Navigating the property market can be quite the challenge in Malta. In the past few years, the sector has experienced rapid changes and developments, showing extraordinary resilience, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From a buyer’s perspective, this has also meant that making heads or tails of the intricacies of the market could be rather daunting. In fact, buyers wouldn’t be mistaken to seek out the experience and guidance of a real estate agency that provides genuine advice in an open manner.

“We are weary of the ‘too-good-to-be-true properties’, as unfortunately, often times these turn out to be problematic in the long run,” warns Justin Camilleri from Real Agents. “Such incredible ‘opportunities’ are known to run into extended delays, or poorer finishes. The inexperienced buyer is often oblivious to the finer details and tell-signs, but we are well versed in this sector. In fact, we make it a point to guide our customers with genuine and specific advice, which helps them make the purchase that matches their budget, taste and timing,” Mr Camilleri explains.

Real Agents is a boutique real estate agency which has been in operation since June 2020, but its founder and CEO Justin Camilleri has been active in the industry for the better part of the last decade.

“We built this agency responding to a niche need, providing excellent quality service, that has set us apart from other providers of similar services. In fact, all of our 12 real estate agents are vastly experienced, high-powered individuals who are specialised in specific property types and regions across the island. We believe that by focusing on a specific region, our agents develop in-depth knowledge of the goings-on of the market in that specific area, acquiring expertise which is translated into an excellent service to our customers,” Mr Camilleri asserts.

“Our agents are also given a free hand when it comes to running their daily business, which delivers faster transactions and a better service to clients,” Mr Camilleri notes.

“We pride ourselves in providing our customers complete honesty, real valuations and uncompromising truth. We find that these values work very well in the long run. Sellers are not blinded by overly optimistic valuations which do not reflect the market, leading to extended periods of uncertainty, while buyers on the other hand are guided through the myriad property options, with honest and genuine advice that leads them to their dream home. We are only too proud to fulfil this go-between role in an excellent manner.”

Asked about the current state of the property market, Mr Camilleri is optimistic in his analysis.

“From what we can see, the letting market has comfortably gone back to its pre-2020 levels of operation. This could be the result of the wider economy bouncing back post-COVID, exerting the pent-up energy it accumulated over the past 24 months. With regard to the sales market, we are actually seeing growth over 2020. This could be due to the measures announced in the government’s 2020 Budget,” Mr Camilleri says.

“The property market has changed significantly in the last decade. Today, the average property on the market is a two-bedroom apartment and 80 per cent of the Maltese still believe in the value of purchasing property over renting. We think that these are contributing factors to the current scenario,” Mr Camilleri points out.

Asked about upcoming challenges for the market, Mr Camilleri is cautious about giving predictions.

“As we have seen over the past few years, the market has shifted so many times that it would be presumptuous to try to give a long-term prediction. However, as the international economic scenarios unfold, with talk of recession in larger countries, as usually happens, this could have an adverse effect in Malta in the long run,” Mr Camilleri notes.

“Several external factors such as an international economic slowdown and the war in Ukraine, can have a significant effect locally, which makes it the more difficult to predict where the market will go in the next few years.”

Nonetheless, focusing on Real Agents, Justin Camilleri is nothing but enthusiastic about the future.

“We have come a long way in a few short years, and our excitement for the future is real,” Mr Camilleri shares.

“We are close to opening our new offices in Mosta which will mark our commitment to providing an all-round full service to our clients. All our services are already completely accessible online, and our agents are flexible to visit in any locality in Malta and Gozo, however we want to be able to welcome our clients, and discuss their goals over a coffee, providing the full 360˚ service!”

On future prospects, Mr Camilleri is eager to see Real Agents grow. “The future looks promising, and we are nothing but eager to help more and more families find their ideal homes, while rendering the process as painless as possible. In fact, we remain open to collaborate with like-minded experts who share our same values and are willing to bring their expertise to the table,” Mr Camilleri concludes.