Pepe Gutiérrez is the Founder of Administrapolis SL, Wesn International SAS and Megafincas Alicante SLP and is considered one of the gurus of Real Estate Management in Spain and across the Spanish-speaking world with a demonstrated history of working and teaching in the real estate industry. Besides university degrees in anthropology and data science, Gutiérrez holds several real estate management related qualifications including the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) from the global Community Association Institute and the Certified Property Manager (CPM) from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) in the USA.
Pepe Gutiérrez was born in a small town in Alicante in Spain, where his father was a policeman by profession. He lived in the city till he was nine years old, surrounded by his extensive family filled with love and laughter. They shared their values with young Gutiérrez that were passed down to them from generations, which he still holds very dear to his heart.
Gutiérrez recalls the incident that significantly shaped his life; he says, “The experience was indelible because it remains etched in my parent’s heart who constantly remind me of the smart, young boy that I was. I was merely two years, still struggling with walking and talking, yet my parents found me at home, with all the tools of my father’s motorcycle, which were inside a drawer with a padlock. Marvelling at this incident, my parents asked me, ‘Pepe how did you open the lock?’ My answer to them was by testing and testing. That was the moment I revealed the set of keys that were in my possession, among which one was that of the lock.” From that day, it was apparent to my parents that it was my destiny to be an entrepreneur.
Growing up, his parent’s had a significant impact on him; they taught him the values of hard work, humility and honesty that were passed on to him by example. He says, “Over the years, I can confirm that these are the values that are obtained at home and not in the street or while working. It is something that stays with us over a lifetime.”
Due to his father’s profession, he had to shift very often and therefore mastered the art to make new friends instantly every time he moved. He moved to El Campello in Alicante, a coastal-tourist town where he made his mark as an entrepreneur during his adolescence.
Intending to be an aviation pilot, Gutiérrez gave up a scholarship to become an engineer. At the end of his mandatory military service at the age of 18, Gutiérrez immediately started working to construct houses. Simultaneously, not losing sight of education, he sacrificed his time off to get a quality education to help him rise in his career.
Gutiérrez explains, “I chanced upon my passion for real estate by accident, and as I gradually continued doing my work in this industry, I began to fall in love with the process. I enjoyed it more every day and soon it became my passion and way of life.”
From his first job in construction, he climbed the ranks with hard work and dedication. In the last 40 years, Gutiérrez has held several roles in the real estate world. He has worked as a consultant, professor, advisor and expert for public, corporate and private organizations.
Acting on his passion, he founded Administrapolis SL in the year 2013. With a vision to fuse the real estate world with technology i.e. proptech, the company creates and adapts technological solutions to obtain maximum optimization and sustainability in everything related to building management. To achieve this, they apply the new concepts of Machine Learning, IoT and Big Data and are very proactive in their approach.
Administrapolis SL is a pioneer in installation and predictive maintenance for the real estate industry in many countries. Talking about the challenges he endured, he says, “Every day in the role of a Property & Community Association Manager, you are subjected to risks that affect people, buildings and the economy at large. In my case, I always ensure that the risk factor is controlled and measured. There are many professional and business risks that every entrepreneur must take if he wants to succeed in his career.”
With Administrapolis SL, Gutiérrez is focusing his efforts on sustainability. Talking about the topic, he adds, “Climate change is another of the greatest challenges that has accelerated the pandemic. The real estate world has turned to the implementation of multiple sustainable strategies and I strongly believe that it has already become a ‘standard’ in the way of being and acting.”
The pandemic is another factor that has accelerated climate change, but he adds, “However, it has also been a great lesson to quickly adapt and learn how to be operational in the face of adversities. The only answer to this dilemma has been technology, which is constantly evolving and improving to better serve the people and improve the customer experience.”
However, this pandemic has also caused Gutiérrez to be separated from his family, who live in another country. Gutiérrez adds in a pleasant tone, “But we make time out of our busy schedules to meet every once a while and enjoy our downtime together as one, happy family. Fortunately, my wife and son work together which I think is a great privilege.”
Given Gutiérrez’s busy schedule, he says his favourite way to unwind at the end of a busy day is to devour a good book that can instantly make him feel well-rested.
As an advisor and expert, Gutiérrez has delivered, talks, lectures and conducted workshops across the world in acclaimed events. A revered figure in the Spanish-speaking world, he is currently a Professor at the Institute of Real Estate Management in Chicago and guides students in the field of real estate and community association management. A prolific author, Gutiérrez has written and published many books on the subject including the globally acclaimed, ‘Los Mejores Administradores de Edificios del Mundo’.
In conclusion, his advice to real estate leaders is, “Train and learn immensely about the emerging technologies and current situation of the real estate market. Act based on market needs after having a clear strategy of the current market and forecasted market needs of the future. And finally plan the necessary timeline and work hard to implement your strategy.”
