“Not all at once,” Benedikte Zijlstra calls out to her colleagues Peter Wientjens and Roos Ouderdorp. “We are all so passionate about our work that we sometimes talk over each other.” The property experts from the greater The Hague area recently joined forces to form The Three Experts. In this collaboration they primarily appraise commercial real estate for local entrepreneurs and investors, each contributing their own specialised expertise.

“We are all strong personalities with a clear vision. It is therefore very valuable to have each other for consultation,” Ouderdorp explains about the formation of the trio. “And because we have worked together for so long, we dare to speak the truth to one another. Discussion only makes you wiser.” With 35 years of experience in property, Wientjens is the senior figure of the group. Equally precise and creative, Zijlstra has been active for twenty-five years and maintains an extensive network. The young Ouderdorp is the energetic, multitasking whirlwind of the team, with quick oversight and impeccable intuition.

Calculations

One thing they all have in common is that they are entrepreneurs themselves. “Before I became a solo property valuer, I ran my own estate agency,” Wientjens explains. “Benedikte and Roos still do, respectively Meijs and Alink in Voorburg and Avenir Vastgoed in The Hague. So we do not only view property through the estate agent’s lens but also through the entrepreneur’s perspective.” And what is the difference between entrepreneurs and private individuals? Zijlstra, who like Ouderdorp has extensive experience with residential property, responds: “When it comes to housing, sentiment plays a role alongside the square metre price. Do I want to live near a motorway or shopping centre? Entrepreneurs look at property from a business perspective and focus mainly on the numbers. That changes what you pay attention to.”

Wientjens gives the example of a small church or an old school building. “If you could live there, everyone would want it. Compare its value to the average price of a house in the area, and you might come to eight hundred thousand euros. But as commercial property, you ask what can I actually do with it as an entrepreneur? Since it is only occasionally used for weddings or funerals, its commercial value might be only half that.” That does not mean commercial property is automatically cheaper. “Living on Grote Marktstraat may be relatively inexpensive due to the crowds. A shop space, on the other hand, is more valuable because it can generate significant turnover. It all comes down to the business model,” Wientjens adds.

Diverse assignments

The purposes of their valuations are varied. “It can be a broad revaluation for an accountant. But some landlords, in light of new rental legislation, want to know if leasing is still attractive, or whether they should split or sell,” Zijlstra explains. “Sometimes a commercial landlord wants to increase the rent, and the tenant asks us to determine the market value.” Wientjens continues: “There are also businesses where a shareholder wants to exit, or inheritance cases involving a commercial property portfolio. It is very diverse and anyone can be a client.”

“No matter the reason, it usually starts with a call from one of our networks. When I receive an assignment, it immediately goes into our group chat to prepare a quote. With us, you receive a valuation report within two to three weeks rather than months,” Ouderdorp explains. “At the same time, depending on the expertise required, we allocate roles: who is the valuer, who conducts the site visit, and who performs the plausibility check to ensure integrity and reliability.”

Facts

Armed with a tape measure, a camera and occasionally a ladder, one or two of the partners visit the site. “There is a lot involved,” Ouderdorp continues. “We measure rooms if there are no floor plans and check all technical aspects from fuse boxes to heating systems, from solar panels to insulation. We also investigate the relationship between tenant and owner, asking about experiences, maintenance and whether the landlord intends to stay. All these factors are analysed and included in the valuation report.” Zijlstra adds: “We all approach things differently, but our valuations are based on concrete facts and experience.”

To underline the synergy, Wientjens gives a final example. “After completing the numerical part of the valuation, you must stand in front of the property and ask yourself: who could I sell this to at this price? If you cannot think of anyone, the price is too high; if you can name five or six, it is too low. Because Roos and Benedikte are still hands-on in the field, they have a better feel for this than I do. That is why I am happy we have clustered our expertise.”

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