“Personal contact is very important to us”

BY HANNEKE MARCELIS

More and more often, financial institutions are closing their offices in Zeeland. But Singelstaete Asset Management is going against the grain. The company favors personal contact and considers it important to be physically present in the regions where it is active. That’s why the new Singelstaete office on Heerlijkheidsweg in Middelburg was opened at the end of 2021. And not only that. From September 2022, Singelstaete will also take over a large client base from FAAM Asset Management in Kapelle. For example, the asset manager is expanding significantly in Zeeland in a short time.

Steven, the stage in Zeeland is not new for you?
Steven: “No, it’s true. I have worked as a private banker in Zeeland for 23 years. That’s where I have my whole network. I live in Goes myself, so for me Zeeland is my home. I am therefore delighted that Singelstaete has had an office in Zeeland since 2021 and is now expanding with the acquisition of FAAM Vermogensmanagement.

Financial institutions have regularly closed offices in recent years. Why did Singelstaete open an office?
Yvette: “What you see is that more and more financial institutions are continuing to digitize. And that goes hand in hand with the centralization and closing of offices. That also makes sense. But for our target group, personal contact is very important. We only have clients who invest from 200,000 euros. We really want to be able to sit with them. In people’s homes, or in an office near them. Opening an office in Middelburg was therefore a logical step for us.

How important is this accessibility?
Steven: “I think it’s extremely important. And that’s not just about the desktop, but about accessibility in general. If you call us, we will simply answer the phone ourselves. You will not receive a tape and you will not have to record your question. We also work with fixed contact points. This relationship of trust is very important. Yvette: “So far, Singelstaete’s turnover has been nil. Nobody ever left. I’m proud of it. This says a lot about our business and it fits well with the services we offer. It emphasizes personality, trust and the long term.

How to build a relationship of trust with customers?
Steven: “First of all, of course, by offering quality. Ultimately, our customers naturally want a return. We always start with very thorough input and analysis, and really develop a fixed plan with a long-term vision. With us, you will not encounter investments in hypes such as bitcoin. In addition, we ensure, for example, that we do not take on more work than we can handle. Because if you have too many customers in your portfolio, you lose quality. Of course, we always want to grow, but quality comes first. » ??

You are currently developing very rapidly in Zeeland. ?
Yvette: “It’s true. Our acquisition of FAAM Asset Management will be finalized at the end of September. And that when we only opened our office in Zeeland at the end of 2021. But sometimes something happens to you. The click between us and FAAM Asset Management was very good. We share the same standards and values. This acquisition is therefore a very good expansion for us, which corresponds well to what we represent as Singelstaete.

Who would you like to sit with at the kitchen table?
Yvette: Me with Roger Federer. I think he is a very good tennis player. He never gives up and always remains a gentleman.” Steven: I chose Sweder van Wijnbergen. He is an economist with a very down-to-earth view of things. In this complicated period of high inflation, I would find it very interesting to hear his point of view. ?