Prestige Properties: Celebrating 40 years on Ibiza

During the past four decades Prestige Properties has firmly established its reputation as one of the leading luxury real estate agencies on Ibiza. They have helped thousands of people find the home of their dreams - from high profile celebrities seeking a summer villa, to young families beginning a new life on the island. The 40th anniversary of this iconic Ibiza business is an opportune time to look at the company’s history, its values, and their vision for the future.

Prestige was founded by Pascale Dufournier - a native Parisian who as a young woman followed her dreams by coming to Ibiza in 1976. Her passion for architecture, design and elegance led to a career in real estate, and in 1983 she took a leap of faith and started her own company. Throughout the years Pascale earned respect for the professionalism and positivity that she brought to both her business and her personal life. These values became the core of the company that she created, and they flow from her love of Ibiza.

Inspired by Pascale’s passion and dedication, Prestige prospered and became an important part of the island community. The global financial crisis of 2007-2008 was particularly hard on real estate companies in Ibiza, but Prestige was strong enough to weather the storm. However, it had also been a warning that changes were needed if Prestige was to remain at the forefront of the industry. Pascale moved quickly to set a new course of action, and one of the key turning points was when Victor Van Den Driessche joined Prestige in 2009. Victor was born and raised on Ibiza, before earning a degree in economics in Paris. His knowledge of modern business practices combined with his strong connection to Ibiza brought new energy and innovative ideas to the company. Within just five years he had not only become Director of Sales, but also a partner in the company’s ownership. Victor’s strategic approach and personal drive blended well with Pascale’s experience to give Prestige the change that it needed - a more modern way of working, yet without losing the values and care that had made the company unique.

In April of 2022, Pascale Dufournier lost her battle against cancer. Her special qualities of presence, passion and positivity will always be the bedrock of the company that she founded. Victor has stepped into his natural role as Director of the company, and under his leadership these core values continue to endure and evolve as the company grows. He says that what makes Prestige special is, “the mix of experiences, our strong ethics, our love for the Island and our long-term vision of the special relationship between the company and our clients”. This is reflected in the way that the Prestige team of 21 professionals is dedicated to providing personalised service with integrity and diligence in all areas of the business - sales, holiday rentals, listings and concierge services. Perhaps even more important is that they strive to offer these services with style, grace and a smile. Clients of Prestige can still sense the famous French flair for elegance and ‘joie de vivre’ that Pascale instilled in the company that she founded.

Prestige has a longstanding reputation for professionalism that has been recognised by the major real estate associations in Ibiza: the PIMEEF and the APIBIZA (as co-founder). One of the enduring values that sets Prestige apart, is their dedication to striving for a balance between the pursuit of economic prosperity, and supporting worthy causes that include social equity and protecting the environment. Prestige makes regular contributions to local charities that focus on promoting fairness and justice, and they have made green living a priority since 2017. This year, with the help of tree planting offsets, they became a fully carbon neutral company. In addition, Prestige actively collaborates with local environmental organisations. Part of every commission for sale or rental is donated to IbizaPreservation in support of their wonderful work in protecting the island’s environment.

Not satisfied with just supporting other environmental organizations, Prestige has launched their own ecological campaign entitled ‘Campaña Escombro’. In collaboration with the Novaforma construction company they aim to systematically clean up illegal construction waste dumping sites on the island. These noble efforts are a reflection of the fact that from the very beginning, Prestige Properties has always been inspired by the love of Ibiza. Their vision for the future is to continue sharing their growing success in ways that help the island to evolve in a positive direction.