Once a sleepy coastal town in the south of Spain with unmistakable Andalucian character, the picture painted these days in the increasingly popular hotspot of Marbella looks a whole lot different. Tourists and expats flock to this destination every year for a slice of the high life – swanky beach clubs, designer shops on every corner, super yachts, multi-million-pound villas and famous faces encapsulate what has quickly become one of Europe’s most prestigious locations.
Naturally, this has brought significant wealth from all corners of the globe and much of that wealth, is ending up in premium real estate – the market grew by 15 per cent from June 2022 – 2023 alone. But who is selling these ritzy penthouses and mega mansions to the rich and famous? In short, there are many but none more interesting than one of Marbella’s newest and fast-growing agency, Homerun Brokers. So successful, they were selected by Netflix to be the centre of a new series coming in October called, “Making it in Marbella”.
The premier brokerage was founded by 39-year-old Swedish entrepreneur Eric Ebbing in 2020, right before the pandemic. Last year they turned over an impressive €89 million, which raises one major question.
How did a real estate agency that launched on the cusp of one of the world’s largest global crises, in one of the most competitive markets in Europe, find itself on such a trajectory?
Eric explains: “We opened our doors literally the same day that Spain implemented the first lockdown. For many businesses, that would’ve killed them off before they’d even started. Four years later we’ve grown by over 60%, have a team of 25, opened a new office on the famous Golden Mile in Marbella, an office in Mallorca and have our own in-house development team building and renovating high-end properties.”
“We pride ourselves on being experts in our field from a wide variety of background who know how to make connections with people, but the lifestyle we lead is equally important. We are not just selling bricks and mortar but a way of life, so we believe that we need to really live what we’re selling.”
The Netflix series is set to premiere worldwide this Autumn and Eric is excited for the world to see him and his team in action.
Eric adds: “Filming the Netflix show was a lot of fun and hopefully it gives everyone an idea of what life in Marbella and luxury real estate is like. We’re looking forward to seeing it air and hope the world enjoys watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.
“I suppose a lot of people might look at us – our age, the clothes, jewellery, cars, social media – and think we’re only in it for those things and we don’t take the job seriously. I can assure you, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I want to shape the future of the luxury market in the region and my goal for Homerun Brokers is quite simple – to be the most important real estate brokers in Marbella.”
Eric’s professional background is as interesting as it is eclectic. It started at a young age back in Malmo, Sweden. With a passion for music and a keen interest in the hospitality sector, Eric founded ‘Big Slap’, one of Sweden’s largest, annual music festivals.
Looking to keep challenging himself, he started investing in real estate. In 2017 he decided it was time for a change and moved to Marbella. Whilst continuing his journey in the property development and investment sector, in 2018 he also opened Occo, a Lebanese restaurant and now a Marbella hotspot.
After being involved in the Marbella real estate market for three years, he founded Homerun Brokers in 2020, initially selling to an intimate network of fellow Swedes based in Marbella and its surrounding areas. Four years on and you could say the rest is history, but you get the sense he’s only just getting started.
Galacticos of luxury real estate
Much like the great Real Madrid, Homerun Brokers’ success is founded on bringing in the very best in the business. Just as Carlo Ancelotti has his revered Galacticos in the famous white strip, so does Eric (slick white shirts optional).
This has been key to his and Homerun Brokers’ success and he himself is humble and wise enough to admit he doesn’t know everything, so set about recruiting the best in class.
One of his most important hires was head of sales and partner, Roger Widén, back in October 2023, who came from Marbella’s biggest agency, Solvilla, where he’d been highly influential in their success for 10 years.
Roger, 44, says: “Leaving my previous agency was not something that I took lightly – I had a great experience there and enjoyed a lot of success. It was going to take something special to pull me away but when Eric pitched the Homerun Brokers project and vision to me, it was difficult to say no.
“The market in Marbella is really strong and Homerun Brokers is at the forefront of that. Last year alone we grew by 50 per cent when many of our competitors backed up on their numbers. In the still relatively short space of time I’ve been here, I’ve been really impressed with how the team services its clients and the way the brand is marketed – its fresh and different, and really helps set us apart.”
Another one of Eric’s Galacticos, and perhaps most appropriately labelled-so, is former professional footballer, Matías Concha.
Prior to joining Marbella’s fast-paced real estate scene, Matías played professional football for almost 20 years. He spent five years in the German Bundesliga and played for the Swedish national team as well as many years in the Swedish League.
Despite many options on the table to remain in football, as a coach or pundit, multi-lingual Matías was drawn to the Marbella lifestyle and uncapped potential of Homerun Brokers.
A partner and property broker, Matías, says: “My unusual background gives me something a bit different in this industry. A lot of people can get a bit overawed or starstruck when they are dealing with high profile individuals like Premier League footballers, but it was my life for 20 years, so it doesn’t affect me; I just see them as people.
“It helps me in my job too as I have a network of wealthy individuals that I’ve built over many years in football. That said, I don’t agree with the saying ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ – both are equally important and I have done a lot of work to learn my trade in this industry.
“I could’ve easily stayed in football, I had many offers but I wanted a new adventure. Once I met Eric and understood the Homerun Brokers vision, there was only one place I wanted to be.
“Marbella is an exciting place to be at the moment, particularly in the world of real estate – I guess that’s why Netflix wanted to do a show about it.”
Making it in Marbella is set to air worldwide on Netflix in the autumn.
For more information about Homerun Brokers, visit homerunbrokers.com.
