home Moi”?  How did it become Home Moi?

“When I considered moving in Sweden, I started to investigate the real estate market to understand how it worked and where I could best add value. I quickly realized that there is something missing here that was quite obvious to me.”

“There is an imbalance between sellers and homebuyers. When someone is selling a home in Sweden, you have someone that represents the seller who is a professional real estate broker by their side, but the buyer has no one. The buyer is pretty much on their own, I want to change that.”

So Home Moi represents  buyers,  are you a kind of a competitor to brokers?

“We only work for the buyers,  not for the sellers. Therefore I  don’t see us as competitors but more like counterparts to brokers. That allows us to be impartial. We want to create a safety throughout the process for the person who is going to buy. I am convinced that it can create a sense of security as well  for the sellers that is now dealing with a serious buyer that has gone through the necessary due diligent to buy a home.”

What kind of response did you receive from the real estate industry when you presented your  ideas?

“In the beginning they were a bit reticent, because they didn’t really know where I would fit into the market, but now I’ve had many good discussions with brokers. I am convinced that together we can create a good experience for buyers and sellers. Having a good collaborative relationship with brokers is important and obvious for Home Moi.”

“Many people I’ve talked to have described the buying process as a nightmare, stressful and competitive.”

How have people reacted to the idea?

“Wow, I wish I had someone to turn to when I bought my house” “I’ve heard that several times”. “It would have saved me so much time and  helped me sleep better.” , “is something people have also said.” “So it just confirmed my vision and I felt that a company like mine needed to exist here.”

“Many people I have talked to had described the buying process as a nightmare. It’s an extremely competitive environment, the stress is high when the bidding process starts, often people don’t have the necessary knowledge of the market and are often unsure of what they are buying and how it works in general.”

“I really understand that stress feeling, all of a sudden you buy something for millions of SEK and you are forced to become an expert in an area that you knew nothing about before. Something that could be an amazing experience ends up to not be at all positive. This is not the way to start when  moving  into a new home. With a company like Home Moi, a balance is created in the market and the process becomes much more healthier for everyone.”

Do you see this as an exclusive service?

“No, I see it as a service for anyone who is going to buy a home. It’s like an insurance. It’s really not about an exclusive service, it’s about getting support, guidance and a sense of safety when  you’re going to make one of the biggest investment in your life. Which are the key elements that are important to feel confident, those elements creates a positive experience during the process and beyond”.

“There are many terms and conditions around a purchase that can be negotiated“

How does a collaboration start?

“It starts with you looking for a home, calling us and then we schedule a meeting – in your office, in your home or in our office, where we discuss your needs. Then we start looking for properties for you and send you suggestions. Once you have made your choices, we book a tour and go with you and discuss it with the listing broker. We are there for you throughout the process,  from viewing and negotiation to final inspection and handover of the keys”

If you negotiate, isn’t it just about who makes the highest bid?

“Not necessarily. There’s so much to consider before you get there. From examining everything around the home, the rules and regulations of a home owner association,  asking the right questions to the broker, negotiate the terms. There are many conditions around a purchase that can be negotiated and I am not just thinking about the monetary part of the contract.”

” If the process is quick, it would be nice to have a professional by your side“

One objection you usually  get is that the  market is so fast here, the properties come in the market and disappear right away. Is it really the case in Stockholm,  the market is so much faster here?

“In big cities in general, in some specific areas, it can be quick. The buyer has to keep up before the home gets sold. But for me it’s not a reason why the  buyer should lack professional support. Actually if the process is quick, it would be nice to have a professional by your side that has the time and expertise to help them make the right decision.”

Why isn’t this service already available in Sweden?

“Because no one outside the real estate market, who is independent, with the right knowledge, confidence and a strong belief in the idea has entered the market and implemented it. The need has always existed, but no one has succeeded fully.”

What do you mean, independent?

“HomeMoi has no listing to sell. We don’t represent sellers and we don’t compete with brokers. We  are looking for homes on all sites and at all brokers, all options are equally interesting no matter who offers them.”

What is the difference between representing a seller and a buyer?

“If you represent buyers, you get to meet a person or a family. You get to know them and connect with people a little better than if you work with sellers. A selling person usually thinks a little more rationally.  A buyer has a dream, a vision of a new home and it creates a different feeling in that relationship.”

Why did you become a broker?

“As  a  little girl, I always drew houses. Houses after houses after houses, with a small tree on the side and a tidy front yard with daisies, haha… So I knew there was something about houses I’d be working with. I’ve always liked helping people too. Working with houses and meeting many people fits quite well with the profession of a real estate agent. So it became natural for me to become a real estate professional.”

Finally, what do you do when you’re not working with Home Moi?

“I spend time with my three children, my charming French bulldog  Léon  and my cool cat  Milou. I  also instruct dance classes called “Latin  cardio”. It is an intense dance workout based on Latin, modern dance, jazz and ballet.”

I also read a lot, tips from this summer’s reading are” The courage to be disliked” by Ichiro Kishimi  and  Fumitake Koga, ,”The Monk who sold his Ferrari” by Robin Sharma and “Evolve your brain” by  Joe Dispenza..  All three are great books for those who like to read about personal development.

Please let me know if you want to know more or need help looking for a home. You can reach Mia  at info@homemoi.se or 08 520 277 48.