MARIJKE DE NIER, Residencia Estates Typical of a lot of people who have become long-term residents, Marijke arrived in Marbella more or less by accident, having originally taken an internship with a pool company in Barcelona. “My family is also in the pool business, so it was a familiar environment in an unfamiliar setting.” The connection with the Spanish climate and way of life was easily made, so in 1991, after a year in Barcelona, she followed the company and relocated to Marbella. “I had no preconceived plans to make Marbella my home but it just happened that way. Once you get used to the lifestyle it’s hard to leave,” says the owner of Residencia Estates, which she founded in 2000 after earning her stripes in property sales. “We grew very fast in the beginning, building primarily on our Dutch clientele, but
over the years we have become known as the Elviria specialists, and this expertise is very much our niche now.” Marijke loves Marbella, the big city pleasures of Málaga and the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside, but Elviria is very much her home. “It’s a sub-market within Marbella that has a very balanced feel in terms of nationalities, product types and price ranges, so most of our clients are Northern Europeans in the mid to higher segments, for the most part educated and interesting people, which makes our job so much more fun.” The company withstood the recession well, in part thanks to the high degree of stability within the Elviria market, and now consists of seven members, including a concierge team. “We are dedicated to
our work but also know how to have fun.” Marijke enjoys golf, sailing and walking and training her dog, but she and her colleagues also volunteer for the Bancosol food bank twice a year. “I appreciate Marbella’s way of life, its rich light and cosmopolitan spirit, so it’s only natural that you should contribute to the community in return.” Would she go back to Holland? “I’ve pretty much been here all my adult life, so in some ways I’m as Spanish as I am Dutch.” Typical of the Dutch, she doesn’t enclose herself within an expat community but does maintain a professional and social network that includes organisations such as the Marbella Dutch Business Club. “Marbella is a unique place, though one day I might become a client of Oscar’s and retire to a country property with dogs and horses.”
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