Wetag Consulting leads the way in the luxury real estate market, covering the picturesque Ticino region in Switzerland. Established in 1973, the company is an independent owner-managed boutique real estate agency. The owners pride themselves on their in-depth knowledge of the area, which they call home. As the exclusive member of Ticino, Wetag Consulting represents the most important luxury global property networks.

Wetag Consulting has recently been awarded a prestigious place in the TOP 100 Real Estate Brokers & Developers of the World 2022 by the panel of experts at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards.

Luxury Lifestyle Awards: Congratulations on being selected as one of the TOP 100 Real Estate Brokers & Developers of the World in 2022. What does this mean to you personally and to the company as a whole?

Wetag Consulting: I am very happy for our collaborators. Positive customer feedback is the most beautiful feedback we can receive, but it remains individual. An award is a kind of a public applause, a tag of excellence, very helpful for the image.

LLA: As the leading agency in the Ticino region of Switzerland, what makes you stand out from the competition?

WC: The level of satisfaction amongst our clients is very high, see our „proven[1]expert“ feedback. We are focused on our work for the long term, and we nurture a worldwide network of relations. I am the owner and have been running the company for more than 25 years, both of my partners have been with me for many many years, and our international connections – born with our affiliations with Christie’s, LeadingRe, Luxury Portfolio, EREN, and more – are extraordinary and quite impossible to copy today, I guess.

LLA: You have worked in the area since the company was established in 1973. Can you tell us what changes you have seen in nearly five decades?

WC: We bought the company in 1997, a smallish outfit that had seen its glorious heydays in the ’80s, and we restarted it nearly from scratch.

LLA: How has Wetag Consulting dealt with these changes?

WC: Our most important single step was when, 3 years after we took over, Sotheby’s invited us to become their affiliate, having heard that we were building up an excellent reputation. After this it was like building a brick wall, laying stone on stone.

LLA: The region is an extraordinary one of exceptional beauty and offers homeowners a wide choice of homes and settings. Why do you believe the area is so remarkable, and why did the company set up here?

WC: Ticino is a “best of two worlds”: a unique combination of Swiss precision and safety, with a relaxed subtropical Mediterranean Italianate lifestyle which most people would never expect in Switzerland. Wetag was set here by our forerunners who were big in the construction of hotels and condominiums, and when this business was over after the 89/90 crisis, we bought an ailing company, not intending to run it but just to fix and resell.

LLA: You pride yourself on your exclusive marketing capabilities. What can clients expect from you when they are buying or selling a property that will make the experience a smooth and pleasant one for them?

WC: We do our PR material completely in-house, to the highest technical standards, videos included. We offer bespoke marketing, we can define and target specific client groups all over the world, and we can proceed completely privately if desired.

LLA: The highest standard of customer service is always crucial in the luxury real estate market. How do you ensure that your clients always receive the best possible treatment while going through the somewhat stressful process of buying or selling a home?

WC: We take the stress away from them. Our staff is very professional, multilingual, and highly educated, and probably most importantly, they are all paid on full payroll with possible bonuses, but not with the usual share of their individual sales success. This makes a huge difference in terms of quality. Moreover, we keep enough staff to be able to cover even stressful periods.

LLA: Employing and retaining a skilled, professional team is crucial to the success of any business. How do you go about ensuring you attract the best of the best?

WC: We see who fits. As a principle, we do not employ people who have worked in real estate before. Our company is legendary for its high work quality, so we always have enough candidates.

WC: As in many places in the world, the demand for luxury property was very high in Ticino as well, and it became more and more difficult for us to offer enough products.

LLA: Wetag Consulting has a commanding presence internationally regarding real estate. How do you ensure the company always keeps up with trends and understands the constantly changing marketplace to the best of its ability?

WC: With our many affiliations, we regularly participate in 3 to 5 real estate conferences somewhere in the world, every year. There we often serve as speakers or panelists. Within our company, the origin of our customers is extremely international, since 2000 we’ve served clients from more than 75 nations.

LLA: What significant, interesting, or unexpected trends have you noticed this year?

WC: Well, COVID enhanced the ability to work from home, so even younger clients can afford to live away from their usual workplace.

LLA: What are your predictions for 2023? For the Ticino market and real estate, generally?

WC: Most likely Switzerland will remain an attractive place to live and stay.

LLA: What plans do you have for company’s the future? Do you have any expansion plans both within Ticino or elsewhere?

WC: “The top is a small place”, they say, and we do not favor dilution but remain focused. Our clients are very happy. We’ll only change this winning horse when we are pretty sure to get a better one.