"Co" for Collaboration

There is a phrase my children often repeat, one that has always caught my attention, and it goes like this: "Sharing is living."

Whenever someone at home says this phrase, it inevitably sparks a collective debate about whether the correct version is "Living is sharing" or "Sharing is living." But the discussion is brief; it doesn’t matter, the message is clear.

Undoubtedly, life is a constant act of sharing. We live in a community, whether we like it or not. The vast majority of humanity shares their spaces and lives with family, neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, and an enormous number of strangers. Our jobs, private lives, and businesses are framed within collaborative spaces, creating small ecosystems where we interact with each other.

It is true that sometimes our surroundings cause us discomfort, intruding on our lives, but in many other instances, it is thanks to the collective that we have had the great fortune of receiving help from others. Through collective effort, we have been able to face unprecedented and overwhelming phenomena, such as COVID or the DANA in Valencia. Humanity has repeatedly demonstrated that the collaborative instinct is something innate, embedded in our DNA. Perhaps it is the survival instinct that drives us to collaborate (I’m not an anthropologist, nor do I claim to be one), but one thing is clear: we all enjoy looking to our side and knowing there is someone there to row with us.

But we don’t just share and collaborate when things get tough. Collaboration takes on greater meaning when we see that it allows us to go further. Everyone pays more attention when a proposal is accompanied by the magic words “win-win,” where everyone plays and everyone wins. At this point, I want to share my theory (and if you disagree, I’d love to open a debate) about collaboration in the real estate sector. Business sectors are essentially communities, coexisting to achieve both individual and collective goals. For me, collaboration is undoubtedly one of the best ways to work, and this is especially true in real estate, where without it, we wouldn’t even achieve half of what we do.

And yes, it is also at this point that some of you may have connected the dots and deduced the reasoning behind the name of my company, CO Real Estate, created with a vision of working in a collaborative, open, and transparent way. Yes, I firmly believe in COllaboration, in creating COmmunity in everything I do, and in never stopping to COoperate. Those who know me well understand that what I say is genuine and sincere.

Working collaboratively is not something exclusive to real estate, but it is in the real estate sector where collaborative practices play a leading role. However, not all real estate agencies embrace collaboration. Some don’t share the practice as a company policy, and others engage in it but with bad intentions (a shame and one of the reasons for the poor reputation our sector carries).

We might think that the internet, real estate portals, or even social networks, with their vast reach, would be enough to find that client, that perfect match for your property. But this is not always the case. It is in these situations that collaboration can help you reach where you need to go and, together, provide a fast and efficient service to our respective clients. Active collaboration, however, requires clarity on the basic principles of good cooperation: transparency and trust. Not all real estate agents are prepared or willing to embrace this mindset, but those of us who are see how joining forces with our closest competitors allows us to go further.

Gone are the days when opacity ruled the sector, and it was thought that holding information equated to holding power. Nowadays, information is accessible to everyone. Data is open; we share it, creating a collectively valuable body of knowledge. The current challenge lies in standing out. Data is no longer the key. The key now is knowing how to use it to add value for your clients.

In my opinion, the foundation of any good collaboration lies in transparency and openness—knowing the clients that each party brings, with trust and respect, and understanding that everyone will benefit from the alliance.

Some might say that collaborating means sharing fees, sometimes between two, three, or even four agents in a single transaction. But it is also true that, without collaboration, many deals wouldn’t even progress. Moreover, the real estate sector is becoming increasingly professionalized, evolving toward a model where each party charges their own client. And to be honest, it’s a model I like, as it’s cleaner, fairer, and more transparent. It also makes it much easier to work comfortably in collaboration, offering clients a service fully focused on them, with their own advisor throughout the process.

And I’ll say even more: thinking about the client, who is ultimately the protagonist in any business, I believe that every real estate transaction should always be handled by an accredited professional (perhaps with formal real estate studies, or perhaps with a license to operate). Only in this way can we guarantee a rigorous, ethical, and reliable real estate sector.

Ultimately, going solo is no longer an option for me. Nor should it be for clients. And to those who choose to go solo, I respect their decision and wish them well.

P.S. But beware! Always remember that it’s better to be alone than in bad company.

Toni López Doñaque
Real Estate Consultant and Founder & CEO of CO Real Estate