Name: Alisa Zotimova
Job title: Founder and CEO of AZ Real Estate
What I do: I run AZ Real Estate, a boutique property consultancy and estate agency in London, where delivering excellent client service is at the heart of everything we do. We offer highly focused and meticulous services and charge a premium for them, reflecting the dedication we bring to every client. The agency has been going for 13+ years. This year I decided to open it up to more agents by creating AZ Alliance, a property brokerage platform.
Why I got into the property industry: I was born in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of Moscow, and by the late 1990’s when I was done with my studies, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was the land of opportunity. New industries like property and hospitality were kicking off and knowing a foreign language became hugely important. There was money to be made if you were energetic and open minded. Through uni, I worked in restaurants in Moscow, getting to work with different people and learning how to make clients happy. My long-term customers for lunch were people from JLL who were hiring and knew me well by then. The rest is 23+ years of a property career to this day. Two years after starting at JLL, I moved to Cushman & Wakefield and got hooked on the property world for life.
How I did it: In 2007, I moved from Moscow to London and I have lived here ever since. Immigration was a huge milestone: starting from scratch, learning to thrive in a new culture and adapting to a very different work environment. Opening my own business here was both exhilarating and daunting. Sometimes, I still can’t believe I managed to carve out a new life and launch AZ Real Estate – without outside funding, just determination, some savings and an open mind.
My first big break: My first big break was – I think – being in the right place at the right time – at the dawn of the office leasing market in Moscow, but also seizing that opportunity and building on it. I worked on huge developments and closed big deals. For example, in 2006 I was Cushman & Wakefield’s top producer in Europe. All by the age of 26.
My inspiration(s): I’m inspired by the strength and resilience of people who carve out new paths, especially women who come from different cultures and manage to thrive in new environments. My family, my clients, and London itself continually fuel my energy. Authors, artists and business leaders – those who build with integrity – keep me motivated. The underdog who isn’t afraid to bark!
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Immigrating to London, setting up a new life and business and adapting to a completely different culture was by far my biggest challenge. Navigating Brexit, Covid, geopolitics and London’s demanding market tested me, but also proved what focus and courage can achieve.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: I’m proudest of setting up AZ Real Estate in 2012 without external capital or borrowing – it showed me that independence and persistence truly pay off. Growing the company through so many market twists and personal milestones in a new country is something I treasure. You can throw in being profiled in the Evening Standard’s business section. And of course writing and publishing my book “From Moscow to London. Notes on Happiness and Business” in Russian about my experiences – I plan to release the English version in the future.
My biggest screw-up: I’ve made hiring mistakes – going for a person who was available and trying to fit the role around them. Bad idea. It should be the other way around: define the role and hire the best person for it! There were also deals where trusting the wrong partner backfired. Each error became a stepping stone for more considered decisions.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: People think property is glamorous and that quick wins are everywhere, but the reality is endurance, ethics and long-term thinking matter most. Relationships are the fabric of business and behind every project is a lot of hard work and sometimes painful learning.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: I wish there was more transparency and uniformity in standards. There isn’t any actual education one could take up for residential property for example. There is either the very complicated and long route of becoming a chartered surveyor or ‘learning on the job’. Also I see sometimes short-term interests override genuine care for clients – that’s what I’d change if I could.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career wise: I see myself leading AZ Alliance as the premier support network for independent agents in the UK – empowering others to build their own paths with the same courage and freedom I relied on. And my English book is finally out and well received.
My main career goals right now: My main goal is to help as many people as possible launch and run their own property businesses. I want to take everything I’ve learned and build an environment where agents support each other and grow together.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: I’d love to bring together both of my grandmothers, whose warmth, strength and wisdom shaped my life in different ways. Also my grandads who I’d like to ask lots more questions than I could while they were alive. I’d add Yuri Gagarin for his sense of adventure and pioneering spirit. For a broader perspective, Agatha Christie for her curiosity and storytelling, and David Bowie for his creativity, charisma and fearless reinvention. Those guests would light up the table with their chat… if they don’t blow it up first with their differences!
What I do in my downtime: Family is at the heart of my free time – my husband Artem, stepdaughter Liza and son Leo keep life lively and full. Tennis, theatres and travelling out of the country whenever we can are my ways to recharge.
The job I’d be doing if I wasn’t doing this: If not real estate, storytelling or acting would always draw me in.
My advice for someone just starting out: Absorb everything like a sponge, take every opportunity to work with intelligent people and teams, and treat people with kindness – regardless of their job title. Respect and genuine relationship-building open more doors than any strategy.
My motto/mantra: Be free, have fun!
