Dominican Republic with Barbara Warren

Imagine sitting on a beach, looking out into the ocean with a cool beverage in hand, palm trees swaying in the wind. Now, you may be wondering, what’s with the sudden visual experiment? Well, that’s because, in this episode of The Real Estate Diplomat, we have Barbara Warren from Noval Properties, building luxury developments throughout the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. Sounds like a great getaway from the cool fall time in Chicago, right? Not only that, but Barbara will also be taking us on a journey, sharing her life growing up, her experience learning about different cultures and her rise to success as the Director of International Business Development. As always, there’s a lot to unpack in today’s episode, so tune in and enjoy!

How Starting from Zero can be Worth It

When asked about her move from Saint Martin to the Dominican Republic, Barbara shared her struggles starting from zero. She had a beautiful life in St. Martin, having worked there for seventeen years in the hospitality industry. Barbara even had a television show. And while the island was small, the Saint Martin community was open-minded and respectful. Not that the Dominican Republic was not but the community there was, as Barbara described it, very settled in their ways. And so, upon moving there, it was challenging for her to start from zero. “Nobody knew, nobody cared” is what she believed for a while. 

But eventually, she stumbled upon a beautiful opportunity at Noval Properties. There, Barbara met their outstanding CEO, who was also from the hospitality real estate industry. She felt blessed, believing once again that everything happens for a reason. To think, Barbara crossed paths with her boss, who hired and believed in her, and even now, she still learns a lot from Noval Properties. And while it was hard in the beginning, having found an excellent professional system to go by helped get her back on her feet. In the end, her taking that leap to live globally helped her find a fresh new perspective in life.

Take that Leap to Live Globally

For Barbara Warren, global living allowed her to reinvent herself. And with each time she moved to a different place in the world, she takes what she learned from there and willingly starts anew. Sure, it can be challenging to make that transition, especially with the ongoing pandemic, but it was always worth it to Barbara. And so, when asked about how she helps other people make that same leap, Barbara shared an anecdote on her sales at the beginning of the pandemic. To give us an idea, she scaled it down to having 12 luxury villas on sale at the start of 2020, but they only had two left towards the end of the year. Again, they sold out projects during the pandemic, which means there was a need for luxury vacation properties even then. With this example, Barbara explained that the pandemic created many needs, from fresh air, sunshine, walking space, and of course, passive income.

Then again, when we look back at our lives before the pandemic, these needs were always there. But now, a lot of people’s minds have been reset, often spiritually. They realized that we are not living forever, so we must enjoy the now.  And so, after learning how important and precious life is, there is no better time than the present to give ourselves the chance to live globally. After all, only in living globally will we see ourselves with a fresh new perspective and even reinvent who we are like Barbara always did. And so, if you are sitting on money in the bank, take it out, buy something, and live the life you always wanted. Take this as a sign to make that leap and live globally.

About Barbara Warren:

Barbara Warren is best known for curating magical lifestyle experiences via international luxury real estate investments throughout the Caribbean.

Barbara has over a decade of international luxury experience within new developments and within the high-end real estate sectors. Her”parcours” has transported her from California to Paris France where she was Director of International Accounts for Starwood and Rezidor to the magical Island St Martin where she founded LADYB Production dealing In PR Marketing & Sales while orchestrating the elite island events for all things Chic and Real estate.

She is a two-time recipient of the Crystal Pineapple Awards for Best Sales Manager in St Martin which celebrates the achievements amongst the who's who of the St. Maarten tourism Industry. The event is hosted annually by the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) to recognize outstanding performance across the industry. And is a member AREAA GLOBAL . She received her certification from Cornell University in Hospitality Digital Marketing.

Further Hurricane Irma Barbara was obliged to relocate like many islanders to other countries and now lives and resides in Dominican Republic where her family is originally from. As Director of International Business Development, she brings her multicultural sales and marketing background to Noval Properties, Dominican Republics most trusted and experienced Developer of Tourism Investment Properties managing sales for multiple new development projects, real estate listings and Broker Relations. She has established a tight knit team of international brokers working together to sell and promote Punta Cana. And is always on the lookout for the next super star to add to her stellar team.

Barbara is fluent in Spanish, English, French. And passioned by all things culinary which brought her to produce and Host the Show” Bon Appetit with Lady B ” which aired throughout the Caribbean and led her on a gastronomical journey throughout the world interviewing and highlighting top chefs and their love for good food and the islands.
Although she has resided in major metropolitan cities during her international career, she considers herself an island girl at heart and is Happiest, you guessed it, On the beach with an ice-cold glass of champagne. Because She is a fervent believer that Life’s better at the Beach. In Punta Cana.

Outline of the Episode:

[02:10] Barbara Warren’s journey to global living

[04:06] Moving from Saint Martin to the Dominican Republic

[06:26] How fitness helped her overcome life’s challenges

[09:07] Helping people transition to living globally

[11:35] What it is like living in the Dominican Republic

[13:38] Where the people who buy properties there come from.

[16:15] Property management and financing options in the Caribbean

[18:54] How  to become a citizen in the Dominican Republic

[19:49] What kind of developments do Noval Properties invest in

[22:45] The current trends in property development in the Caribbean

[26:21] Working with realtors from around the world

[28:52] How Noval Properties deliver deals as they promised

[32:53] Getting in touch to learn more about Barbara and her work

Resources:

Website: https://novalproperties.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaraawarren/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladybsxm

Contact: bwarren@novalproperties.com 

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