CIB Flanders and KBC join forces

“Digital expertise as a lever to relieve end customers”

The largest professional organisation for real estate brokers and syndicates, CIB Flanders, and KBC are now joining forces in a strategic partnership. With this partnership, both parties will optimise their digital expertise and service offering towards real estate agents and syndicates as of this summer, with the aim of relieving the end customer (buyer/seller, tenant/landlord and co-owners).

After all, today’s end customer primarily expects ‘convenience’: the comfort of being able to find an immediate answer to the questions and needs that arise at any time and from anywhere. The cooperation between CIB and KBC makes it possible to anticipate this and to offer the client a comprehensive and attractive total package in terms of real estate and financing.

KBC and CIB Vlaanderen found each other for different reasons. Both are digital frontrunners and each in their own sector uses the same elements: a good digital experience with a (preferably instant) one-stop-shop solution. “With the arrival of RealSmart, among others, CIB has taken enormous steps in simplifying the lives of real estate agents,” says CIB chairman Daniel Buschman.

“While KBC has invested in customer-focused digital applications with KBC Mobile at its core. After all, the customer knows his needs best and is supported in this by KBC, not only for his daily financial needs but in many aspects of his daily life such as mobility, leisure or personal administration,” adds Karin Van Hoecke, General Manager Digital Transformation at KBC.

Opportunities

More and more we see that the banking and real estate sectors are starting to find each other and collaborations are emerging. The partnership fits perfectly into this picture. “As KBC, we want to expand our services. It is important to be present where customers need us. We like to connect with users who start their search in another channel. The moment they have to stop to go to the bank, their ideal customer experience is interrupted. That is where we want to offer a solution.

For our partner it offers the opportunity to offer the best possible experience and the consumer enjoys all the service through a single point of contact. For example, in the case of a house purchase: didn’t you wonder how great it would be to be able to go through the whole process of buying a house, obtaining a mortgage and taking out the necessary insurances all at the same place and at the same time, all from your seat?

By letting our organizations work together, we ensure less time loss, less administration and even more top service from the intermediary, in this case the real estate agent”, says Van Hoecke.

Already this summer the cooperation between CIB and KBC will become visible in the form of renovation credits for Owners’ Associations. After the summer there will be a rental guarantee solution that can be proposed directly to a prospective tenant via the estate agents.

“Thanks to this partnership, we will be able to further facilitate the professionalisation of the services offered by real estate agents and syndicates. Speed, ease of use and, of course, a win-win for all parties involved are important spearheads in this partnership,” says CIB Chairman Daniel Buschman.

Viviane Huybrecht-