A scout is an explorer. He (or she) goes ahead of the troops to find out where the opportunities, possibilities, and threats are. In 2008, this (House)Scout saw a great opportunity...

Renting out? Not interesting! 

In 2008, there was the major credit crisis. Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, and the U.S. government nationalized American International Group. The bank Icesave had to foreclose, and the Dutch branch of Fortis was taken over by the Dutch state. Many homeowners could no longer maintain their (second) homes, and the vacancy law was created.

However, this development was not well received. Realtors continued to focus on buying and selling homes. Renting out properties was not seen as profitable. I saw it differently.

Opportunities in times of crisis 

In this (for many, dark) situation, I saw an opportunity. I decided to familiarize myself with the vacancy law, and with this knowledge, I visited every house for sale in The Hague. There, I asked if there was any interest in renting out the property instead of selling. And of course there was interest! The crisis had created a terrible housing market for sales, and renting out meant money in the pocket again! And so, 2008 was also the year HouseScout was born.

Exploring opportunities 

In my exploration, I discovered what the quality of service provided by rental agents had been up to that point. In my opinion, it needed to be different. First and foremost, people had to come first in the story. Personal service became the main pillar of HouseScout and still is. Secondly, I introduced a no-cure-no-pay policy, following the American example. Nowadays, you see this more often, but back then, it was very common for a realtor to still get paid even with no results booked. Thirdly, I decided to conduct all my work via the internet, phone, and of course, person-to-person conversations. No 'brick and mortar' office, no brochures ending up in the trash, and no expensive overhead. HouseScout became the first internet (rental) realtor in the Netherlands!

Staying ahead 

While HouseScout flourished, The Hague, my work area, internationalized. So, I explored the expat market and created a branch within my company specifically aimed at this target group. And so, HouseScout continues to lead as a true scout. The housing market is constantly changing, and I'm in the front row. With my blogs and flash updates (short messages with the most current and important information), I'm happy to keep you informed. That's also personal service. Providing you with the information so you can pave your own path in renting out your property.

By the way, if you have any questions about this or if you prefer to outsource the (rental) activities, feel free to contact me here. I'm happy to explore for you.