Real Estate innovation: Marbella’s first Open House by Panorama in 1982
In 1982, Panorama once again earned its place in Marbella’s real estate history by hosting the Costa del Sol’s first-ever open house, an innovative event that redefined industry collaboration and set new standards for property marketing in the region.
Back then, Marbella was still finding its rhythm. Agencies often guarded their listings closely, and collaboration between competitors was the exception, not the rule. But Panorama had a different philosophy. Christopher Clover and his team believed that sharing was the key to selling. Sharing knowledge, sharing listings, and yes, even sharing commission. It was a vision rooted in trust and long-term relationships rather than short-term wins
Recent open houses organised by Panorama
That year, Panorama decided to try something the Costa del Sol had never seen before: inviting other agents to come and view one of their properties. Not buyers, agents. The idea? If more professionals saw the home, more buyers would hear about it, and everyone would benefit.
It was a bold move, led by the dynamic and sharp-witted Vicky de Rivera, a Californian-trained agent who had recently made Marbella her home. The chosen stage was a beautiful residence in Las Brisas del Golf, an area Panorama knew inside out. By the end of that day, something had shifted in Marbella real estate. The “open house” had arrived, and with it, a new era of cooperation.
Christopher Clover established Panorama in Marbella in 1970
In the words of Christopher Clover, Managing Director & Board Chairman:
One of the Golden Rules of real estate is that by working together with other agents on a commission-sharing basis, not only do we expand the potential of finding the right property for our buyer clients when we are showing other agents’ properties, but when we list a property for sale, we always ensure that other agents see the property and offer it to their clients. This not only ensures the best possible market exposure to the property but often allows us to sell it more quickly.
Visitors walking through a bright, modern home during an open house event, with natural light, wooden floors, and indoor plants creating a welcoming atmosphere. Open houses have been a common practice in the United States since the early 20th century
Of course, the concept itself had earlier beginnings abroad. The first recorded “open house” style event took place in Australia in 1901, followed by similar listings in New York by 1904. By the 1920s and 1930s, open houses were already a well-recognised sales tool across the United States, and in the booming post–war years of the 1940s and 1950s they became firmly established as part of mainstream real estate marketing.
Marbella may have been a little behind the U.S. in adopting the practice, but the fact that Vicky was from California and Christopher Clover himself is American gave Panorama the edge, and the vision, to be the first to introduce it to the Costa del Sol.
That first open house may have been decades ago, but its spirit still drives Panorama today: a commitment to openness, collaboration, and always putting clients, and their properties, at the very heart of the story.
