GORDON VOS

New-build advisor at Fris Real Estate Agents

As a ‘new kid on the block’, Yvie finds her way around Overhoeks with help from other people in the neighborhood. This time she meets Gordon Vos, advisor new build at Fris Real Estate Agents. Together with colleague Leanne Rensen, he is responsible for letting the 176 apartments in the residential tower.

Can you tell us more about Fris Real Estate Agents?
“Fris Real Estate Agents is a real family business. This year, we are 100 years old. For three generations, we have been ensuring that people find the place in Amsterdam and Zaandam where they feel at home. We have a wide range of services. We sell and rent houses in both existing buildings and new builds. We also provide valuations, insurance and property management.” 

How did Fris Real Estate Agents get involved with Yvie?
“Precisely because we can carry out both letting and management of homes, we were asked to participate in the tender for Yvie. We have now managed many other large-scale rental projects, such as AMST, SoundDock, The Newton. Based on this track record and our approach, Union Investment chose us.”

What are the challenges?
“Letting new-build apartments is a profession in itself. It involves significant numbers of properties that go into letting at once. That means you need a streamlined (online) process and sufficient manpower to handle this. And all this without losing sight of personal contact. At the end of the day, brokering is all about people. We understand that it is difficult to decide on the basis of a drawing on a website. That is why people can still call us the old-fashioned way if they have any questions.

“BROKERING REMAINS
HUMAN WORK IN THE END.”

What makes Overhoeks the place to be in Amsterdam?
“Personally, I think Noord really is the nicest location to live in. The contrasts make it special: the ferry takes you straight into the busy historical city centre, while Overhoeks itself is very modern and relatively quiet. There are plenty of rough, industrial spots and creative breeding grounds, and yet you can also live very comfortably in a new-build home. Best of both worlds.”

What makes Yvie so special?
“The combination of hotel tower, conference location and residential tower on this site is unique. Not only will you soon be renting an apartment there, you will also get a whole new neighborhood with all kinds of facilities. Besides the already existing catering establishments in the neighborhood, such as Public Space, Tolhuistuin and the Adam Tower, the hotel tower will include various restaurants, a coffee bar and a rooftop bar. The Albert Heijn supermarket is literally around the corner, and a five-minute walk away you’ll find the Van der Pekstraat, with shops and a weekly market. Greenery is right in front of the door in the (yet to be constructed) Schegpark. In short, you don’t really need to cross the IJ to enjoy city life.”

“REALLY EVERY APARTMENT
HAS A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE CITY.”

What can tenants expect?
“The residential tower is so tall that really every apartment has a beautiful view of the city. The finishing of the apartments is also high standard. It is turn key: not only are the kitchen and bathroom already in place, but the floors and walls are also finished. All you have to do is pack your things and you can move in. Then there are the extras: most apartments have a separate storage room, you can easily park your bike in the communal bike shed and you can rent a parking space in the garage below. And the spacious communal roof terrace on the 3rd floor is, of course, also an absolute bonus.”

What are you looking forward to?
“That we will move into rentals in early February 2024. And that we can hand over the first keys before the summer. Then our mission will be accomplished.”