Per Mønsted and Jacob Johansen are the Co-Founders and Owners of Mojo Estates – a real estate agency with a difference. They started their business together over 6 years ago with a vision of tremendously improving what they could see was lacking in the Spanish property market.
The name, Mojo Estates, is a contraction of Per and Jacob’s surnames MOensted and JOhansen. The word ‘mojo’ often defines a person who, through positive energy, a twinkle in their eye and professional charisma, inspires others to keep their own mojo up and pass it on to other people.
We talk to Jacob “mojo” Johansen about his mojo and the real estate business in Marbella.
How would you describe the Mojo philosophy?
Mojo was built on the idea that whatever Per and I believe is great, others will also. For us it’s not just about finding the right property, far more “It’s all about your mojo”! We are all about creating long-lasting relationships with our clients and we believe that being professional and transparent is the best way to sustain our place in the top 5 of the Costa del Sol market.
What do you feel sets your agency apart from others in this area? (Apart from your Mojo of course 🙂
I feel we represent a new way of driving a modern real estate business forward. Not only in our online presence and the culture with our employees, but I also like to believe our company is more dynamic and engaging compared to most real estate companies here on the coast. We have a variety of in-house services that clients won’t be offered elsewhere. One of our main services is our legal & finance department, where two lawyers and our CFO work exclusively for Mojo clients in all matters. We also have a rental company that helps secure a steady ROI for our clients who rent out their properties. Finally, our 360 service deals with all the things that clients usually don’t want to deal with after a purchase, – such as connecting to internet, alarm, insurance etc. Don’t forget we are a business of 25 people whereof half is back office.
What are the most challenging, and satisfying parts of your work?
The satisfying rewards can be the moments when clients recognise the value of having chosen us as their agency to go with. It’s no secret that most northern European buyers, unlike Americans, are not familiar with committing to one agency alone. They are used to an exclusive market back home. So often buyers will spend silly amounts of time trying to navigate through the market with several agencies before they realise that one good broker can access all properties and be far more invested with the right commitment from the buyer.
The video on the home page of your website “What’s Your Mojo?” is crazy – great fun – but certainly not what people would expect from a real estate company. Who is the art director/creative in the partnership?
Per and I direct all our creative work together. But don’t forget, I come from a very colourful background in the entertainment industry where attitude or expression, integrity and originality are the essence of marketing or building brands. I am very familiar with the “non ordinary” side of things, but what may seem normal for me, is probably what you describe as “something you wouldn’t expect from a real estate company”.
You have a great presence on social media – your marketing department must be as busy as your sales department – did this grow over time, or was it your strategy from the beginning?
This topic has been a key element and challenge from the start of our business. During the years Per & I have learned that people without the knowledge and passion of the craft in creative work, such as visual, video, and general media presence, have a hard time understanding the process and the commitment that goes into creative work, in order for it to stand out and sustain. For us, like any other modern company, it will from hereon be an ongoing battle to deliver and also balance quality and measure the results of those efforts. Given my background, it is true that we were given a head start, as the competition was poor and our company was smaller. But the less time I have to be involved in this, the more we need a strategy to stay on top and not become ordinary like most agencies on the coast.
Have you been lifelong friends? How did you meet and start this partnership?
Per & I have been friends for over 10 years now. We have been very fortunate to meet and blend our talents together into something greater. We met as a result of our children being best friends in school. We are both very much driven by creating and experimenting with concepts in a new way. Much like Social Media, it’s not always what we do, but far more how we do it, and that is what has led our partnership to be the success it is today.
How do you see the market on the Costa del Sol in 2024?
I’m very happy to see the market picking up again. The fourth quarter of 2023 was not impressive in terms of sales volume. But it seems that the first quarter of 2024 could equally be as good as the golden year of 2021. I suppose Marbella as a brand, combined with Malaga, is too big to fail now. I expect great things for this coming year.
Which area in Marbella is your favourite?
I am a personal fan of East Marbella. There are still good deals to be made in this area and the distance to either Benahavís or Málaga Centre, is reasonable. The beaches are without discussion the best by far, and so are the beach clubs.
What do you think of the area that Vista Lago is located in – Real de La Quinta?
The main positive for me with this area is the way everything is being carefully designed with all the amenities and facilities that go with it. This is something you cannot copy in the older more mature communities, as there is simply no space. Once this is built, I am certain that it will be among the most sought-after areas to live in. The views are fantastic from all properties, and this is a huge selling point especially for our buyers.
What prompted Mojo Estates to choose to work alongside BRIGHT developments?
Well, firstly we only work with developers who have a proven track record, and that we from experience know will give the clients to whom we recommend this development to, a high service. The sales team at BRIGHT is super communicative, transparent and friendly. These things go very well in hand with our own Mojo philosophy of being and living in this amazing business.
