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A handshake
I was twenty-three when I opened my first office. I was still undecided about whether to continue my university studies and become a lawyer or devote myself to real estate. On the day we signed, Roberto Barbato shook my hand and said, “Welcome.” I still remember the warmth of that gesture, the sense of belonging and the confidence it gave me.
Good timber
Then there was Nello D’Angelo, my team manager. That day he gave me a framed quotation attributed to J. Willard Marriott: “Good timber does not grow easily… the stronger the wind, the sturdier the tree.” He added his signature above it. To me, it was like receiving a star’s autograph: I admired him enormously. I still have that picture. In difficult times, it has reminded me that strength develops as we face our responsibilities.
Offices, teams and years of growth
Other offices followed the first. Each opening meant getting to know an area, studying the market, training colleagues, organising the work and earning clients’ trust. Our days began at half past eight in the morning and often ended at nine in the evening, on a good day. Sometimes we worked even later. From 1994 to 2013, my career developed within the Tecnocasa and Tecnorete brands. Those were years of professional growth, during which I learned to combine commercial initiative, organisation and care for people.
People before walls
In 2012, I was entrusted with marketing fifty apartments in two buildings, within a larger development in Aprilia. Looking at the scale model of Residenze Giulia, I imagined the families who would one day live in those homes. I knew what the local market was asking for, so I suggested that the developer reconsider the balance between one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The proposal was accepted and incorporated into the final designs. The experience I had gained by listening to clients could finally help shape the spaces before they were built.
The home took shape in our office too
The apartments were still under construction. An architect worked with us in the office, overseeing changes to internal partition walls and helping buyers assess layouts that better suited their needs. We also guided them through the choice of materials and finishes. I enjoyed watching an apartment, initially just a drawing, begin to become someone’s home.
The photograph from 2012 shows the Tecnocasa brand, under which I worked at the time: it records that stage of my professional experience and does not refer to ClouCasa®’s current activity.Photo: Autuori & Carletti · 2012
Knowing the project and explaining it clearly
I gathered information from the developer and the engineer and reworked the specification document for the commercial presentation. We produced large advertising billboards, approximately ten metres by ten, which made the construction site recognisable. My knowledge of the area also led me to prepare a proposed agreement addressed to the Italian Defence General Staff, taking into account the presence of military personnel and the proximity to Pratica di Mare.
A little girl’s name
The developer chose the name Residenze Giulia in honour of his granddaughter. It is a detail I remember fondly. Among plans, materials and investments, that name held a family sentiment: homes are created through the work of many people, and then welcome the lives of those who inhabit them.
Roots and new paths
When I think back to Residenze Giulia, I remember the fifty apartments, the choices shared with buyers and the work that came before the keys. I also remember the twenty-three-year-old woman, Roberto’s handshake, Nello’s picture, the offices and the teams. Today, with ClouCasa®, I carry everything I have learned with me. I see the past as the foundation from which to keep growing. And a home, like a tree, needs strong roots to welcome everything that lies ahead.
