This article by OPP Connect editor Adrian Bishop was originally posted on OPP Connect.
The OPP Group has appointed one of the overseas property industry’s leading figures, Thijs Stoffer, as its new managing director.
Stoffer, who has several high-profile global roles in the sector, plans to continue the growth of the leading overseas property media and business information group, which is best known for publishing OPP Magazine and the OPP Connect website and organizing OPPLive trade shows.
In addition to his new role at OPP, Stoffer will continue as CEO of leading overseas property industry association ICREA, the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations.
Thijs Stoffer
Stoffer tells OPP Connect, “Property companies are looking for effective communications and marketing, while keeping costs at efficient levels and seeking the right response at the right time from the market. Efficient cross-border business-to-business marketing is the key.
“Helping OPP to grow its tailor-made products for different types of property markets around the world is a challenge I am looking forward to be part of.”
He is particularly keen to contribute to OPP’s expansion into Singapore, China and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, where the group has recently opened new offices, appointed senior staff and is launching the new OPPLive Asia show, in Singapore, April 23-24.
“Reaching out to investor regions, including Singapore, Southeast Asia, China and others, is a sensible thing to do. Investors in real estate are still around and OPP helps to find them.”
As economies and housing markets recover following the fallout from the global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, demand for overseas property is rising around the world — along with the need for products and services to help overseas property professionals, he says.
“Whether it is German brokers reporting increased investor interest from Russia, China and the Middle East, or a new law facilitating residency permits for non-EU citizens and their family members when they buy property in Greece, or foreign investors returning to Dublin and taking advantage of lower apartment pricing, or Swiss banks increasing the capital buffer against loans or Chinese buyers pushing up Australian home prices, it all shows that the property markets around the globe are slowly getting back to normal.
“In this environment, the availability of essential news, information, insight, data and connections for businesses in the international property sector are vital. While the property industry is gradually expanding again, OPP’s products and services offer a solution for this.”
Stoffer’s background is in strategic communications, political science and international relations. He has more than 25 years’ experience in management and leadership roles in national and international businesses, industries and not-for-profit organizations.
In 2008 he became chief executive officer of ICREA, which is based in Chicago, and serves overseas property industry associations in 45 countries that reach 1.5million professionals in 500,000 offices, who deal with 4 million properties each day. Its website is worldproperties.com.
ICREA promotes cross-border business opportunities between professionals and represents the real estate industry on high-profile intergovernmental bodies.
Last year, Stoffer became chair of the RICS World Regional Regulatory Advisory Panel for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA WRAPP), which advises on regulatory policy and strategy for RICS members and firms in the region.
He is a frequent speaker at international conferences and meetings and has been a judge for the OPP Awards for Excellence.