Providing Quality of Life, Not Just Apartments

Q: What factors have fueled Carza’s success in the housing market?

A: We are a family-owned business with over 36 years of experience in the industry and I think our success has been due not only to very good planning but more importantly, to good execution of those plans. It can also be attributed to a lot of hard work and perseverance because we have undergone very hard times. Plans do not always go accordingly but because we have remained nimble, we have been able to react quickly to changes in the market. All our projects are designed in such a way that they are executed to meet the current market needs, which has served us well.

Q: What lessons have you learned from the challenges you have faced?

A: One lesson that has been clear is that constant contact with clients is essential. We need to always anticipate their needs and, in this case, we need to know what kind of houses people want to live in. We also have to take the market into consideration, which means being familiar with the financial constraints of our target demographic.

Q: What are the emerging trends within the Monterrey market?

A: We focus on the MX$1-5 million market, with the bulk being between MX$2 million and MX$3 million. Having said that, I foresee greater population density in the Monterrey market. For a long time in Monterrey, there was a perception that people would dislike apartments but this no longer seems to be the case. I think we are seeing that residential buildings contribute a lot to the economy and to society because they allow us to make more efficient use of taxes by having all the necessary amenities within one community. Even though more manpower would be required for these urban centers, they would require less infrastructure. For example, although these areas may demand more teachers and police officers, they would require fewer physical schools and police stations. This also contributes a great deal to community relations because it breeds tighter-knit communities. One of our upcoming projects is Cantera, which we believe is in a very good location and that is extremely important because it contributes to a greater quality of life for our clients. Quality of life is the added value we want to provide. We are working in the San Nicolas municipality in Monterrey, where we believe apartments will greatly benefit the community.

Q: How do you stress the advantages of vertical developments over horizontal buildings to your clients?

A: Over 90 percent of people in Monterrey live in homes rather than apartments because there is not yet enough of an offering for the latter. The buildings Carza proposes are not standard apartment buildings but are more family oriented and community-focused. I think we can provide a better product offering than a home, especially regarding location. The city continues to grow horizontally and construction space is limited. Traffic is becoming an issue because of population density so a location close to office districts, schools and hospitals can be invaluable to many clients.

Q: What projects is Carza developing for 2017-2018?

A: We are executing Cantera right now and we just started a new project called Living San Nicolas in the San Nicolas municipality. This development has around 720 apartments and is also a project where we are looking to create a community rather than just a housing development. We also have another project in the Huixquilucan municipality in the State of Mexico.