When the Right Person Met the Right Firm Feature Interview of Globevisa Turkey Partner Mesut Güney

Mesut Güney is the one who has a strong personality. Father of two little girls, Mesut is always cheerful and talkative, with a great sense of humor, always looking at you with those Sincere brown eyes, and always makes you feel warm and reliable. Before joining Globevisa as a partner, he had over 10 years of experience in the TV media industry. Then, within THREE months, he signed up more than 20 Greek property buyers. He incorporated his previous experience in the media industry into his current work and has created a great deal of success. It’s as if he just stands there and wins people’s attention and trust.

Globevisa: Happy Anniversary! As of November, you’ve been our partner for one year. First of all, we would like to congratulate you on such a great achievement this year. We all want to know how you could manage to achieve these 20 sets of signings in 2 months. You kill it!

Mesut: Thank you. In brief, I talked to one client and nailed it. Then, by word of mouth, lots of potential clients came to me. I talked to them and won their hearts.

Globevisa: Sounds like magic. How did you get your first client?

Mesut: It’s from Instagram. I posted some information on Greece’s golden visa and the property we were selling. One of my followers was touched by the post and she came to me for more details. We have known each other for a long time. She’s been my friend and follower since 2019. I did convince her to buy a property in Greece first.

Globevisa: Can you tell us what the nuts and bolts of getting this lady to introduce other people to become your clients?

Mesut: On the one hand, she is a tour guide and provides services for some high-net-worth individuals. On the other hand, the economic environment in Turkey led to a need for asset allocation especially for the rich. However, they are busy and don’t have time to inspect projects. I told her that all she needed to do was to tell her clients that she had bought a property in Greece and that it was a good house. She bought the property and got the golden visa through a firm called Globevisa. She thought the service provided by Globevisa was great. Just three points.

Globevisa: Can we just conclude that you have established networking by running your social media every day, and then you find a high-value client who also has the function of opinion leader among her peers? You actually gave her simple training and offered a profit share, which ultimately led to the 20 deals. Can you share us with your selling skills?

Mesut: To be honest, I have no selling skills. There’s a stereotype that people would think sales are always talkative and good at drowning clients with information. I know I’m a bit of a chatterbox sometimes. But when I’m providing service for my clients, I don’t say much. I’m not the type to yell at the top of my lungs to get people to buy my products. Sometimes you must keep restrained especially if you’re confident in your product. I have to say it’s also necessary to be sincere. I hope my clients can feel that I am listening to them and I’m always there for them. For example, I always reply to Instagram messages as soon as I get one. I don’t care if it’s work time or not, I always get back to them as soon as possible. Earning the trust of people is the first step and the most important part of selling your product.

Globevisa: Agree with you. Tyler Bosmeny, the CEO of Clever, said he’s so lucky to hear some of the top sales in the world when calling clients. He was shocked by how few words they had. Selling is the art of communication, it’s not a one-way output. It’s important to leave some space to allow information and emotions to flow from both sides of the aisle. I notice that you asked your first client to bring very simple information to others, is that your selling style?

Mesut: Yes. Having worked in the media industry before, I know what form of content the public prefers. You need a very simple but powerful output if you want to catch people’s eyes within several seconds. I follow this principle on all the stuff, whether I post content on my social media or present the products. Keep it simple, I believe it has been my work rule and life credo.

Globevisa: Social media platform is one of the key points in acquiring clients. Amazingly, you have 41,000 followers on Instagram. You are such a star! Why are you so dedicated to social media and what do you think about the role it plays in your current work?

Mesut: I guess part of the reason I value social media so much is because I’ve been working in the TV media industry for over a decade. I started to work as the chief legal counsel of TV8 and ACUNMEDYA Holding upon its offer. During my duty as general counsel for nearly 10 years, ACUNMEDYA has turned into a giant media holding company and become a global broadcaster/producer organization that produces content in 10 countries around the world, especially in the USA, Mexico, and Greece. Besides, I’m the life-sharing type. I did my first post in 2012. I love to share my life and major events like getting married, having a baby, or making a big decision in my career. People will know me from the posts I did. It’s like my business card you know. I would say I benefited from it. If you are a client who intends to buy a property in Greece, you don’t have to come to me to buy the house. You have a bunch of choices. The question is, why did you choose me? I guess it’s because the information I delivered makes you feel that you can trust me. Nowadays, everyone uses social media, we use it as our primary source of information. It’s convenient and easy to use, who don’t we give the best shot?

Globevisa: I think we say that it’s more like you are selling yourself than selling products. You are the star of our firm. We all like you not only for your excellent performance but also for your unique personal charisma. You posted a lot of pictures of your wife and two daughters on Instagram. Those loving cute photos were taken by you, right? Can you tell us a little bit about your family story?

Mesut: In fact, we are parents leading a highly standard life, prioritizing our children, and providing them with a good education according to the conditions of our country. At the same time, we are a couple who do not neglect to socialize with friends. Both of us have had international experiences in our education, which has resulted in having friends from many countries. This is another factor that makes us very social. Our friendship, which began in university with my spouse, continues as a happy marriage today. I firmly believe that a successful life is undoubtedly dependent on establishing a balanced foundation of family and social life.

Globevisa: How do you specifically use social media as a tool for your current work and what are your specific investments in it?

Mesut: Followers are coming because of the promotions I am doing paid on Instagram and Facebook through META, which is instrumental in growing followers. But we still need the content to be attractive, so I am also working with an agency for the creation of content regarding my preference and direction. Promoting a destination country on social media from a 1st point-of-view like videos and photos is very useful. As for fees, it takes me 1,000 USD dollars per month to maintain the function described above. Besides, I use WhatsApp which is the most popular communication App in Turkey as a point of contact and database for potential clients. Then I drop bite-size information or questions to incite curiosity and start a real conversation.

Globevisa: Can you talk about why you think Property in Greece is a good option for Turkish clients?
Mesut: For Turkish investors, in my opinion, Greece offers the most ideal program. Firstly, it presents the lowest-cost investment model to obtain the right of free movement within the European Union. While Caribbean passports are essentially processed through donation, in Greece, making a property investment that provides all the benefits is a unique strength of the program. Additionally, led by Henry, Lynette, and the Globevisa team aim to develop the most unmatched products in the industry, and they succeed in doing so. While acquiring property abroad imposes various obligations on investors, Globevisa manages to create a comprehensive package, from renting the property to its management, which is a significant achievement. Before the addition of the recent Wyndham Azure Waves project to our portfolio, I had discussed Thessaloniki with Henry, stating that it is a beautiful region for Turkish investors. Within a few months, they developed this incredible project.

Globevisa: I know you quit your previous job to become our partner, why did you decide to give up a well-paying job and join Globevisa?

Mesut: First, I want new challenges and new experiences. Second, I believe in Globevisa. I recognize one of Henry’s insights when he says that a firm needs to offer its clients a wide range of options and local offices. Global service with local knowledge. I built the Turkish office so clients can get to me quickly with whatever questions they have. I do all the things by myself and pinch every penny. I picked up the used furniture and decorated the office by myself. The 20 Greek property buyers are all Turkish and they trust me because I am in Turkey. I know the Turkish market; I know what they want; I can show up anytime as long as they need me. Of course, any information and support I need Globevisa can provide me instantly, having your back is the cornerstone of our collaboration.

Globevisa: Tell us about the story of how you built the Turkish Office.
Mesut: I had previously met with Henry to discuss the purchase of a hotel he wanted in Turkey, and in our first meeting, we both realized that we had a similar mindset. Later on, he expressed his desire to open an office in Turkey and to establish a business partnership with me. My immediate response was a straightforward “WHY NOT.” I was very impressed by Henry’s business acumen and work ethic, and because I felt there was much I could learn from him, I accepted the offer without much detailed consideration. When he came to Istanbul, my wife, Attorney Deniz Güney, Henry, and I had a wonderful and enjoyable dinner by the Bosphorus, where we didn’t discuss business at all. It was a meal focused on getting to know each other, sharing our family lives, and our perspectives on life, which I believe was much more important. He also didn’t hide his admiration for Deniz, being a record-breaking swimmer. I think we all know his passion for sports; he’s a true warrior. Afterwards, everything unfolded beautifully. Thanks to Hannah’s always attentive responses to all our questions, we experienced a rapid adaptation process, and we quickly began to see the results of our collaboration.

Globevisa: Apart from Greek property, what other projects do you think match the Turkish market? What will be your focus in 2024?
Mesut: I think another product that will be most effective for the Turkish market is the American EB-5 program. Although it requires finding investors who have made bolder decisions, we are gradually becoming more noticeable on social media. I am confident that we will reach EB-5 investor clients very soon. Additionally, for Europe, Portuguese Fund Investment and Spanish Golden Visa are still good options. For those who want to quickly obtain a passport and citizenship, Caribbean passports are always the first choice. Our goal for 2024 is to be the most successful and largest immigration consultancy firm in Turkey, and we are making steady progress on this path.

Whenever Mesut goes overseas to see real estate projects, he is always eager to share what he sees during his trip with other Globevisa’s partners. His enthusiasm is the underlying force that drives him to do better and influence those around him. Let’s wish Mesut a great success in the coming year of 2024.