A Word With Roger Widen

New Partner & Head of Sales at Homerun Brokers

Roger Widen was born and raised in Stockholm, but in 2006, driven by a desire for change and equipped with captain skills perfected in the Swedish Marines, he embarked on a new path. His expertise in navigating waters led him to Marbella where he worked as yacht captain, and later met his wife and started a family. 

In 2011, amidst the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Roger made a strategic move into real estate in Marbella. His timing was impeccable. As one of the few Swedes in the local real estate market, he capitalised on the strong Swedish crown, attracting numerous Swedish buyers. His journey in real estate began in challenging times, with the market still reeling and prices falling until 2014. This challenging start provided Roger with invaluable experience, learning the ropes in a market set against the wind.

After working in real estate for a decade, Roger wanted a fresh challenge and just then, he met Eric Ebbing Founder & CEO of Homerun Brokers. Their similar mindset and goals is what then made Eric welcome Roger into the company as Partner and Head of Sales. Roger plays a key role in the company’s growth by sharing his excellent knowledge and experience.

We sit down with Roger Widén, the newly appointed Partner & Head of Sales at Homerun Brokers. In this interview, we dive into Roger’s vision for the company and gain insight into his strategic direction as he embarks on this exciting journey with us.

On the question of what motivated Roger to join Homerun Brokers as Head of Sales, he explains that this decision was rooted in his two core passions in life; real estate and building or developing businesses. Throughout his career, Roger has engaged in various facets of real estate, from development and investment to asset management and sales. This diverse experience has not only deepened his love for the real estate process, but has also developed extensive skills in building and improving business processes and routines.

“Homerun Brokers is on a very exciting journey, coming from basically nowhere and in three years becoming a major brand in Marbella. I wanted to be part of that journey. And based on my experience, I know that I have a lot to give to this company. And of course, I mean, the team... They’re great people. I wanted to be part of this team.”

We asked Roger what made Homerun Brokers stand out for him, as an outsider looking in, before joining the team, and he explained: 

“Well, I mean, first of all, it’s been very difficult to miss Homerun Brokers. Marketing has been extremely good. Fresh, new, something different that no one else really does. But then from where I was, I’ve been doing deals with brokers at Homerun Brokers, and it’s been really smooth. I’ve seen how well the team at Homerun Brokers takes care of clients. Marketing is really important, but on top of that comes service level, to actually follow through with the clients and keeping that service at the highest level. In the end, any company can do a lot of marketing, but if you don’t do business, you’re not getting anywhere.”

As someone with over a decades insight into the Marbella real estate market, we asked Roger where the current market stands and where he sees Homerun Brokers positioned in this current market. 

“Right now, I would say the market is strong. It’s positive. We have to remember that we’re coming out of something unique during Covid. After Covid, the market was stronger worldwide than it’s ever been. And many think it’s ever going to be. So we have to compare it with the time before Covid. We’ve had a few really good years in 2021 and 2022. But Homerun Brokers proved to do extremely good in 2023 also, when a lot of companies backed on their numbers. Homerun Brokers had an increase with 50 percent, which is astonishing. That’s really well done. And that only comes from hard work.”

“Right now, I would say the market is strong. Homerun Brokers had an increase with 50 percent, which is astonishing. That’s really well done. And that only comes from hard work.”

Roger continues by explaining that 2024 will bring many new opportunities that will cement Homerun Brokers position on the market even further, such as the opening of the new headquarters on the Golden Mile, the inauguration of the first office in Palma de Mallorca and the company’s very own Netflix show.

“We’ve got the Netflix show that’s airing 2024 which is of course going to bring a lot more attention to our brokers and everyone in the company. So we have a very exciting year to look forward to”

Roger joined Homerun Brokers in the middle of filming for the Netflix show which was quite an unusual situation to walk in to. Meeting the whole team for the first time with cameras rolling was not something he would have imagined a few years back, but Roger embraced the experience and enjoyed it.

In regards to the two new offices opening, Roger sees these as crucial steps in order for Homerun Brokers to continue fortifying its relationships with clients and collaborators.

“We are really excited to welcome our clients into our new space on the Golden Mile that we have created in collaboration with Slettvoll. This space perfectly reflects the high level of brand experience we want to provide for both our clients and employees.”

Roger explains that opening an office in Mallorca has been on Homerun Bokers founder, Eric’s, mind for a long time. Mallorca has a strong real estate market, and the client synergy in addition to the proximity between Marbella and Mallorca made it the next suitable step in Homerun Brokers expansion. Carefully being curated by the newly appointed Business Expansion Manager, Robert Bazo.

Bringing it back to the Marbella real estate market, we asked Roger for his opinion on the impact of Homerun Developments entry on the market and what this means for Homerun Brokers.

“The benefit with Homerun Developments is that we are able to produce the product that our clients are looking for. We control what we are doing, how we are doing it, the execution level, the quality level, and making sure we create good homes that our buyers are actually asking for. So obviously for Homerun Brokers, we are going to have the product our clients are looking for, and we can assure them that they are really good quality because we created them ourselves.”

Rounding up “A Word With Roger”, we decided to ask him for advice on three commonly asked asked questions. 

What is your best advice to someone who is looking to buy a property in Marbella?

“My advice for anyone that’s looking to buy something in Marbella is to pick your agent. It’s a bit of a jungle here. Other markets are easier to navigate on your own, but in Marbella, find an agent that’s looking out for your interests and is asking you the right questions. That is not only what budget you have, but basically what kind of life do you want to live? What does your family look like? What do you want to do in your spare time? How do you see your life in Marbella?

Find an agent that cares about you more than only making a deal, and stick to that agent, because they will go through fire to find you the right property. 

In Marbella, I would say 80% of all transactions are done between two agents. One agent representing the vendor, and one agent representing the buyer. What the buyer’s agent does is basically taking you to all listings, handle all the contacts with the different listing agents, recommending lawyers, finance, show you their favourite grocery stores and so on. A good agent will help you have a smooth overall experience which is why it is the most important advice when entering the Marbella property market.”

What is your best advice to someone who wants to become a successful real estate agent?

“So first of all, if you want to get into real estate, well, there are two different ways. You can do it half time, but you will get half results. If you want to be one of the best, it’s a lifestyle. It’s not just a job. It’s 24/7. If you want to get into the business, what I wish I learned earlier, is find someone that’s good at what they’re doing. Work with them, even if it’s as an assistant or a helping hand, but get close to someone that’s really good at what they are doing and learn. Just the value of being in the same room as a top producing broker and their clients, listening into their conversations is worth gold.”

What is your best advice for someone who’s is thinking of moving to Marbella?

Just do it. I really doubt that you are going to regret it. Just pack your bags and move here. If you are not ready to commit to purchasing a property our rental department is here to assist you. I do not see myself ever moving back to Sweden, so just do it. 

Watch the full interview with Roger below: