Urban Capital Group’s Passive Building Newspaper in collaboration with De Morgen

Each project at the developer Urban Capital Group is carefully chosen and finished. Two women at the head of the company focus strongly on personal assistance, with a focus on interior choices. “We provide a feminine touch in the sector, with more lifestyle.”

The projects of Urban Capital Group are very diverse: a large residential complex in Antwerp Centre, a small apartment building in Mortsel, Eco Design Villas in Zoersel

Inge Caes, Director of sales and development: “We focus on projects in which we see an added value for the residents and for the environment. We only select beautiful locations or prima locations in the making. We not only look at the financial aspect, but our gut feeling should be right. The Glass House in Antwerp is a good example: it was abandoned and six project developers before us had already pulled out. But we saw a lot of opportunities in that wonderful modernist building, close to the old town.

Even with the choice of new locations, we consider the future residents. We try to put ourselves in the position of our target group: how they want to live, what their needs are. Particularly in our approach is that the commercial team is involved from the beginning in the development process. I am head of the Department of Development, but also commercial head of the company. Throughout the whole process we keep constantly in mind the interests of our customers.”

You put great emphasis on a personal guidance of the customers. For a developer is that the exception rather than the rule.

Inge Caes: “In our early years we also followed the classic way: the customers were given a list of vendors and shops, where they could make their choice for floors, kitchens, and others. But we noticed that our customers were struggling to make these choices. They could not see the wood for the trees no more. They usually know very well what they like, but they find it difficult to create a coherent set of colors and materials. Often our customers were even too late to submit their choices. They were emotionally not ready for it. Afterwards they were satisfied, but their house was missing just that little bit extra. Four years ago, we changed course.  We were committed to provide better guidance through the process, both in terms of timing as inspiration and advising. Since than we have our own interior designer in house, Ramona Govers.”

 

About Levi Dewaegenaere

Levi Dewaegenaere grew from a professional tennis player to a successful entrepreneur. He is currently the founder and CEO of both Urban Capital Group and Waegener.

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Read the full article here on de Morgen.