Rutger Ottens started his real estate agency under the banner of Witte Woning Makelaars in Nijmegen in early 2021 together with two associates. Over time, the company grew rapidly and had three branches in five regions. However, in June 2023 Rutger decided to continue on his own, without his companions. Today, he works with Manon, a self-employed person.
Need for Coaching
In the transition phase of running his real estate agency independently, Rutger found that he needed more structure and strategic guidance. “I wanted to know what steps to take to grow my business from working alone to hiring staff,” Rutger explains. It was at this point that he came into contact with Brilliant Work through a startup accelerator voucher recommended to him by Lizanne Jakobs. This marked the beginning of his coaching journey with Marco, an experienced coach at Brilliant Work.
Rutger recalls his first meeting with Lizanne: “She told me I could use a voucher for a coaching programme, and I took advantage of that.” This gave him the opportunity to work with Marco and take the necessary steps to grow his business.
Living with Rutger
Rutger’s main question during the coaching process was how to clearly formulate and communicate his vision and mission to his clients. Marco helped him with this by acting as a sounding board and providing structure. “It’s nice to be able to spar with someone who really listens to you,” says Rutger. “As a result, you often realise things yourself that you would otherwise overlook.”
An indispensable part of the coaching was making the strategic decision to switch from Witte Woning Makelaars to his own brand: Living with Rutger. Marco encouraged him to explore ending the franchise contract with Witte Woning Makelaars. Rutger says, “I wanted to move to a full-service brokerage, where customers could come to us for everything about their homes, not just buying or selling their homes, but everything: from cleaning to remodelling.”
Goals Definitely Met
With Marco’s guidance, Rutger was able to successfully negotiate and separate himself from the franchise. This allowed him to establish his own brand and realise his vision of a full-service brokerage. “We’re now in the process of selecting reliable partners so that our clients can always turn to us for high-quality services,” Rutger said.
Thanks to coaching, Rutger has not only met but exceeded his goals for 2024. He says proudly, “I’d set goals for revenue and number of employees, and I reached those goals within just a few months. Now it looks like we might even reach twice the original goals.”
A key aspect of his new strategy is to offer a full range of services. Rutger explains: “We want to support people with everything involved in buying or selling a home. From pre-completion cleaning to help with removals and even remodelling planning. We want our customers to always be able to come to us and rely on the quality of our selected partners.”
Personal and professional growth
Working with Brilliant Work has not only helped Rutger make business decisions, but has also contributed to his personal development. “It helps tremendously to be concrete about where I want to go with my business and what my ambitions are,” he explains. By setting goals and evaluating them regularly during coaching sessions, Rutger gained clear insight into his vision and the steps needed to achieve it.
Rutger emphasises that Marco’s guidance has helped him gain self-confidence in his role as an entrepreneur and leader. “Marco really helped me get my mission and vision clear, so I know what I’m working toward and why I’m doing it. That has given me tremendous clarity and focus,” he says.
The Importance of Coaching
Rutger is very appreciative of Marco’s guidance and recommends that other entrepreneurs also hire a coach, no matter what stage their business is in. “I think it’s always good to have a coach: whether you’re just starting out or have been at it for a while. The insights and guidance are well worth the money, even without subsidies,” Rutger said.
He also stresses the importance of finding the right coach: “The advantage to Brilliant Work is that they have different types of coaches that match your industry. That makes it much easier to find a coach that really suits you and your business.”
Future Vision
For the future, Rutger is determined to continue to grow and increase his impact on the market. “Thanks to Brilliant Work, we now have a strong foundation and are ready for the next steps,” he concludes. “I plan to explore new markets and expand my services further. The guidance has not only helped me achieve my goals but has given me the motivation to keep going and take even bigger steps.”
Rutger is pleased with the growth his company has experienced and looks forward to what the future holds. “It only gets more fun to keep doing what we do. You just get more motivated,” he says. “We’re ready for the next challenges and opportunities.”
