Joivy: the story of a successful real estate group

Way back in 2007, in Milan, two young entrepreneurs, Valerio Fonseca and William Maggio, in response to a need in the residential real estate market, gave life to an innovative project that revolutionized renting.

Thus DoveVivo was born, first under the name Reale Gest, which operates in the management of properties rented from third parties and offered for subletting for medium and long-term rentals to university students and young professionals. 

In parallel, other young entrepreneurs founded innovative companies for the real estate market in several European countries, offering different types of rentals for short, medium and long-term stays in the coliving, student housing and hospitality sectors. 

Let's summarize the major milestones achieved by all the companies that have created Joivy today: 

• 2009: DoveVivo reaches a significant milestone with the management of 100 rooms in Milan 

• 2010: the company decides to test a new small square, that of Como, managing it as a satellite from Milan and thus expanding its presence on the Italian real estate scene. A sign of its growing success and its focus on quality in offering its services is the achievement, the following year, of a million euro turnover. 

• 2011: in parallel, in Portugal, Gonçalo Ribeiro founds Rent Experience with the opening of the first flat dedicated to short-term rentals in the capital 

• 2014: Chez Nestor is founded in Lyon, a company that gradually pioneers coliving in France. At the same time, DoveVivo, with a portfolio under management of almost 300 properties, expands its business to Bologna, opening its first decentralized office; William Parry and Tom Archer found the company LRC, in London, dedicated to short-term rental. 

• 2015: the now consolidated experience and a portfolio of almost 400 residential units leads DoveVivo to explore the Rome market by opening a new office in the capital. A year of transformation with the Group's evolution into the DoveVivo brand. At the same time, Davide Ravalli founds Hintown, an Italian company that manages short-term rentals, tourist flats and holiday homes, and Michael Allen and Andrew Paterson establish BNB Buddy in Scotland 

• 2016: Chez Nestor expands to Montpellier 

• 2017: DoveVivo, with nearly 600 properties, enters the Turin market with a solid commercial force and inaugurates its new headquarters, a 1,500 m2 office in the heart of Milan. In the same year, Chez Nestor expands the business to Paris and Lille 

• 2018: DoveVivo finalizes its first M&A deal by acquiring H4U srl, a coliving company with a portfolio of around 70 flats between Milan and Rome, and Chez Nestor opens in Toulouse 

• 2019: Rent Experience, LRC, Hintown, and BNB Buddy merge to create ALTIDO, a company that quickly becomes a leader in the hospitality sector in Europe, immediately testing new frontiers with the launch of the first pop-up hotel in Edinburgh. In the same year, Chez Nestor expands to Bordeaux and DoveVivo concludes three M&A operations by acquiring the two competitors Place4You srl and Easy Room srl, active in Milan with a total of 150 flats, and the company Rtmliving srl, which allows the company to enter the world of student housing with a portfolio of 7 ground-floor buildingsfor a total of over 1,200 beds in 5 cities (Bologna, Como, Trieste, Parma and Siena) 

• 2020: DoveVivo concludes its fifth M&A transaction by acquiring the competitor Milanostanze srl, active in Milan with a portfolio under management of 70 flats 

• 2021: DoveVivo starts its international project by landing in Madrid - thanks to the signing of an important agreement for the management of an entire building, composed of 44 rooms with a total surface area of 1,600 sqm and located in the heart of Madrid, and the acquisition of the player Oh My Place, active in the co-living sector with the management of several studios located in the historical centre of the city - and in Paris with the acquisition of the first flat composed of 5 rooms, for a total surface area of 106 sqm. Also in the same year, Gilmerton House is added to ALTIDO's portfolio under management, further expanding the offer and geographical reach 

• 2022: DoveVivo acquires ALTIDO and Chez Nestor, creating Europe's largest residential management platform with more than 2,500 properties under management in 6 countries (Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, England and Scotland). In the same year, it opens - or rather reopens - Open by DoveVivo, the first Community Hub in Milan, a flexible and welcoming space with coworking stations, meeting rooms, a terrace and a bistro, which also becomes the Group's new headquarters. 

• 2023: the acquisition of Rinnow!, a company specialising in Home Renovation and the sale of turnkey furnishings, is formalised, and Joivy is officially born, a new brand identity for the Group composed of DoveVivo, ALTIDO and Chez Nestor, and the first platform in Europe to combine residential solutions for the long and short term with a wide range of services for owners and investors, from complete asset management to Design&Build services and support for real estate investments. 

• 2024: Joivy Investments is born, a new platform committed to supporting private and institutional players through the best investment opportunities in living.