Why Marbella is the Ultimate Destination for Entrepreneurs & Investors | Rob Lipsett on Kore Estates

Out of all the places in the world, why did you choose Marbella as a place for you?

The only place that has like elite world-class gyms, entrepreneurial community, year-round weather, beaches, like the best beaches, the best mountains, direct daily flights to Ireland and the UK, and it's pretty much English-speaking, you know, even the locals here speak fluent English. Thanks so much for having me on, Christian, and what you're doing here, you know, what you're building, I'd love to see it, like I'd love to see more Irish people coming out here especially. Coming out here in a productive way.

Really focusing here at Core Estates to kind of, you know, continue investing in property because we see that as such a potential, but also to help people do exactly what we're doing. One of the things that you did was that you renovated your villa. Yes. And I always find it really interesting to kind of get an understanding from the homeowner's perspective.

But it's actually a bit of a story, a story behind it.

So hello everyone. Today I have the absolute pleasure of being joined by the one and only Rob Lipsett. To be honest, Rob, this has been something I have been trying to arrange ever since I moved out here. So I really appreciate you taking the time to pop by. From watching some of your content online, it was kind of very clear to me that not only do you know a lot about the health and fitness side of things, but you also know a lot about Marbella. Yes, you're kind of the man of Mr.

Marbella, self-proclaimed mayor of Marbella. Yeah, no one else calls me that, it's just myself.

That's exactly it. So I said, no better man to get some insights as to your opinion on Marbella. And I also wanted to kind of touch on your lovely home, Villa Lipsett, a little bit later on. But, you know, for the people that don't know, we have a couple of things in common. So one, we're both from Dublin in Ireland. For our sins. And both have decided to live and spend the majority of our time here in Marbella. And I suppose I really wanted to kind of get your opinion as to, out of all the places in the world, why did you choose Marbella as a place for you?

For sure, great place to start. So thank you so much for having me on, Christian, and what you're doing here, you know, what you're building. I'd love to see it. Like, I'd love to see more Irish people coming out here, especially coming out here in a productive way. So thank you, and a lot of respect for what you're doing. Now, in terms of Marbella, why I ended up coming here was actually because of COVID because of lockdown. I was living in London at the time, and gyms closed down. So I need the gym to not only work but for my sanity as well. And Ireland was the same, everything was shut down. And so I kind of chalked things down, I said, where in Europe is slightly open at the moment? Where are gyms open and where is within the EU and where am I kind of familiar with? And I think, you know, Ireland, Marbella has a lot of history, like when you're— exactly, a lot of connections. It's one of the, it's one of the most popular destinations that Irish people go to. So I said, I'll come out here for a month, I'll see how it is. And nightclubs were closed, but the gyms were open. So I was like, oh, you can actually live here.

Music to your ears.

Exactly. I was like, oh, I can be really productive here. And so the weather was, of course, amazing. And I found myself thriving here. I actually worked harder, uh, I increased my client list, I increased my earnings from actually being out here and from meeting other entrepreneurial people as well in the fitness industry. And then around like 2020, 2021— I'm not sure if I played a part in this— but it became like a bit of a hub for fitness entrepreneurs as well, as the gyms here are just amazing. And then when you go through a checklist in terms of places in Europe It is the only place that has like elite world-class gyms, entrepreneurial community, year-round weather, beaches, like the best beaches, the best mountains, direct daily flights to Ireland and the UK, and it's pretty much English-speaking. You know, even the locals here speak fluent English. You know, they're just absolutely fantastic and they're very tolerant with us tourists as well.

My Spanish has failed a little bit.

Yeah, hablo poquito, you know, but, uh, and, and everyone's very welcoming here. And so when you go through all those, uh, that checklist. It's the only place in Europe that I can think of that.

Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. I was very much the same. I think the, the climate that Marbella offers here is unique. It really, really is. And that's where we're kind of seeing, I suppose, a different kind of new generation of homeowners coming in. And you're the perfect example of that in terms of entrepreneurs or content creators. So, and I found, you know, it's not only just a special place for weather, for connections with Malaga International Airport, but also it's now offering all-year-round living. Yeah. And that is kind of something that's truly, truly special.

Exactly. Like, if you look at places like Ibiza, for example, it is very seasonal. You go to this time of year, it's a ghost town, whereas in Marbella, you go to a restaurant on Friday, Saturday, you go to the gym, and it's packed. It's fully booked. You got to make a booking. And I've noticed it become even more so like that over the course of the last few years. Like, yeah, usually in maybe in like 2020 or 2021, yeah, it would be quieter at this time of year. Now I really don't notice the difference.

Yeah, no, and I think even as you said, because we were similar, sort of post-COVID, a lot of people have changed their opinion on how they approach work and lifestyle.

Yeah.

Um, and I know certainly I, I'm that as well, is that it kind of, you change to kind of say, well, look, I'm not just going to solely focus and wait for retirement, I'm going to make amends now. And start to live my life. And Marbella is certainly the place that ticks a lot of boxes to do that. For myself, I came out similar to you, it was around pre-COVID. I would have been historically, I think Irish people either go to Portugal or go to Spain in the summer holidays.

Just two choices, that's all we know.

We just need a bit of sun.

Yeah, yeah.

And so I was very much spent all my life going to Portugal. So I have my sister there, I have my brother-in-law that's Portuguese. So Portugal has a really kind of special connection. To me. But I heard so many friends and family that had gone to Marbella and never spent the time to actually travel up the coast and visit it. And I did that just before COVID hit, and it was mind-blowing. Like, I knew you could see it here that it was special.

Yeah.

But not only did it kind of cater for that all-year-round living where it's not just a tourist attraction, yeah, there's people living here, and you can see that in the investment of everything that's going on. And that's, you know, people are putting their kids in schools, they're everything to it. It's really kind of a—

what I'll be looking at next.

Yeah, that's exactly it. Yeah, you'll have all that onto it. I know one of the things that you did was that you renovated your villa. Yes. And I always find it really interesting to kind of get an understanding from the homeowner's perspective of how that whole process was. How did you find it?

Okay, so there's actually a bit of a story, a story behind it. So when we were renting here and just kind of living here, and we were more by the day deciding that this is where we want to be long term, we were going on nights out, meeting loads of people, and meeting people in the gym and everything. A lot of people that work in property, just making connections. And so we had a few friends, and a girl we know said, hey, this— I know you're looking for a property, and especially a villa, because I really want— I want to knock down some walls, you know. I really wanted to make it make it my own. And she said, hey, this place came on the market, uh, needs some renovation, it's an amazing price, uh, the couple that want to get rid of it, you know, they're retired, I think they're in their late 70s, 80s, a Dutch couple, really nice, and they just want to get rid of it quick. And they said, just come take a look at it. And so we rocked up and we just, for some reason, we got this feeling that we knew was just an amazing deal. And there was loads of people try and look at it. And like, I mean, I rocked up, there's Ferraris and Porsches and everything. Like, these are people who are like not first-time buyers. These are people that knew what they were after and they saw the potential in this villa. And then, so the girl that we're friends with, she said, look, I'll give you a little special preference. If you give us $10K today, we'll take it off the market. So I said, boom, take it. Exactly. I just knew it. And so that took a day and a half on Idealista, and you know, and then we began the process. Of getting funds together to make a down payment. There's another story as well. Exactly, yeah. And so, but that was the beginning that we just knew that this place was the place for us. And then so we met with a lawyer, a broker, and all that, and it was surprisingly straightforward. I actually think it was more simple than it is in Ireland.

Yeah.

And so, but the only thing is now my job, I'm a fitness YouTuber, self-employed entrepreneur, throw a foreigner in on top of that. So the typical down payment would be like 20-30%. For me, 50%. Yeah, yeah. So I was like, I might as well just pay the thing in cash. But you know what, like as a result now my mortgage is nothing, you know, it's very, very small. So I got together the cash again. I just, I had my heart set on this place. I said, no, I go, if you ask for 100% now, I'll do it. You've got me in your claw. So I made a down payment and then, you know, a little bit of paperwork and everything, and then we got the keys. And we got the keys on, I'll never forget, it was 1st of January 2022. Yeah, I think that was it. And we found a good builder nearby and we just let them rip the place out. But so that was it, we just mainly got the place by chance from acting fast and from knowing the right people.

Yeah, and it's really kind of, for anybody that hasn't seen it, because I know it's well documented on your channel, and it's something I'd highly recommend anybody to check out, and we'll put the link in the bio for this, but the renovation process, was that relatively seamless for you, or somewhat ups and downs as normal?

As normal, but I actually love the whole thing so much, and basically, if you stick within budget, and if you kind of, you know, people start stressing when they start running out of money on their thing, so if you really put aside more than enough, really, and putting aside enough just in case some stuff goes wrong, you'll have an enjoyable, stress-free process. And me, I love a transformation, be it someone's physique or their health, or even seeing a business come together, or even a YouTube video come together. I'm very— I love seeing the process of a plan come together. So when I saw— I would check on the villa every single day. I would drive by it on the way to the gym. The builders are probably like, oh God, Rob's here again. And I I love seeing the little differences day by day. And when, you know, it's a buy-in, when you've put a lot down, you're like obsessed with it. And so I love the whole process personally. And it took about maybe 7 months start to finish until we slept in there for the first night. Now with that, her story, we moved in when there was one bedroom done and no Wi-Fi and no kitchen, because I was paying like, I think it was like €3,000 or €4,000 for rent in a nice place in Marbella during summer. So I was like, oh, that's money I could just be putting into the villa. So we moved in the day it was humanly possible. Like, there was still construction going on downstairs, but that hurried them up as well.

But it's worth it when you see the result of what's actually come. The transformation from the start to now is spectacular.

I'm not exaggerating. I'm not BSing. It was one of the proudest and most enjoyable feelings I've ever felt. And I've done some really cool stuff in my life. But having a home and building it yourself, seeing it come together and just seeing that finished product, I've still, to this day, the feeling hasn't worn off. Like, I still wake up in my dream home and I'm like, this isn't real. Like, this can't be real. Me and Linda, we're both like, what the hell? We can't believe it. Like, the effect hasn't worn off, especially when the sun is out, you're out in your pool, just flipping some steaks on the barbecue. That's the best thing in the world.

It's exactly it. And I think from even you showcasing that and the rest of your lifestyle here, I'd imagine you have a lot of people contacting you either for, well, I'm looking at possibly going to Marbella, or asking for advice. Is there any common questions that kind of regularly get asked for people wanting to come out here or move?

Yeah. So two of my friends have actually bought villas here, and one's from the Netherlands and one's from America.

Right.

So people are really— they're seeing that and they're They are like, we'll do whatever it takes to live this lifestyle. They'll move across the whole world, you know. And yeah, so a lot of people, they—

I've—

a lot of my friends have moved here because of me, which is crazy to say, like it sounds cocky to say, but they've told me themselves. But so the main thing is really just like kind of you got to piece together what you want your day-to-day to look like if you can really envision yourself living here and What I say to do is, right, don't come here for a weekend or 2 weeks and say, 'Hey, it's great here, I'm going to live here.' Try come here for like minimum 3 months and do the groceries here, you know, actually live your day-to-day life here. Because it's easy to fall in love with somewhere when it's like summer and the high season and you're here for a few days, but try to actually live here before making the massive decision of buying.

Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. I find that the same as well for a lot of people, because some of our clients that are coming out here, they've been coming out here for a long number of years And then also just wanting to, unsure of making the move. And I think even from an Irish perspective, it is kind of daunting doing something new in a foreign country. But that kind of gave us the real passion for myself, because where we come from, we have a— I come from a different background altogether in Ireland. I'm 20 years managing a logistics company within Ireland and the UK, and we've been very fortunate to, I suppose, the success of that business to invest in property. So we've been doing that in Ireland and Portugal and only most recently in Marbella. And so we know exactly that it can be really a daunting task to go through and people not speaking the language or who to go to or whatnot. But when we came here to Marbella, we saw that there was so much potential in terms of property investment. So when you buy in pre-COVID, I can only imagine the price for a property Villa Lipsett now.

It tripled.

Yeah, exactly.

Tripled.

Yeah, exactly. And this is what we're seeing and it's only going to get more and more. You can just see the level of cranes that are going on here.

Yeah, yeah.

So we're really focusing here at Core Estates to kind of, you know, continue investing in property because we see that as such a potential, but also to help people do exactly what we're doing.

Yeah.

And that's, you know, I think it's a blessing to be able to do that in, in a place we call home now as Marbella. So exactly.

And so what's this, when someone comes to you, you know, they come to Core Estates, what's the step-by-step process? They come to you, they say, I want to purchase a villa or they want to buy and renovate a villa, what's the process?

Exactly. So going through the whole detail is trying to understand, is, is, are they looking for an investment? Are they looking to move here? What is the real purpose of what they're actually coming to Marbella for? Because there's some different angles that you can kind of look or make recommendations to them. Um, the other factor of it is, is that, um, if they are looking to move here permanently, well, we want to try and actually get an understanding of where is the location. Do they have kids involved? Do they want to be close to schools? So there's a few varying factors, but once we do that, we kind of prepare a property selection for them. Yeah. And I wouldn't go into more than 3 to 5 because it can be just overwhelming. And just to narrow down that they're on the right mindset, that we're actually selecting something that's suitable for their lifestyle. Yeah. And once they do that, we prepare the viewings, we go through, we can arrange the lawyers, we can arrange interior design, refurbishment. The fact that we have all these contacts, having 'cause we've done it ourselves, it helps them through the whole process not to make the mistakes.

Wish I had that.

Exactly. So it just really embeds them. But, you know, outside of that, what we found, even from the other business that I run in Ireland, is that in order to make a real success is having longevity with the customer. So we don't just, there's your keys, good luck. It's, we help them integrate themselves here in Marbella because it's new for us all. And I found that was something that was kind of maybe lacking sometimes here when we first moved. So It's to help them find the restaurant, find the whatever, just so that they feel home. Yeah. So to make it a home away from home. So I certainly feel that now. And I think both of us haven't looked back.

Oh no. And so one thing as well, if anyone from Ireland or the UK is watching. So like, you know, I spend a lot of time in Dubai as well. I've lived like in America and Spain, Marbella particularly. You've got a direct daily 2-hour flight. Like if you ever need to go home, you can be home in the morning. Yeah, exactly. And like I was in Dublin, I got in last night at 10 and then I woke up today and, you know, we're here now. It's, it feels like kind of getting on a bus or it is catching a bus kind of thing, especially if you don't check in luggage, you feel like you're just breezing through and so you're less out of the loop. Like if something happens, a family emergency, God forbid, or you need to just pop home. I've gone home to go to the bank. Yeah, right. You just for the day, you know, you don't, you don't have that feeling of homesickness. And there's no, there's an hour in the time zone. Whereas if I'm out in Dubai, it's a long-haul flight, there's only like a few direct flights per week. I think with Emirates there's 2 or 3 to Dublin.

Yeah.

And yeah, there's the big time zone difference as well. You just feel a little bit more out of the loop. But with here, I just feel like, you know, I'm, I'm in just like an extended version of the country, you know, you're within the—

yeah, no, this is exactly it. When you first came here, integrating yourself to the Marbella lifestyle, was it just instant for you?

Yeah, I, I knew a lot of people here, and, uh, one thing I know it sounds like I say be the solution to everything is the gym, but it kind of is, you know.

I actually agree with you.

Like, it is. Like, even if you're into lifting or paddle or whatever, like, just joy. You meet so many people. I think the gyms are the, like, epicentre of Marbella. And, like, so you have M13, Oxygen, Elements, The IO, and Paddle Club. That is 5 mega gyms within the space of, like, a couple of kilometres. Like, there's nowhere else in Europe that has that. Like, it's— I, it's— believe me, I'd know. Yeah, there's, there's nowhere. Like, there's obviously amazing gyms throughout Europe, but none of them are outdoors, and they all have paddle courts, and they're all beside each other pretty much. Like, you can— I've, I've membership of all of them, and so does Linda, so I'm paying for 10 memberships.

Very—

the day— exactly. I'm like, oh, Tuesday, I think I want to go hit chest in this gym. But so the gyms, they're kind of like social hubs. And so by going there, I met lots of people.

Yeah, no, it certainly opens up the doors for connections. And there's so much networking over here, I find, because it's exactly what we said. Marbella has created this hub for entrepreneurs and everything. So you don't know who you're bumping into the gym versus a restaurant, down at the supermarket. It's unique.

Yeah, I think it's— so first of all, Marbella has transformed itself a lot since we were probably going here as young lads. Like, it used to be a little bit of a Magaluf spot in some ways, and now it's, uh, not only is the, like, the actual going out is a lot more high-end, but there's so much more option to not go out, like, to be productive and be fit and healthy, whereas I'm not sure how much that existed a long time ago. Maybe we just weren't looking for it.

We just had glass lenses. Yeah, lenses were covered.

Exactly. Yeah. But now I could I call Marbella less boring Monaco.

Yeah, that's very well put.

Yeah, exactly. No, you meet some serious operators here.

Yeah, no, absolutely, absolutely.

So Christian, you briefly spoke about your business, but give us the story behind it, give us the history.

Yeah, so the company back in Ireland is called Roadtrain. So it's a family-run business. So I'm 20 years at the head of it there at the moment. So for my sins, So it dates back to my great-grandfather, and we've been very fortunate that over the years that we've been dealing with some, you know, world-leading businesses that has led to the success of Roadtrain. And a lot of that success allowed us to invest, and that investment was in real estate within Ireland, which kind of helped us develop further and further, and then eventually within Portugal. And then from Portugal we went to Marbella. So, we always have kind of a passion for, a little bit like what you did with Villa Lipsett, is bringing something old back to life. So, as much as it's impressive to buy something off-plan and doing whatever, we also found it also beneficial to see property in prime locations that have been let go and just needed that little bit of tender love and care. So, that business has been the, I suppose, the heart and soul of everything that we've been able to do. And it's really kind of developed us creating Core Estates here in Marbella, which ultimately allows us to continue that passion but also to help homeowners go through the process of doing exactly what we're doing. Yeah. And that is something that I think is really unique and special. So here in Marbella, you probably know there's so many different options out there to go to people, but for us, we have come from a legacy of 90 years in business being able to provide and help people in the service industry. So transitioning that from whatever type of organisation that we're in is kind of seamless and we have the backing and support of that. So we're just very happy that we can help people here on the coast.

Now you got the receipts, 90 years. It's not just some random business that has popped up. That's crazy.

No, absolutely. So we're rolling on the century.

Yeah, big celebrations for the 100-year mark. And so when it comes to renovating, first of all, what do you prefer to do? Buy a new place or renovate?

It really, really depends. So personally, my personal preference, it's a mix and match. So you can, for off-plan developments, you can purchase something now and get incredible value straight away. And I know a lot of people that are buying now, and then by the time they're actually completed, selling it for an unbelievable margin.

Yeah, selling, not even moving.

Not even moving. Me, for certain projects that we've been doing, I kind of take it very personal that we've been buying some projects that have been needing refurbishment, nearly wanting to live there myself, uh, from after the renovation that takes place. Both have their merits.

Yeah.

Um, what I do find, especially in Marbella, is because so many, um, restrictions in terms of what can be built in Marbella, yeah, you're more than likely going to have to buy something a little bit like what you've done or I've done is something that may be in need of renovation.

Yeah.

Um, if you want to be in the hub of it all.

Exactly.

Um, so it's a balance of both. It's really down to each individual preference, but, um, both have their merits.

Yeah. When, when you think about it, like Nueva Andalucía, for example, like there's no empty— there's no emptiness, you know. Like it's all— everything's taken. So if you want to be in Nueva Andalucía, for example, or Puerto Banús or something on the Golden Mile, you need to renovate, essentially.

That's exactly it. There's very few big plots that are coming up to go for building kind of apartment complexes or whatnot. It's very, very few and far between. So that's really kind of the balance that people are— and look, a lot of people are going out to the new Golden Mile, and that's certainly an option as well, but it's all down to individual preference. But for, you know, Nueva Andalucía, for me, is certainly special as well. So it's something that is a home away from home. So it's where the whole journey started.

You got to be beside the gyms. Well, this is exactly it.

Yeah, you can literally all into it. Yeah, yeah.

And so if you were to choose one area in Marbella— I know my answer— if you were to choose one area in like all of Marbella, Greater Marbella, that you'll see a massive spike in returns, like what's going to be the next most popular area, what do you think it is?

I, I certainly think that, um, probably the, the new Golden Mile. The fact that there's so much construction going out there in Estepona. Yeah. So if you're heading out that direction, um, as well as in Benavís. There's the capabilities and the, I suppose, the speed in terms of turning around construction and licensing is allowing for a lot more growth there. So you are seeing investment going a lot quicker because of that speed. So that's certainly something that is, they're more prominent areas.

Yeah, yeah. I would have said Estepona as well. Like, you're even getting places like Nido, the beach club out there. You're getting Pasha or, um, Sublime Beach or that Laguna Beach.

Exactly. And you see it's attracting all these famous brands as well, and that's when you know it really is going to be something special. You take Marbella 10, 20 years ago, it's changed a lot as well.

Yes.

So there's no different, it's going to be exactly the same out there. So it's just having that long sort of mindset, um, that this is something that's coming down the tracks.

Yeah. Have you ever seen that picture of Marbella and Puerto Banús? And it's like 50 years ago. Yeah, we can put it on the screen, and it's crazy when you compare the difference until now. So give it another 50 years, like, it's gonna look absolutely—

yeah, yeah, yeah, it's gonna be— yeah, I'm just glad to be a part of it. Yes.

And so when it comes to renovating, obviously now I love talking about renovating because it's what I've done. What are the biggest mistakes people make, or what are some things that you should really consider?

I think going into the renovation process without a plan is, is a big thing. Some people go into it— yeah, yeah, going into it and say, I just want to do the and then they're starting to make adjustments halfway through. So I think having a, you know, a stable head and understanding, look, what exactly are you looking to try and achieve from this? So doing that plan from the beginning makes it just a lot easier, not even from maybe a project management point of view, but from a contractor, selecting a contractor, when they know the workflow that needs to be done, um, it just makes everything a little bit more seamless. But, um, you got there in the end anyway, so—

Yeah, yeah, exactly. So that, that would be my advice as well, you know, Have a plan, have a deadline, and try to, like, you know, be strict with it because some people will really string you along for as long as possible. When I had— I put it in my contract, I said, as soon as we start going over this date, the price comes down. Yeah, I got that written in. And, you know, and you can be a little bit brash, you can be straight up, say, you don't want that, cool, I'll go with another renovation company. And so it helps everyone because it helps them hurry on, It keeps you sane. So that's one thing I would remember to add in, to have a deadline in the contract. Instead, every day you go over that, well, you know, the price comes in. Another one is look for hidden problems that you can't physically see. So stuff like mold, or maybe there's pockets in the garden where dirt gathers and things might flood. Maybe the roof is gone that you can't physically see that, but when you lift up the bonnet there's a lot of problems. So I'd say look for invisible problems as well.

Exactly. Yeah. And as you said, you were here during the whole process, which is beneficial. And I know some clients, and this is what is kind of an added benefit that we do, is that they're traveling back and forth to have somebody that you can rely on to kind of say, look, at least I know it's going to be looked after because we've gone through it. You know the problems to be looking out for to kind of help them along the way because you can be strung along if they know that, you know, you're not here, or what's going on. So it's, it's important to have that balance between it all. Yeah, yeah.

And so in terms of like moving to Marbella, moving to Spain even, or Andalucía, uh, and getting your residency and everything, what's the process like for that? Because I know it's quite different for like Irish people and people from the UK and everything.

Yeah, so I think with the Golden Visa that's gone there now, that's leaving in April, um, that's something that's cause quite a stir, I suppose, for most in terms of the UK, um, even from the American market as well. Um, for us, obviously, I think a lot in the UK have also obviously gotten Irish passports as well at the moment.

It's definitely more seamless for Irish people.

Yeah, it makes it a lot, a lot easier. All right, so, so coming in here, the fact that Marbella and being part of the European Union has made it very, very seamless for that. Um, so we're somewhat fortunate, but we do have probably, um, very good contacts within the legal market that we can help people come in to kind of understand if they're looking to live here, visa requirements can be assisted all the way through. So it's a one-stop shop. As soon as they kind of come in, what they're looking for, whether it's a property, all the way to their tax advice, legal advice, can all be catered for. And again, it's all about who you know out here.

Yeah.

And getting the right people, but that's something we can assist very easily with.

Okay, nice. And you got the, the Beckham Law as well and everything.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So there's ticking a lot of boxes here. I think Spain within Europe, that's something that has become very unique to kind of attracting a lot of wealth coming in here, especially for those tax incentives. Yeah, we picked a good spot.

People think, they're like, oh, Spain is like the worst tax place ever. If you do it right, if you do it right, you can do that in any country. If you set things up correctly, then this is exactly it.

Getting the right advice from the beginning. It's the same as in a renovation. If you come in with the mindset of everything on business plan of what you're actually looking to do, there's ways around it. Yeah, absolutely.

So, yeah, and with Core Estates, what's your long-term vision? Like, how in 5 years, where would you like to see the company?

So we really want to establish ourselves here in the Marbella market. So not just as another real estate agent that's ticked off the box here. So the fact that we come from a backing from an Irish company, that's so— the longevity of it. We want to just put our mark within the real estate, but also in developments as well. So we would like to take the, I suppose, the single villas or apartment renovations up to bigger complexes. So within the 5-year mark, that's something that we're very kind of strategically looking to try and put ourselves at the forefront of it. So it's exciting times. Yeah, yeah, yeah, really exciting.

What's a day in the life look like at the moment for you?

For me, yeah, it's a bit fast because since I've moved out here, I'm balancing between the two businesses at the moment, but very good crew back home. And so here is— I'm up early in the gym. So first thing for me, it's— I think it just clears the head and starts the day for me.

Which gym?

IO and Paddle. So I need to get 5 memberships like you.

Yeah, come on, those are rookie numbers, you got to bump them up.

Exactly. So yeah, so that clears the head to start the day with getting into the office and get going. So I'm a very early starter and believe in doing that in order to be productive for the rest of the day. So, um, but the fact that in Marbella, a little bit different back home in Dublin, is in the evening time you can take a stroll late in the sunshine where, uh, you're not having to take the brolly out.

Exactly. Yeah, it makes, makes a big difference to your mental health, your mind, and everything. I seem to handle everything better when I'm in the sun.

Yeah, no, no, this is exactly it. And what's a day in the life with yourself?

Right, so I usually, I wake up at about 6 or 7, and then I've like— so this is my productivity hack. Is just— it's kind of like, you know, Tim Ferriss is the 4-Hour Workweek. I've just a 4-hour morning, right? So I'll wake up in the morning, I'll heavily caffeinate myself, a lot of water, nootropics, vitamins, minerals, supplements, all that good stuff. And then I'll sit down at my desk and just do my entire day's work. I'm most productive fasted without stuffing myself in the morning. Super sharp, hydrated, electrolytes switched on.

Yeah.

So that's 7 to 11 when I need to get creative work done. So doing something like this, recording, um, formulating like a sharp reply. I know, like, like if I have an important email, I will look at it and I'll be like, I need to answer this in the morning when I'm creative, and I will type the right— I will cast the right spells. So of that, and then of editing, and then client calls, things that I need to be sharp, coherent, and switched on for. Do 7:00 to 11:00, that's most of my work. Then 11:00 to 12:00, I'll hit the gym, train train by myself extremely hard. Then I'll actually film my workout content after.

After?

Yeah, after. So, you know, when I like getting the perfect angle and everything. So that's about between 12 to 1, and then 1 I will jump in the sea, I'll get out in nature, go for a walk, eat a healthy nutritious meal, usually like my largest meal of the day. And then, so that now it's around like 2 o'clock, and then between 2 to 4 or 2 to 5 I'll do mundane tasks, stuff that doesn't require much brainpower and that I just need to kind of get rid of on my to-do list.

Yeah.

5:00, I'll post on socials, post on every single platform, and then around 6 p.m. I'll try clock off, wind down, and fully switch off. I do. Yeah. I've made the mistake as like, you know, an online entrepreneur to not switch off.

Yeah.

And you're— before you know it, you're on your laptop till midnight. And long term, this isn't sustainable and it actually decreases the quality of work you do. So, you know, I used to be like, no Netflix in the evening. Now I'm like, you know, actually maybe it might help to relax a little bit.

You can be more productive really if you actually—

Yeah, exactly. And it's like the team no sleep thing. People think they're hardcore. They're not. The person that's sleeping 8 hours per night will outwork you in the long term. No doubt. So sleep, like I track my sleep like very, very closely. That's like, that's the real gym right there is tracking your sleep. Sleep because it's the foundation of everything. That's a typical day. And, you know, if I can wake up, do fulfilling work, uh, hit the gym, and get out in nature and eat a healthy meal, that's all I want in life. I don't care if I've got a €10 in the bank or a million in the bank, you know. That's, that's all I want to do to make me happy.

Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. And I think that's a— I think that's really what everybody's goal should be.

Exactly. And people think to go and come to Marbella, you need to be living this extravagant baller life. Not at all. I actually spend less here than Ireland, like cost of living. Like, just give me Mercadona and the gym and the sea. It's free. Yeah, so that's all I want.

Oh no, no, absolutely. Well, look, Rob, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to chat with us. And no doubt I could probably chat to you all day, but maybe we'll save for a part 2 down the line.

Exactly.

This is now a monthly check-in. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or do something off air for certain. Exactly.

Yeah, no, but I really enjoyed enjoyed this, uh, you know, great banter, feels very natural, and I'm really looking forward to see where Corsair goes.

Thanks a million, man, I really appreciate it. Cheers. Thanks. Thanks, Emil. Thank you.