MICHAËL ZINGRAF, A PROFESSION WHICH BECAME A PASSION
“I was aiming for a career as an actor or diamond dealer. But neither the stage nor Antwerp were to be : it turned out to be real estate, discovered on a work experience course.” Flashback to a success story that began in 1977...
Born in Germany, this dedicated fan of Cannes recalls his early days in a small agency in the centre of the Festival City. He sees the ingredients of success as ambition, pugnacity and staying power when faced by difficulties.
“There are lots of failures,” he says, before quoting Mandela :
“I never lose, I either win or learn”. “And I have learnt something from each encounter. I have benefited from these exchanges year after year. I threw myself into these life adventures.” Real estate is a chess game for three : the seller, the buyer, and the intermediary, with a highly psychological dimension. Michaël Zingraf Real Estate has a total 22 agencies, 4 licensees, active on the Côte d’Azur, in the Alpilles, the Luberon, Deauville, Paris, even in Switzerland and on the island of Mauritius, about 100 employees, and sales volume of 500 M €.
Its positioning is clear : a demanding, rigorous approach towards prestige real estate. Michaël Zingraf’s deepest satisfaction lies in his close relationship with his son, to whom he has passed on the sacred flame. “We are like two railway lines, henceforth interchangeable.” With numerous projects in the pipeline : development of the brand’s licence, opening of its own agencies, notably in Biarritz and on Rue du Bac in Paris, but also in the northern Alps.
Segments in the firing line : sales of haras, châteaux and vineyard estates. “Not forgetting the sale of islands,” adds Michaël Zingraf before concluding the interview in his “bergerie” in the Luberon : “I am very fond of old stone, authentic regions and nature. I am a merchant of dreams and memories, an enthusiast with a love of human relationships”.
