Valeria Ivic founded LIVERIA International Realty in May 2024 after more than seven years in Mauritius luxury real estate, including as Director of Engel & Völkers Mauritius. We sat down with her to understand what drove her to start LIVERIA, what makes it different, and what she’s learned.
You spent years at major international real estate brands before founding LIVERIA. Why start something new?
Honestly, I built LIVERIA because I kept seeing what was missing. My clients — most of them coming from Switzerland, Germany, or the UAE — would arrive with complex situations. They wanted to understand the tax implications, the residency options, the right legal structure for their purchase. They didn’t just want to be shown properties. They wanted a partner who understood both their world and Mauritius.
At a large franchise, you’re constrained. The model is volume. You move listings. But the clients I work with need depth, not speed. So I built the agency I wished existed when I first arrived in Mauritius myself.
LIVERIA is described as boutique. What does that mean in practice?
It means I know every client personally. I know their family situation, their tax residency, what they’re trying to achieve financially and in terms of lifestyle. When a property comes up — especially off-market — I know immediately which of my clients it’s right for.
We don’t take 50 mandates and hope some stick. We work selectively. A client who comes to LIVERIA gets my direct attention, not a junior associate following a script.
You have a background as a trustee in Switzerland. How does that shape the way you work?
Enormously. Before real estate, I worked as a trustee at AQUIDE AG in Switzerland — advising HNW clients on tax structuring, accounting, financial planning. That’s not typical for a real estate agent.
When a Swiss client asks me about the tax implications of buying through a Mauritius company versus personal purchase, or what happens to their pillar 2 pension if they change residency, I can engage with that conversation properly. I’m not a tax lawyer — I always work with qualified advisors for the specifics. But I understand the framework, and my clients trust that I’m not just pointing at listings.
What’s your off-market network and why does it matter?
The best properties in Mauritius — particularly the established villas in Grand Gaube, Tamarin, Rivière Noire, or Beau Champ — rarely reach the open market. Owners with a rare property prefer to sell quietly, without publicity, to a serious buyer who’s been properly vetted.
Seven-plus years in this market means I know those owners. I know the notaries who call me when something is coming to market before anyone else does. That access isn’t something you build in a year — and it’s not something a client can get by scrolling property portals.
Who is the typical LIVERIA client?
There isn’t one typical profile, but there are patterns. Most are between 40 and 65. Many are entrepreneurs, executives, or professionals from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the UK, or the UAE. Some are looking to buy and relocate — seeking tax efficiency and lifestyle change. Others are investors adding Mauritius to a wider portfolio. A growing number are from the UAE: Dubai-based professionals who want a more relaxed Indian Ocean base.
What they have in common is that they’ve done their homework. They’re not impulse buyers. They arrive knowing what they want and expecting their advisor to be at least as sophisticated as they are.
LIVERIA has won two major awards in its first two years. What do those mean to you?
The Luxury Lifestyle Award 2024 and the Global Elite Award 2025 were meaningful because they came from independent bodies. No one at LIVERIA wrote those citations. They were awarded after research and assessment by organisations whose job is to identify genuine quality.
For a boutique agency to receive those recognitions in its first year — competing against larger, longer-established players — validated that the approach works. It also helps our clients: when someone from Zurich or Dubai is considering a significant property purchase through us, knowing that independent bodies have assessed and recognised LIVERIA gives them a reference point beyond my own word.
What’s next for LIVERIA?
We’re expanding our presence in the UAE market — particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi — because we see strong demand from the Gulf for Mauritius as a second home and an alternative residency option. We’re also developing our capacity in the South African buyer market, which is significant and underserved in terms of qualified advisory.
The core won’t change: boutique, deep, off-market. We’ll grow by adding relationships, not by becoming something we’re not.
LIVERIA International Realty is headquartered in Mauritius with active presence in Dubai and London. For enquiries, contact [email protected] or visit www.liveriarealty.com.
LIVERIA International Realty | Award-Winning Luxury Real Estate Agency, Mauritius
