Commercial Property Management is a rather complicated business in Albania. One of the companies that has a wide experience in this field in Albania is ACREM (Albanian Commercial Real Estate Management), part of Balfin Group.
Currently, ACREM manages shopping centers such as TEG (the largest in the country), QTU and AOOS, business centers. ACREM also manages the residential areas such as Ambassador 3, which counts about 155 luxury residential suites and 123 parking spaces, offering many facilities in the way of living, the residential complex “Rolling Hills Luxury Residences”, a complex of 122 elegant villas, the first of its type in Albania, where thanks to the ACREM’s management, the complex offers a luxurious and secure experience. There are many other projects in focus that are expected to be developed in the future.

To get known more closely with this kind of business and with its various processes and services, we met with Mariola Kuçi, Executive Director of ACREM.

Mariola, could you tell us more about ACREM. What’s its story?

ACREM (Albanian Commercial Real Estate Management) is part of Balfin GROUP, the largest and most innovative investment group in Albania and one of the largest in the region.
ACREM was established in 2007, taking over the successful management of QTU, the first Shopping Center in Albania. The company manages shopping centers and residential buildings, from which we can mention, TEG, QTU, AOOS Shopping Center in Fier, Rolling Hills, Ambasador 3 etc. We can say for sure that ACREM has already established standards for best real estate management practices.

What are the services you provide and who are the beneficiaries of these services?
With a network of professionals, ACREM offers a wide range of services such as:
Shopping center Management; Housing Units Management; Real estate management inside and outside Balfin Group; Lease of business and residential units; Marketing. Property Maintenance with Services such as: Technical Property Maintenance; Financial consultancy; Professional Cleaning Services; Disinfection Service; Greenery Maintenance; Security (Security); etc.

Commercial centers under real estate management of ACREM are turned into the most visited shopping destinations in Albania, and the most convenient and visible space that offers great opportunities to develop an activity or promotion. Also, if you are looking for residential environments, business units, offices or warehouses, you are in the right place. We are committed in providing brokerage services for the identification and lease of an immovable property whether these business units, housing, etc. according to the requirements presented by the client whether it is a business or an individual. We conduct research in the real estate market to identify the right property, to meet client’s tenancy requirements for rent, and assist in realizing property tenure for the client. Our real estate experts participate in the signing of the leasehold contract negotation of the property which is to be rented by the client, serving your interests.

What are some of the problems you encounter in your daily work and how do you solve them?
Management and customers’ interaction are difficult fields. In addition, our customers come from different businesses so even in our daily activity we encounter many different issues. But over time and thanks to the many years of experience with a stable and dedicated staff, they become totally manageable with immediate attention. As soon as we know the reasons for each issue, we work to treat and solve them. We can work to prevent customer loss by dealing with issues actively. Being able to identify and address issues as quickly as possible helps us increase our customers’ expectations.

What relations do you have with your customers in the different environments you manage?
Regardless of the typologies of our associates (this is how we call our clients) that is different, this does not prevent us from having a fair, professional and healthy relationship with them. What we hold as trophy is their LOYALTY and loyal associates are created by reciprocity, a social construct that increases faithfulness. We are transparent about the activities we carry out, communicate results regularly, look and offer opportunities for improvement. We seek regular feedback from everyone and create memories about our common success. It’s consistency that builds trust with partners. They know what to expect and can rely on our team, in the marketing strategies that we create to achieve the required results.
Our company’s culture, leadership, business practices and Customer Relationship Management all contribute to maintain a healthy relationship with associates.

What are the future plans of ACREM?
ACREM aims to expand its customer portfolio and develop into a company with a diversified range of services. ACREM’s goal is to provide an excellent consumer experience, based on years of experience, gained in the market. Following the development of our aforementioned services, we have recently received the Licensing for Professional Training of Housing Administrators, a service that will be in our focus this year-end. ACREM creates value for clients by providing consulting services from the concept development stage through project management to the implementation of the marketing and leasing process, including planning and consulting of your development plans, feasibility studies, mixing of tenants, financial advices, valuation, property management and facilities and much more. By taking advantage of our relationship combined with local retail expertise, we bring you a wealth of new opportunities for development that we invite you to take advantage of!