Artur has made waves in the Marbella property market; first as one of the youngest-ever CEOs of an established real estate company, and then as the head of a team that has achieved an impressive tally of sales in the top segment, focusing on properties worth over €10 million. These include, among others, the most exclusive mansions in Sierra Blanca: Villa Symphony, Villa Serenity and Villa Ricotta that was valued by Forbes at €40 million, and the highly publicised €32 million La Zagaleta mansion Villa Cullinan, one of the most luxurious properties ever sold on the Costa del Sol.

However, success was not a foregone conclusion from the outset. Artur moved to Spain with his parents at the age of five and received a trilingual education that includes Spanish, English and Russian. Later, a family friend, Sergey Sinichkin, offered him a starting position at his property agency, Drumelia. “He must have seen something in me, as he taught me the ins and outs of the business and allowed me to grow within it,” says Artur.

All journeys have their tough parts, and when Artur started in the business it was during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, but he gained valuable experience, selling his first mansion much sooner than one might have expected under the circumstances. At €13.5 million, Villa Romana was an important property to sell, and it formed the beginning of his road to success with Drumelia.

Developing A Culture Of Innovation

Several years later Drumelia built a successful young team of dynamic and vibrant professionals and began experimenting with new advanced forms of digital marketing. They were among the first to do it in Spain. “We realised that this was going to be the way of the future, so we invested our resources in developing the capacity and skills to promote properties in a way that was new on the Costa del Sol. Remember, when Henry Ford made his first car, people asked, ‘What’s wrong with a horse?’ But he made a huge bet, and it worked.”

This decision would create a culture of innovation within Drumelia that continues to this day. “The new technologies and methods are evolving in an on-going way, so you can’t sit back and rest on your laurels but have to develop along with them if you want to remain fully up-to-date and as effective as you can be.” From this mind-set came a desire to think out of the box and look at the marketing of luxury Marbella homes from a fresh perspective.
To future proof a business, you need to predict future demands and take a risk. “We decided to take this risk, and approach the sale of a property such as Villa Cullinan differently, focusing less on the location and more on the belief that this kind of home would appeal to a younger high net worth buyer, and we adapted our marketing strategy accordingly.” It was a huge leap of faith, as no one had ever really done this before, and certainly not with a property of this kind, but it paid off, and produced the most spectacular sale of 2020. Artur describes it as a ‘breakthrough concept’ that delivered unprecedented results.
He and his team have continued to develop in this direction, following the latest trends in the upper segment and using social media to create cool ‘physical’ experiences. “Our narrated video content attracts upwards of 100,000 views from all over the world, or significantly more, and our website took first position in Google with over 50,000 monthly visits. Drumelia’s YouTube channel has become the leading real estate channel in Europe, with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, Drumelia is the agency with the largest audience in Marbella.”
The future is bright. The ambitious leaders of Drumelia continuously want to reach higher levels for themselves and their company. The brand has an outstanding international team fluent in almost ten languages. With over 25 years of experience, it continues to pursue a very bold, primed for victory marketing strategy through digital innovation and increase its digital marketing department. “When it comes to advertising and promotion, Drumelia offers the best in terms of marketing and online presence, doing what no one else does on the coast. No wonder more and more high-end property owners enter into an Exclusive Listing with us,” says Artur, who received a property industry ‘Oscar’ as ‘Best Real Estate Agent in Spain’ 2021-2022, from the prestigious International Property Awards.
“In addition to being forward-looking and keeping abreast of the latest developments, I also believe that what you put into life in general, and personal relationships in particular, is what you get back,” says the young executive. “In our work this translates to an open, transparent approach, a very personal involvement by the whole team, and the willingness to share our know-how with clients and peers alike.”
He believes good business is built upon strong relationships. “We don’t focus so much on selling – the people who contact us already know they want to buy a property in Marbella, so our company’s task is to help them find what they are looking for and make their experience smooth and pleasant. In essence, we don’t sell properties so much as the door to the life of your dreams, because that is what Marbella is about.”
This philosophy is bearing fruit. Drumelia has anchored its position in the market and aims to be ahead of the competition. It continues to grow, blending digital experiences with physical ones. To foster the culture of innovation, you need to create a favourable environment for it. That is why this autumn the company will open a new business location, an innovative and energy-positive office near Puerto Banús.
Renovated to the highest standards and decorated by renowned designers, it will be the start of another chapter in Drumelia Real Estate’s history and an opportunity to grow the brand. There, Artur and his creative team will be leading from the front in a fast-evolving sector that is increasingly influenced by state-of-the-art technology but just as dependent upon the personal touch as it ever was.