Your Biggest Business Concern Right Now? “War”: 10 On The Weekend With Aran Hawker

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 Aran Hawker, Co-Founder of CIP Turkey.

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How do you spend your weekends?

For me, weekends are all about nature, so hardcore mountain treks or sailing. After a hectic work week, getting out there and battling the elements is the best way to rejuvenate and refocus after a hectic work week.

What are your top three business goals this year?

The first goal for this year is to expand our network – which basically happens through IMI’s community – to integrate more RCBI programs into our firm’s repertoire. That means attending more events, creating more partnerships, and making more deals. 

My second goal is to move deeper into wealth management, which is something I have been planning for some time. We are almost there, having already selected a company name (Freedom Global Wealth Management) and a corresponding website. 

Finally, I want to support and assist more B2B2C crypto transactions for RCBI as we are a fully licensed provider. 

What’s your biggest business concern right now?

War.

More significant geopolitical tensions and impactful conflicts are my main concerns. Some in the industry see it as an opportunity to push global mobility assets, ignoring the bigger picture and misunderstanding the lingering effects these conflicts can have on the industry.

Which book is on your nightstand right now?

Mr. Nice by Howard Marks

How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?

I started providing retirement and holiday homes for Europeans twenty years ago, and as part of my service, I would facilitate residency permits in Turkey.

At that time, the immigration aspect of my service was no more than a by-product; I wasn’t even aware that an entire billion-dollar industry revolved around it until I did more research, leading me to IMI in 2018, where I got into the broader aspects of the industry.

But going a year back, I would say that the introduction of the Turkish CIP in 2017 catalyzed me to dig deeper into the industry, as the program aligned with what I was already doing. 

In that year, I appeared in the Financial Times to discuss the Turkish CIP, which was, at the time, unsuccessful due to its higher pricing. But when the government reduced it to $250,000, I knew it would take off and got in touch with IMI to widen my network. 

What was your proudest moment as a service provider?

It would have to be after explaining to one of Turkey’s gargantuan conglomerates that the new Turkish CIP program would solve their problem as they had around $1B of residential apartments built, unsold, and gathering interest. 

After 18 months, they had no apartments left to sell. Had their real estate investment trust gone bankrupt, it would have cost tens of thousands of workers their jobs, so it was satisfying in multiple regards. 

Which investment migration market development has surprised you the most in the last year?

It would have to be Portugal, completely suspending all property-related routes to residency, which I think is a big mistake. 

We knew a significant change was coming, but after much deliberation and discussion, the government made a decision that did not make any economic sense. 

If you could go ten years back in time, what business decision would you change?

I would have converted all my business investments and activities to dealing 100% in crypto sooner.

What investment migration industry personality do you most admire?

[Redacted]. His industry knowledge is exceptional, and behind every good man is a better woman.

If all goes according to plan, what will you be doing five years from now?

Sitting on a yacht, taking in all the glory the world’s nature has to offer while managing my business remotely.