A Global Business Excellence Awards winner, Charikleia founded ALMA Real Estate Hellas in November 2001, in Athens, Greece, with the mission to empower clients, through a combination of industry experience and resources, to make smart and informed real estate decisions. Twenty years on, ALMA is a leading full-service real estate company that sells, rents and manages residential and commercial properties and land in Athens and throughout Greece. ALMA also performs Broker Price Opinions (BPOs) and supports international investment in Greece by specializing in Golden Visa residency properties.
With 20 years of successful presence and experience in the Greek real estate market, Charikleia and her team draw on their considerable experience and knowledge of the industry to offer immediate and effective service that is tailored individually to each customer. Thus ALMA ensures that clients experience the complete satisfaction of seeing their real estate dreams come true. Dedicated to providing excellent service and results, the company is committed to understanding the real needs of its customers, is actively engaged in continuously modernising and improving working methods, and supports team members to stay up-to-date
with industry knowledge and practices through a strong lifelong learning culture.
FIRST STEPS IN REAL ESTATE
Charikleia’s journey into real estate started around 2000. A graduate in civil engineering from the University of West Attica in Athens, she was already active in the broader real estate environment and was also managing a handful of smaller family properties. Realising that every transaction is a roller coaster ride full of frustration and stress, Charikleia decided to remedy the chaos and use her knowledge and expertise to help people navigate and overcome the obstacles involved in safely buying or selling property. Soon enough, Charikleia had the opportunity to join a small local real estate office, and it was during her time there that it became clear to her how much she truly loved the work. Within a few months, she ventured out on her own, initially running her business out of a makeshift office in her parent’s living room. Over the years, her passion developed into a successful career, and thanks to her determination to never stop studying and learning more about her field, Charikleia is now one of just 20 Realtors® working in Athens.
CLIENTELE AND CORPORATE ETHICS
Today, ALMA’s clientele reaps the benefits of the agency’s considerable know how and industry experience. Buyers and sellers alike enjoy immediate and personal service, with 24/7 support from the team, who work to provide actionable solutions to clients’ real estate problems, add value to their properties, and help them make smarter buying decisions that maximize their real estate investments. Building on their knowledge, personal experience and expertise, Charikleia and her team are focused on helping clients avoid the various pitfalls, mistakes and wrong investments, all while supporting and pursuing their interests and cultivating a relationship of trust and respect that ensures clients turn to the team whenever they need real estate advice, secure in the knowledge that the advice they receive is correct.
Revolutionary indeed, both Charikleia G. Stouka and her venture, ALMA Real Estate Hellas continue to lead ahead while breaking new ground and innovating world-class solutions in the real estate industry. Today, Charikleia is recognised by Prime View Magazine as one of The Most Innovative Business Leaders Making a Difference in 2021.
HURDLES ON THE WAY
One of the main hurdles that Charikleia has had to overcome was hiring someone who was not a good fit. There were significant costs involved, both financially and in time invested, in training the new hire and helping them fit in with the team and the company, and in the end the business suffered. And there is also the danger of causing dissatisfaction within the team when one member requires so much attention.
CHARIKLEIA’S SUCCESS MANTRA
The key to Charikleia’s success can be summarised in her mantra: Work hard and work smart! Her motivation
to achieve goal after goal has stemmed from her desire to help clients perform secure transactions and to free buyers and sellers from stressful arrangements, hidden defects and difficult situations. The fierce competition also helped a lot: Success was a matter of life or death.
SUGGESTION FOR A MORE BALANCED AND EQUAL INDUSTRY
Equal opportunities for men and women and meritocracy in the workplace, based on each individual’s abilities, supporting the strong while also helping those who may be weaker but are determined to succeed. Payment and benefits should reflect employees’ abilities, not their gender.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Charikleia’s days start early, with a 05:30 wake up, even on weekends! There is a lot of preparation to be done before the day’s appointments, a lot of research on the latest real estate news and developments in the
real estate market, as well as sorting out documents. Appointments generally start at about 11:00 and finish at about seven o’clock in the evening, making it difficult to keep regular routines for things like mealtimes, although she aims to go to bed by 22:30. Charikleia loves spending her free time pursuing her passion for photography and travelling.
You are what you repeatedly do.
Excellence is not an event – It is a habit
Aristotle
FAVOURITE BOOK THAT INSPIRES CHARIKLEIA
How to Survive Under Siege by Aeneas Tacticus; it is a 4th century BCE treatise on how to defend a besieged city!
FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES
In Charikleia’s own words: “Everyone in business expects to increase success, cash, and market share. However, especially nowadays, the future is unpredictable. We hope to make the best use of future trends while being safe from potential hazards at the same time. As it is seen, the workplace of the future is going to
be digital. Every business has to adapt and invest in this transformation in order to survive. I am optimistic.
The way I see it, these pandemic-era restrictions are preparation for greater achievements.”
FEATHERS IN THE CAP
- Global Business Awards 2020 Winner for the categories: Outstanding Public Relations, Outstanding Entrepreneur, and Outstanding Customer Service Initiative.
- Corporate Excellence Awards Winner 2021: “Most Influential Leader in Real Estate 2021” – Greece.
- Business Partners magazine: inside cover and central interview in the magazine’s celebratory 100th issue. (January-February 2019)
- CIOLook magazine: featured in “The 10 Most Innovative Business Leaders Revamping the Future 2021”.
- Who is Who Women Leaders: featured in this annual, luxury edition, collectible encyclopaedia of prominent Greek women in both the 2019-2020 and 2021 editions.
A PIECE OF ADVICE FOR FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS
“Women, especially young women just starting out in business, should find something that holds meaning to
them but that is also useful and adds to people’s lives. This could mean that they develop a brand new product
or service or that they build upon and improve something that’s already out there. Either way, it’s important to be driven by purpose, not just profit,” Charikleia points out. “They should be on the lookout for opportunities, keeping in mind that these may not always be all that obvious, and they should not be afraid of making mistakes, trying new things. However, they should always hold some capital aside to cover any missteps along the way. And of course, it’s paramount to always strive to improve their skills and learn new things throughout their whole life. Hard and smart work is necessary if they want to claim a page in the book of success!”
