Luca Giovannelli, chief executive officer of Casaitalia International, shares how he got his start in real estate and the path his career has taken since. Casaitalia serves on the Luxury Real Estate Board of Regents and his company was the recipient of the Best Brand Integration award in 2008.
How did you get your start in real estate? It all began in 1979, when my father, Adolfo, chanced to help a relative buy a property in Umbria and received his first, unexpected commission. He enjoyed the experience so much that he decided to change his technical studio into an estate agency. Spoleto, at that time, had only two agencies, one of which was associated with Grimaldi, an important Italian brand. He went to talk with the owner and asked to buy the agency for a sum of money which he did not have, and therefore took out a loan aimed at this new activity.