IE Business School interviews David de Gea, Alumni of master's degree and an executive program at IE

You can find the interview at IE´s website here:  https://www.ie.edu/alumni/we-are-alumni/alumni-stories/david-de-gea/

Briefly explain your experience in the Executive Program in Real Estate & Business Management in the IE Business School.

My career in the real estate sector has revolved around intermediation and on getting an understanding of market trends. At HousinGo we advise buyers, sellers and lessors on sales and rental transactions.

This program has given me an overview on how the various branches of industry (finance, investment, promotion, etc.) work, which has not only positioned me in a more optimal stage, but also allowed for me to begin thinking about future business opportunities.

What were some of the main challenges you encountered in your Real Estate Management program at IE?

I have combined the program (classes and group work) with my company, which has forced me to optimize every minute dedicated to both sides of my work, specifically, in the real estate sector. This course presented to me a two sided challenge: on the one hand, the need to have the capacity of synthesis to be able to apply the knowledge that the program has contributed to my professional career and to the expansion of my company. On the other hand, to be able to transfer the professional experience that other colleagues in the sector have shared with me to the professional experiences of my day to day.

As for the logistics of IE with its students, especially for those who are working or developing a professional business project, the experience is very collaborative, both on the part of the organization and the faculty. The system allows you to connect online to the classes, as well as having the opportunity to see them in recordings once they are finished, which allows for a very advanced conciliation between academic business sectors.

How did your IE experience prepare you for your career?

My first experience with IE was 3 years ago, I started my Master’s in Market Research & Consumer Behavior (MRCB). After this course (in which I developed my commercial skills), and with the knowledge acquired, I noticed the need to offer real estate services to foreign students in the Barrio de Salamanca and thus the creating the professionalization of a sector in which I saw a lot of franchising and little academic preparation. It was here that my professional career began and I decided that this was something I wanted to dedicate the next years of my life to (at least where I wanted to start my business career).

Two years later, when I finished my Master’s Degree and learned more about the business I had started, I again trusted IE Business School through its Real Estate Management program to consolidate my position in the sector. In fact, I opened the second HousinGo office in the Barrio Salamanca in full course, meeting the demands of what business expansion entails with the academic professionalization as an individual. For this reason IE has also been fundamental for me, being surrounded by the magnificent faculty that I was exposed to, has allowed me to develop a series of skills that help me to be able to identify at what point in the cycle the market is located. For a company that is dedicated to real estate intermediation, it is key to be able to advise its clients correctly.

What was your motivation to start a company in the real estate sector in such a competitive market and during these times?

This is a question that I am often asked and in which I always give credit to the Business Institute when I answer it. Sometimes I have been told that it is surprising (and rare) to see that, in just over two years and at 25 years of age, I was able to create "HousinGo by David de Gea", my company which currently has two real estate offices in the Barrio de Salamanca and employs 5 professionals in the sector (all of them staff, none are autonomous).

The truth is that all this stems from the motivation to take on a responsibility and the need to do so even if the resources were very limited. While studying MRCB I sensed that the end of the master’s degree would imply the beginning of my professional career. In that search for needs not analyzed at a deeper level in the market (not necessarily in real estate, but in any sector), my colleagues at university shared with me the complications they had experienced when finding accommodation in Madrid. Phrases like "the real estate agencies ignore me for not having a payroll in Spain", "the real estate agents do not speak English and hang up on me when they see that I am a student and that I am not Spanish”, I would hear these problems constantly through my time at IE

Given the situation, and always with support of my family (experienced entrepreneurs in sectors other than real estate), I made the leap to become, at first, a Real Estate Advisor specializing in finding accommodation for Business Institute Students. And thus«HousinGo by David de Gea» was born, with a name that allowed me flexibility and creativity as my career progressed. 

HousinGo recently welcomed the first student under an internship program from the University of Edinburgh. What does this mean for both you and the student?

In 2017 I was an intern in the United States (I had completed my International Business career in Madrid, Berkeley and London). This was, without a doubt, a very enriching experience at all levels. At that time I was thinking about how I could bring that value to other young people who wanted to discover the world of the working industry.

When we opened Serrano’s office we specifically designed a job to be occupied by a trainee. That position is precisely located at the entrance to the office, so the first person a customer sees when entering our premises is our trainee.

After signing an agreement with The University of Edinburgh, Jamie Seed becomes HousinGo’s first intern. As a young entrepreneur, I am always betting and will continue to bet on the talent and the desire given by students like Jamie to work, who today is part of our team. At HousinGo we will continue to do so with the help of the universities that best prepare their students and we trust that our next agreement will be with IE Business School, since we have sufficient capacity not only to accommodate more students, but also to accommodate different national and international degrees.

If someone was considering going to IE, what would you say?

If you are an international student or live outside of Madrid, the first thing I would recommend is that you contact HousinGo to look for a home near the Business Institute to save you some time not having to use public transport and wasting hours of the day in transfers from different vehicles.

IE is very demanding with its students and this requires full attention to get the best possible performance. Our office at 81 Serrano Street is located 350 meters from the building of the Instituto de Empresa de calle María de Molina 13.

And, of course, as an IE Business School Alumni, I would recommend any candidate to really dig deep and analyze within themselves what they’re really looking for from a university. If what you need is to be in an environment where the entrepreneurial mentality prevails, in an innovative environment and surrounded by diverse cultures and ideas, I have no doubt that IE University has the best choice.

What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever had?

"If you’re going to own a company, pretend to be a good leader and make the business work, you have to get to the office first and get out last, every day." And so I do. When the workers start their working day I have already prepared a road map for them and, when they finish working, I thoroughly review all their work and prepare for the upcoming events the next day.