Muhannad Al Salhi (Engel & Völkers): “The strength of a young leader is their drive to find new ways to improve and innovate”

Despite still being in your 30s, you have already reached the top in the real-estate industry. How did your early career prepare you for the role of CEO of Engel & Völkers in Italy?

I started my career in sales and marketing, working initially in Dubai then Milan for an international company which specialized in providing networking and telecommunications equipment. In 2018 I entered the real-estate industry in London, working with a large company selling coworking spaces. This experience allowed me to enter the world of real estate while maintaining a strong commercial focus.

Assuming the role of CEO at Engel & Völkers Italy has been the crowning achievement of my professional journey, because it allows me to combine my previous commercial experience with my passion for the luxury real-estate sector and the propensity to work in international contexts that has always characterized my career.  The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is that a company’s success is measured by the quality and experience of its people, rather than by the pursuit of immediate profit. A company that puts people and their experiences at the center is bound to thrive in the long run.

Do you think being a young CEO influences your approach to the real-estate business?

Being a young CEO allows me to bring energy and new ideas to the company, building incremental value and focusing on competence, exclusivity and passion, values that have always characterized Engel & Völkers. I also consider it part of my job to be of service to all my employees by providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability.

My vision is long-term: I seek to create the best opportunities today to develop a customer-oriented corporate culture and a positive work environment for everyone. I believe that the strength of a young leader may paradoxically lie in less prior experience, which does not limit the leader by making decisions based on past experiences but drives the continuous search for new ways to improve and innovate the business.

By appointing a CEO under 40, Engel & Völkers Italy has demonstrated a willingness to adopt new strategies and invest in the future

In a period of change such as the current one, it’s crucial to have a fresh and dynamic vision. Engel & Völkers Italy has demonstrated, by appointing a CEO under 40, a willingness to adopt new strategies and invest in the future. Italy’s luxury real-estate market continues to attract buyers and investors, both national and international, thanks to its combination of prestigious locations, historic-artistic heritage and the sheer quality of the properties themselves, so the opportunities for growth and innovation are limitless.

The real-estate sector has undergone significant digital transformation. What opportunities does this offer?

At Engel & Völkers Italy we firmly believe that the future of real estate, including the luxury market, is digital. All over the world, we have structured IT, CRM and marketing departments that test new channels, flows and technology daily, to anticipate industry trends and make the process of selling property as efficient and personalized as possible.

We launched our new website in July 2024, migrated to an innovative CRM in September and use artificial intelligence globally to optimize our communication and property valuation processes. We make performance marketing a key tool for lead generation and use an accurate appraiser to enable our clients to receive an appraisal of their property quickly and with a minimum of fuss.

In addition, we allow our clients to see, through renderings also made with the support of AI, how an apartment could be transformed, imagining together the future of properties. We are also adopting NFC business cards for our agents, with a view to continued digitization.

Technology and marketing underpin our strategy, both in Italy and abroad, and enable us to meet the challenges of digital with dynamism and readiness. However, I believe it is essential to emphasize the importance of the human component, which is indispensable in building relationships of trust and professionalism with our customers.

What advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs?

One piece of advice I would give to young entrepreneurs, which also helped me build my career, is to have a clear vision of your career path, visualizing in advance where you want to go and what path to take. It is essential to be flexible, humble and ready to work hard. Traveling is vital: learning about new cultures and ways of thinking is essential for growth. Finally, surrounding yourself with inspiring and valuable people is crucial to your professional and human growth.