18-06-2026
In her new article, Irina Alazova, CEO of Mercury Group, explains why an impressive view and a beautiful interior are only part of the picture. Layout, location, privacy, building condition and future liquidity can determine whether a property will truly work for living, rental or resale.
What do I see in a property within the first 10 minutes?
When a client enters an apartment or a house, the first reaction is often emotional.
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The view.
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The light.
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The interior.
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The materials.
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The first feeling of the space.
This is natural. Real estate always creates emotion.
But a professional eye works differently.
Within the first few minutes, I am already assessing what is not always visible in beautiful photos: the layout, the logic of the space, privacy, entrance, building condition, liquidity of the location and potential difficulties in a future sale or rental.
Sometimes a property looks impressive, but its structure is weak.
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An inconvenient layout.
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Poor balance between rooms and bathrooms.
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A fifth floor without a lift.
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Complicated logistics for a family.
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An interior that may appeal to one person but narrow the pool of future buyers.
Sometimes the opposite is true: a property may not be the most “Instagrammable”, but it has the right foundation — location, layout, quality, potential and liquidity.
An experienced broker should not only see how a property looks today.
They should understand how it will perform tomorrow.
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For living.
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For rental.
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For resale.
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For the client’s capital.
This is why I always say: strong real estate is not only a beautiful picture. It is a property with logic behind it.
