There aren’t a lot of people who at the age of 24 could say that they are the CEO of a successful Marbella real estate company specialising in the luxury segment. In fact, Alberto Webster is the youngest person to hold such a position, and while still only 25, this bright ambitious young man is already a highly experienced professional who is wise beyond his years.
Of British and Spanish extraction, Alberto Webster is a son of this coast – born and bred in these parts and representative of its mix of local and expat communities. It’s the reason why he knows the local region and its property market inside out, while also understanding the perspective of foreign buyers. “It means that I am aware of their needs and am better able to build our service around them,” says the young CEO of Blackshaw Estates, who at 25 is already a veteran in the Costa del Sol property business.
“I grew up on this coast and started working in real estate at the age of 19.” By the time he was 21, Alberto had already been appointed director. A born entrepreneur, he didn’t rest on his laurels but instead went on to become CEO in a successful Costa del Sol agency before moving to Marbella and founding Blackshaw Estates in partnership with the leading interior designer Sally Blackshaw. “It’s been a great pairing, as our combined networks and services complement one another very well to provide our homebuying and investor clients with a very complete offering,” says Alberto.
A NEW WAVE IN THE BUSINESS
Young agents such as Alberto not only represent the next generation of professionals in the Costa del Sol real estate sector, they are also helping to revolutionize it with a fresh new approach that embraces modern technologies and marketing and presentation tools while also valuing personal contact and relationships. “This is, after all, a people industry, and one that throws up its fair share of complexities, challenges and rewards.” Alberto loves them all, not being able to pinpoint a part of the work that he likes the best. “I guess I was born for this job because I enjoy it all, even the more complicated moments.” In fact, he gets a certain rush from overcoming challenges, and finds negotiations and problem-solving every bit as exciting as marketing and matching people with the right home.
A natural entrepreneur, he is driven to succeed and achieve goals, but while financial success is naturally part of the picture it is not what motivates him on a daily basis. “I set goals and am keen to achieve results both on a company level and for our clients, but money is what results from it at the end of the process, it doesn’t feature so much when we’re hard at work getting things done,” says the young director who would rather lose a sale than sully his or his company’s name, or go back on his word. “Integrity and trust are vital in this industry, especially if you’re dealing in the upper segment, where reputation is everything.”
LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
When asked, he ascribes his stellar career path to two things: drive and discipline. “I am driven to be successful and more than willing to put in the hours. I’m young, full of energy and share the kind of ambition with my girlfriend that makes us want to succeed in our respective professions.” Discipline is another important factor, as getting up at six every
morning and working out before taking a cold shower and heading off for work gives him the focus and energy that provides an edge.
“That and the fact that I just love doing what I do are the building blocks of what I have achieved so far and hope to achieve in the future.” Ultimately, it’s the track record that Alberto has built up with Blackshaw Estates in a short period of time that has seen this fast- growing company earn the trust of buyers and investors, including those who entrust him to ‘add value’ to the properties they invest in. “Sally and I develop projects on their behalf, and our respective services come together very well to do just that – add value to real estate assets and earn our clients’ good returns.”
In the end, when a young person stands out in the business world it is because they possess drive, ambition, talent and also one other vital skill: leadership. Soft-spoken and easy-going – for all that he is an avid martial arts practitioner in MMA and boxing – Alberto Webster leads a fast-growing team of various nationalities and skill sets chosen because they too add value to the process. The fact that he is so successful in motivating his colleagues and molding them into a well-oiled machine is a sign of his leadership skills as well as his philosophy to lead by example.
The young entrepreneur is one of a select group of contemporaries that are creating a fresh wave in the Marbella real estate sector and taking it in exciting new directions.
