How long have you been with Ka Villa? What’s your position?
I started in February 2013. I'm the Project Manager in charge of design, construction, sales and marketing of the pool villa development, Ka Villa at Laem Ka Beach in Rawai.
What were you doing / where were you living & working before?
I was a Real Estate Agent with Re/Max Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for 15 years and have been in real estate in Phuket for 12 years now.
What’s special / different about Ka Villa?
Ka Villa is in a unique location, just a 10 minute walk to the year-round sandy swimming beach of Laem Ka Beach.
What are its unique points?
The living room and master bedroom open up entirely to the outside, which is one-of-a kind in Phuket. At Ka Villa you can have a 2-, 3-, 4- or even a 5 bedroom villa, some with ocean views, from 9.2 million baht.
Tell us something about your role in the business.
I oversee the project & villa design, sales, marketing, construction and financial matters. As all areas are interrelated, it helps to have one person in charge of everything.
What are the main challenges as they relate to your role?
Finding the time to look into everything, especially as the development is selling so quickly.
And what are the biggest difficulties you have to overcome?
Speaking ‘Construction Thai’ so that I can communicate effectively with the workers. What’s your main target market? Our target market includes:
1) The seasonal tourist looking for a holiday home.
2) Foreigners planning to retire soon but who want to buy now to avoid the increasing prices in Phuket.
3) Investors looking for a good return on their investment.
4) Local expats seeking to move into a better-quality home but wanting to keep within their retirement budget.
What’s your approach to marketing?
Cooperative promotion of the development through property agents on the island and a strategic variety of advertising in many different mediums to target all buyers.
What do you like most about what you do now?
I've always loved property sales and now as Project Manager, I get to be involved in every aspect of the development including the construction and design. Every day is different and presents a new challenge.
And what do you like least…?
Not as much personal time to enjoy the great island of Phuket.
What do you see as your biggest successes to date?
The speed of sales at a new development is surprising with Phase 1 sold out in less than one year, and to see the show villas completed in less than 6 months.
Did the protests in Bangkok affect your business?
Not at all: Potential buyers know Phuket well enough to know that Bangkok and Phuket are very different and what happens in Bangkok has little effect on the Phuket real estate market.
What is your overriding ambition at this stage in your life?
To do my own project as a developer. I know that the customers love my villa designs. Sales and marketing in Phuket is second nature to me after 27 years in property sales, and now the construction process and details are part of my vocabulary, both from a language and knowledge perspective.
For further information about Ka Villa
Tel: +66 86 6862389
www.kavillaphuket.com