International Women’s Day: Women in Business: Stephanie Noll, Sotogrande

Ladies, on Sunday was International Women’s Day! This day celebrates your fantastic achievements in a bid to help forge a gender equal world.

Last week Chestertons Global spoke with Stephanie Noll, to discuss everything from what made her get into the world of property, her motivations, the favourite parts of her job and what her top tips are for the many women who aspire to work within this industry.

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Chestertons: Tell us a bit about Chestertons Sotogrande and your role?

Stephanie Noll: I am the co-owner of Noll Sotogrande, a boutique real estate company located in Sotogrande which is between Marbella and Gibraltar in the south of Spain. Since 2012 we have been associated with Chestertons.

Chestertons: Tell us about your career, and how you got into property?

Stephanie Noll: After graduating from University in Economics in Munich I worked at the Dutch company Randstad Zeitarbeit ( Temporary work agency), where I managed 180 employees. After nearly seven years of working in this company, I decided to move to a warmer place and moved to the Dominican Republic, where I worked in a very luxurious resort development called Sea Horse Ranch, where I learned everything about Real Estate. I moved back to Europe in 1998, first working as a sales manager of the developer Sotogrande SA and started my own business in 2000.

Chestertons: What is your biggest achievement in your career so far?

Stephanie Noll: My biggest and most satisfying achievement is my ability to sell to decerning and demanding clients and then becoming long-lasting friends. This means that they value me professionally but also socially.

Chestertons: What is a typical day for you?

Stephanie Noll: As we are a boutique real estate company we do everything ourselves, to include doing administration work, updating our website, listing a new property, meeting with owners, checking the documentation of the properties, organising viewing schedules with potential buyers, providing feedback to owners and speaking with architects about new projects. We also write newsletters to all our contacts each week, write blogs in three languages (English, Spanish and German), we create adverts for the local newspapers, and we handle the negotiation of the sales of our listed properties, which includes communications with lawyers, town hall, vendors, buyers, etc. We basically take care of clients before, during and after the purchase procedure.

Chestertons: What do you love most about your job?

Stephanie Noll: We live in a very cosmopolitan place, with probably over 40 different Nationalities. I love meeting new people and learning about their stories and meeting clients who become friends. Sotogrande is a large resort development, probably the largest in Europe, and yet wherever you go you meet people you know.

Chestertons: What does it mean to be a woman in your position?

Stephanie Noll: In general I think women are treated the same in our business, as long as they have the knowledge and contacts required. With hard work everything is possible. I have managed to build a business that is my own.

Chestertons: Who is/are your biggest female role model(s) and why?

Stephanie Noll: There are so many women who I admire for taking charge of their own careers and carving new paths in the business world.

I like it when women can take a different approach to lead their business, such as Judy Wicks, a retired entrepreneur from Philadelphia: “Make business decisions from the heart and consider the impact on the well-being of customers, employees, suppliers, community, animals, nature, and future generations.”

Or Donna Morton: “Good leaders listen; they share power; they lead from the front, back, and sides of organizations. Good leaders know and hire to their weaknesses and appreciate the heck out of their people. Good leaders become worthy elders.“

Chestertons: What do you think the challenges are facing women in business today?

Stephanie Noll: Still the biggest challenge for women, is combining a successful business career and balancing it with raising a family. This is still much more challenging for women than for men.

Chestertons: Do you think female estate agents face any unique challenges compared to their male colleagues because of their gender? And what would your advice be to overcome those challenges?

Stephanie Noll: Noll Sotogrande enjoys a very good reputation. Building this reputation takes time and effort. At Noll Sotogrande, we have a pledge which you can read on our website. Basically, these are values we live by… we are responsive, we communicate quickly and effectively, we understand local market trends. We are Sotogrande experts. Gender plays a small part in building this reputation. For example, as a woman, I can understand how a mother finds it important to have good medical service for her children, and how important it is to provide this information to a family looking for a property.

Chestertons: What would you advise women considering a career in property?

Stephanie Noll: Get to know the area well, fully understand the buying and selling process, learn as much as you can about the property you wish to sell, listen to the client’s requirements, make contacts and be curious about everything – simply be ahead of your competitor!

Chestertons: What do you love to do when not working?

Stephanie Noll: I love playing golf and cooking for friends and family.

Chestertons: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

Stephanie Noll: Celebrating all women, and in particular those who make a difference in this world.•

For more information about Chestertons, please visit our dedicated section: https://www.noll-sotogrande.com/the-chestertons-connection