10 On The Weekend is a weekly (-ish) feature in IMI, the concept of which is simple: Each time, we ask the same ten questions of a different IMI Pro, letting readers get to know the interviewee on a more personal and informal level than they might during the ordinary course of business.
Our guest this week is Yiannos Trisokkas, CEO and Founder at Velment.
How do you spend your weekends?
Family and good food, mostly. I love cooking.
My work is my passion, so weekends aren’t an escape from it. They’re how I reset before the week ahead.
After nearly three decades in this industry, I can tell you some of my best ideas and decisions have come after a quiet weekend.
What are your top three business goals this year?
First, building strategic partnerships and international referrals with the right professionals.
Second, staying on top of new, high-quality boutique developments that offer real value for money and suit international buyers looking to relocate, invest, or secure an alternative residency.
Third, staying close to what buyers actually need. The world moves fast, and so do their priorities.
Velment was built around those needs, from the first conversation to after-sale service, so staying informed is a permanent goal.
What’s your biggest business concern right now?
Trust.
Too many advisors overpromise on timelines and outcomes, and that damages the reputation of the whole industry.
Today’s clients are better informed and more demanding, and they should be. The firms that stand out will be transparent, clear about both opportunities and limitations, and honest in what they deliver.
Which book is on your nightstand right now?
The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, Charles Green, and Robert Galford.
It’s a book I keep coming back to, because it puts into words something I’ve believed throughout my career: Clients don’t choose the firm with the most information; they choose the one they trust.
The authors break trust into credibility, reliability, and intimacy, and they argue that it’s undermined by self-interest. In real estate and investment migration, where clients are making major decisions in unfamiliar markets, that matters enormously.
It’s also why we built Velment around a single, accountable point of contact, and why I’d rather be upfront about limitations than overpromise.
How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?
I started in international real estate at 30, first with a local developer, and over the next 15 years I held senior roles with international firms in real estate and investment migration.
Along the way, I saw a clear gap: Investors wanted far more than a property. They wanted one trusted partner for the whole journey, covering legal and tax structuring, banking, acquisition, residency, and long-term management.
That’s why I founded Velment in 2021. We don’t just help clients invest.
We build relationships and create value that lasts beyond the purchase.
What was your proudest moment as a service provider?
Delivering Velment’s first true end-to-end client experience.
I had seen thousands of transactions where investors struggled with multiple providers and unfamiliar legal and banking processes. I wanted to change that.
For the first time, we guided a client through every stage with one point of contact and a network of trusted partners behind us.
That client is still with us today, which for me was the best proof the model works.
Which investment migration market development has surprised you the most in the last year?
So many regions face economic and geopolitical uncertainty at once: Europe, Russia, the US, and the Middle East. I have rarely seen that.
It’s changing how investors and high-net-worth individuals think about the future.
Wealth protection, diversification, and alternative residency used to be lifestyle choices. Now they’re part of serious long-term family planning.
If you could go ten years back in time, what business decision would you change?
I’d build Velment sooner. The gap was obvious even then: Clients want one reliable point of contact.
The sooner that structure exists, the more people it helps.
That said, I’m grateful for the clients I’ve worked with and the relationships that go well beyond a property deal. Those came from listening carefully and putting myself in the client’s position.
You can’t solve someone’s problem from a distance.
What investment migration industry personality do you most admire?
Jeffrey Henseler. I watched him grow from a young client advisor with little industry experience into a successful entrepreneur and a respected name in investment migration.
What impresses me most is that he stayed humble, approachable, and honest throughout. In an industry built on trust and reputation, he shows that ambition and integrity can go together.
If all goes according to plan, what will you be doing five years from now?
Velment will be an established, internationally recognized boutique development and investment advisory group, with a growing portfolio in Cyprus and Greece and strong partners in key markets.
I want us to go beyond development and become the trusted investment and relocation partner for international investors, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices, covering property, residency, wealth structuring, and asset management through specialist partners.
Personally, I’ll be focused on business development, partnerships, and new opportunities, with a strong management team driving day-to-day growth.
The goal isn’t a bigger company. It’s a respected brand known for integrity, quality, and lasting relationships.
