Founded in Malta in 1982, Dhalia is today considered the largest privately-owned real estate agency in Malta and Gozo. Speaking exclusively to WhosWho.mt on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, CEO Alan Grima looks back on its trailblazing roots, which were laid at a time when the company had very little competition, but various different obstacles.

“Dhalia was set up as a real estate agency by brothers Mark and Christopher Grech, operating out of one office on Testaferrata Street,” the CEO explains, affirming that initially, the company solely focused on residential sales.  

“At the time, the rental of properties was hardly existent, and we were also working in very turbulent times politically. The company started by networking with the local village sensara – they were the ones who were mostly involved in property transactions,” Mr Grima maintains. 

“Mark and Chris, along with a few agents, had to knock on doors to start building Dhalia’s database. It was all paper-based at the time, and there was no technology which would have facilitated the process,” he continues, yet the trying times would go on to breed many innovative ideas. For example, the CEO references the fact that Dhalia was the company that introduced special rights when it comes to agents; as well as being the first company to introduce a commission-based structure; it introduced inspection rights for people who list properties on the company’s books; and also inspection forms which were non-existent before that time. 

A couple of short years later, Dhalia also got involved in property development. “The company was growing at a very fast pace, and this was seen as the next step,” Mr Grima notes, maintaining that one of the key points throughout the company’s journey is pro-activity – and it was this proactive attitude that saw it go from a single office with one phone line to operating 15 offices across the islands, with a new one set to open in Qormi in the coming months. 

Another key factor that made the company successful was working on a previously unheard of schedule: that is, on a seven-day basis. “It was Dhalia who started the seven-day week opening times for our offices, and that helped the company to grow. Between 1983 and 1985, Saturdays and Sundays were non-stop!” 

Detailing the agency’s main landmarks since then, Mr Grima highlights the shift in its main offices to premises in Gzira and St Julian’s, which both continue to be landmark offices today, as well as the opening of their office in Tower Road, Sliema. “We still very much believe in walk-in trade, and our personal relationships with clients,” he notes, explaining that of course, technological advances have also changed their business landscape drastically.

In fact, Mr Grima’s own background is in IT and software development, joining Dhalia as CIO in 2008, before forming part of the Board of Directors and eventually being appointed CEO in 2016. Even before his time, he affirms, Dhalia was always considered a truly innovative player in the market. “We take pride in introducing new technologies and services on the market. My background helped a lot, especially with the technological advances that have been happening over the past years,” he says, describing it as a motivating factor for him on a personal level.  

“Innovation helps in keeping you busy and creative, so it was the perfect fit. In our industry, innovation is one of the main, if not the main factor. Ultimately, all agencies are selling practically the same product – most properties are listed with many agencies, so the key is innovation and the creative side of it. These are the factors that have helped me throughout the past 14 years – I'm still enjoying it till this very day,” he smiles. 

Reflecting on how the industry has changed since the start of Dhalia’s journey, Mr Grima admits that in the initial years, there was practically no competition, which makes it hard to be innovative. “Today, with all the competition there is, it helps us to continuously test ourselves – the more innovative players there are in the field, the more creative you can be. The market has become very creative, and it’s really what makes the competition healthy,” he says.   

The CEO goes on to say that an essential element in the industry today is that companies have to be ahead of the game, all the time, continuously adapting to change. An exciting recent development, he continues, is one the agency had been pushing for some time: operating in a regulated industry. “This should help our clients in having the assurance they need that they are getting a professional service,” he says.  

And ultimately, 40 years on, Mr Grima highlights that what really makes Dhalia stand out are its people. Drawing attention to a campaign the company kicked off several years ago, ‘Real Estate, Real People’, he notes “we wanted to emphasise the importance of our people. Ultimately, they are the true Dhalia,” pointing out that Dhalia is also the only local company that offers license training in-house. “We’re accredited to do this, and it gives us a lot of flexibility, as well as control on the level of detail that we want to go into, combining the requirements for regulation with additional training that is required for someone to go that extra mile.   

“One of our top priorities is based on the experience concept, because we believe that everyone – our property consultants, management and even our clients – should enjoy a unique experience,” he continues, adding, “we are working hard to ensure that every experience provided by every one of us is truly exceptional and unique – that is what I feel makes us different.” 

In fact, while the CEO recognises the importance of celebrating the company’s milestone anniversary in style, and hints at various events planned for this year, he insists that the main focus will be recognising the various stakeholders – its people, clients, and partners – affirming that without them, Dhalia wouldn’t be where it is today.