Thanks to her, we can sleep like at home even in foreign cities: Anja Graf is the woman behind VISIONAPARTMENTS. Their furnished apartments are located throughout Europe and serve as temporary homes for guests from all over the world. In this interview, Anja Graf reveals how her business idea came about, the hurdles she had to overcome and what she does to finally switch off after a long day.
FACES: It was your work as a model and your own model agency that gave you the idea for your Visionapartments in the first place. Will you tell us this story?
Anja Graf: Before founding VISIONAPARTMENTS, I ran a modeling agency with three partners. We needed overnight accommodation for the models from abroad. Hotels were too expensive, so I started renting out individual rooms that I had renovated myself. I received more and more requests for my rooms, even business people wanted to rent them. After a short time I was able to buy the first house and founded VISIONAPARTMENTS in 1999. I was 21 years old at the time.
F: Visionapartments has also been stationed in other European countries since 2009. What hurdles does this expansion present?
AG: New, country-specific laws, a lack of network and cultural differences are hurdles that we had to overcome.
F: What are your favorite guests?
AG: We generally appreciate all customers! The majority of our guests are business people, approx. 80%. The remaining 20% are tourists and private individuals who need a temporary home (don’t want to commit to a permanent home, separations, house hunting, home not yet finished, water damage, illness of relatives, etc.).
F: Visionapartments has been around for over 20 years. What is different today and what remains?
AG: Digital processes have become extremely important for our business. For example, we have developed our own property management system to optimize and automate our processes. Automatic access systems with codes are key for us. But what has always been important at VISIONAPARTMENTS, and will remain so, is the focus on interior design and the central locations of the properties.
F: How have guests’ demands changed since the beginning?
AG: We live in a time of self-determination and individualization, and this can also be seen in the area of living trends. The variety of housing types is therefore increasing. With regard to single-person households, the services offered in connection with living – cleaning, laundry service, food, fitness, “socializing” – are of course modular. Our products should be tailored precisely to the tenant and should not contain more than the customer wants – because customers are looking for cost-effective solutions.
F: How do you find the premises for your Visionapartments?
AG: We are always on the lookout for attractive properties: these should be of a certain size (50 apartments or more), have a good location and transport connections, and be close to larger companies.
F: What is the biggest challenge of your everyday life?
AG: Getting up in the morning…
F: What advice would you give your 21-year-old self if you could?
AG: Take it easy, life is still long.
F: Would you welcome it if your children wanted to follow in your footsteps?
AG: I can very well imagine this for my eldest son! I hope that he will join the VISION Group after he has completed his training and gained experience in other companies.
F: How are you experiencing the corona pandemic in your personal and business life?
AG: Corona had a strong impact on our industry: capacity utilization across the Group fell to 50% in the meantime, with an average of 95% over the last 20 years. In the meantime, the situation has stabilized. In Zurich – our largest location – we are back at 80% and the figures are rising.
The pandemic brought us some attractive real estate offers that would probably not have been for sale without the crisis. We also used the crisis to analyze and improve our internal structures and processes.
F: Interior trends change just as constantly as fashion trends. How do you stay up-to-date here and how often do you redesign your apartments?
AG: Interior design and style play an immense role and set us apart from the competition. We have our own interior design team, which plans and implements the apartment styles. The styles vary from apartment to apartment, and we are always launching new concepts. They have to be functional, but they can also be a bit unusual.
F: Can you switch off, and how do you do that?
AG: By spending time with my family and traveling.
F: What do you have too much of, and what can’t you get enough of?
AG: I don’t have enough time to realize all my countless ideas and projects.
F: What other idea or trump card do you have up your sleeve that you really need to tell us about?
AG: Some new projects, of course. We have just bought the Flemings Hotel in Zurich and a property in Zug. We have also taken over a manor house just outside Bucharest, which is being converted into a food factory. The aim of this is to expand our “jar food” production. The Weck jars contain delicious pre-cooked dishes that are 100% fresh and natural. These are not only sold directly to our tenants in the buildings, but also via our online store.
Anja Graf
Anja Graf is the founder, owner and CEO of VISIONAPARTMENTS. Born in 1977 in Winterthur, Switzerland, Graf began building up her company at the age of 21. After completing her training in Winterthur and Zurich, Graf gained valuable experience in the modeling business, including as head of her own modeling agency. Her work in this industry – for example, arranging furnished rooms for models working temporarily in Zurich – inspired her to found a company for furnished apartments. VISIONAPARTMENTS was launched in 1999 with the opening of the first three apartments in the heart of Zurich. Since then, the company has developed independently under the management of Anja Graf and has successfully expanded beyond the borders of Switzerland since 2009.
VISIONAPARTMENTS
VISIONAPARTMENTS is an expert in the rental of stylish furnished serviced apartments around the globe. Founded in Switzerland in 1999, the company quickly developed from a start-up to a Swiss market leader with a global presence. Today, VISIONAPARTMENTS offers customized temporary living solutions at over 850 business locations worldwide.
visionapartments.com
