Business View Caribbean - June 2024

the competitive real estate market with agility and strategic foresight. Roger Schimmel recounts, “I took over shares from the former owner who established the company about 22 years ago. Over the years, the company grew steadily. Douglas has been with the company a year and a half longer than I have, and together, we’ve been very involved, especially over the last five years.” In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Century 21 Aruba faced unique challenges and opportunities. Rey describes this period as transformative: “For the past few years, especially after Covid, it has been very successful. The market saw significant changes, and demand increased. We had to adapt our strategies and face more competition from other brokers on the island. But we adapted well. We are one of the largest real estate companies here, leveraging the opportunities that arose post-Covid to our advantage and continuing to expand.” Despite being part of a global franchise, Century 21, Aruba maintains significant autonomy. Rey explains, “We have certain guidelines as a franchisee, but we’ve enhanced them by tailoring our approach to the local market. Our marketing and client service are very aggressive, which sets us apart from many competitors.” He elaborates on their marketing tactics: “Our agents are easily recognizable with their branded logo uniforms. We have prominent billboards and signs at most of our listings. A couple of years ago, we completely rebranded and remodeled our office to meet new standards, ensuring our brand is highly visible on the island.” Schimmel adds to this, emphasizing their franchise relationship’s supportive yet flexible nature: “The philosophy with Century 21 is that they are there if we need them. We can run our business in a way that works best for the Aruba environment. It’s a relationship that works very well for us.” NAVIGATING THE UNIQUE ARUBA MARKET Century 21 Aruba thrives by understanding and adapting to the distinctive aspects of the local 67 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 11, ISSUE 06 CENTURY 21 ARUBA