No one needs your luxury apartment as long as everyone is selling it

Why “working with everyone” means not selling to anyone. A view from the head of an elite real estate agency.

My name is Alexey Sergeevich Maralin, and I run the elite real estate agency “Maralin”. Over the years, we have gone through many stages of market evolution, but the topic I want to address today is perhaps the most painful for our segment. We will be talking about how the owner manages their asset at the start of the sale.

This year, we once again revised our approaches to work. We did this four times because we understood the main thing: the old scheme stopped working. And do you know what we encounter most often in practice? The fact that many owners of luxury properties still operate “the old‑fashioned way.”

Watch our video on this topic.

What happens when an owner puts a property on the open market? Dozens of agencies instantly “grab” it. Parallel advertising begins, and duplicates are created in the databases. From the outside, it looks like a lot of activity, but in reality, the object is simply “floating” among the rest. This leads to a series of disastrous mistakes: poor presentation, chaotic price formation, and, worst of all, unscrupulously understating the value without notifying the owner. Agencies start competing with each other, using price as the only argument, forgetting about the value of the object itself.

What is the result? Liquidity declines, exclusivity disappears, and the value of real estate as a unique commodity is diluted. An object that could be sold quickly and profitably lingers for months, losing its appeal in the eyes of serious buyers.

In the luxury real estate segment, every property is a unique item. At Maralin, we have clearly realized that simply posting photos and the square footage is not enough to sell such an asset. We need to convey to the market what kind of property it is, highlight its advantages, and confirm its exclusivity. But this is impossible when everyone is jumping into the fray.

Exclusivity requires focus. We recommend that property owners who want to sell their property in a short time choose one partner agent. Only one professional will be able to fully represent your interests, provide high‑quality “packaging” of the property, and identify the very advantages that should be highlighted.

 Understand this simple truth: the buyer is not buying square meters. They are buying a lifestyle, comfort, and the satisfaction of their needs. Therefore, the listing should be prepared not for the property, but for the buyer — speak the language of benefits and emotions. This is the scheme we have developed and successfully apply.

Unfortunately, we often encounter misunderstandings at the stage of taking the property on. The owners refuse to sign a contract, wanting “everyone to do their part.” We have a favorite saying: “When everyone is working, no one is working.” This rule works flawlessly.

I recommend that sellers not waste their time. In today’s challenging economic conditions, finding one reliable partner who will stand up for your price and is committed to conducting a high‑quality transaction is the only path to success. Don’t let the market devalue your asset. Choose a professional you trust and rely on their strategy.