In our interview, we talked to Ozan Dökmecioğlu, who recently entered the North Cyprus real estate sector with his company, DND Homes North Cyprus, established in the first half of 2023. We discussed his global professional career as well as his real estate activities, first in the United States and then in North Cyprus.

First, could you introduce yourself?

I was born and raised in Famagusta in 1971. After graduating from Famagusta Turkish Maarif College, I completed my degree in business administration at the Middle East Technical University. In 1995, I earned a diploma in Investment Appraisal and Risk Analysis from the Harvard University. Between 1993 and 2004, I worked in various financial roles in three different international companies, including Kraft Foods, the world's second-largest food company, in Istanbul. Later, I began my international career by working in Chicago, at the global headquarters of Kraft Foods.

Apart from Cyprus, I have worked in five different countries and lived there with my wife and two daughters. I have been living in Boston, the United States, for the past seven years, but since February 2023, we have been spending almost half of our time in Cyprus due to the activities of DND Homes North Cyprus.

You have reached the pinnacle of your professional career, achieving significant success on a global scale. Could you share the journey of your career?

In 1993, I started my career at Arthur Andersen Consulting in İstanbul. In total, I have more than 30 years of management experience in finance and general management on an international scale. Apart from Cyprus, we worked and lived with my wife and daughters in America, Switzerland, England, Ireland, and Turkey. As a family, we developed a global perspective and became world citizens due to working and living in different countries. We experienced the importance of understanding different cultures in an international context. We truly had amazing life experiences.

In 2016, I started working as CFO at Keurig Dr Pepper. Later, I was appointed as CEO in 2022. Keurig Dr. Pepper is a coffee and soft drink beverage company with a market value exceeding $50 billion. Its annual sales figure is approximately $15 billion. In the mean time, I founded a real estate development company in 2017, DND Homes in Boston in order to follow my passion and dreams. DND Homes became my full-time occupation since early 2023.

How did DND Homes come to life? What are your activity areas?

I founded DND Homes in 2017 as a real estate development company specializing in residential properties in Boston, USA. Currently, we are actively involved in residential and commercial real estate development in the Boston area. We have experienced substantial growth in a short period and have become a well- established and recognized real estate development company in the Boston region. Our construction portfolio includes various housing styles, ranging from villas to apartment buildings and
industrialized warehouses.

From day one, we have positioned ourselves as leaders in modern, environmentally friendly, and efficient design. The recognition for our commitment comes through the keen interest shown by our customers in our constructions.

How did the idea of investing in Northern Cyprus come about?

First of all, I am Turkish Cypriot. I am closely familiar with the country's regions and dynamics. The construction company I established in the United States has achieved considerable success and is continuing to grow beautifully. Currently, the real estate market in Northern Cyprus is experiencing a positive trend. Inspired by the success we achieved in the United States, I wanted to enlarge our territories to my hometown, Northern Cyprus. As a Turkish Cypriot, I take great pride in investing in and contributing to our homeland Northern Cyprus with the success we achieved abroad.

In the American market, we introduced creative, unique, and environmentally friendly design and construction techniques, and our innovative approach has proven highly successful. I aim to replicate this trend in my home country. Therefore, we embarked on the journey with the motto "American quality is now in Cyprus." In establishing DND Homes North Cyprus, I formed a partnership with Aynur Zorba Güloğlu, who has accumulated valuable experience as an architect and in the construction industry over many years. The rapid and significant progress we have achieved indicates that we took the right step in this venture.`

Could you tell us about your investments and goals in Northern Cyprus?

In Northern Cyprus, we have ambitious investment goals in the real estate sector, targeting creative large-scale housing projects, 5-star hotels, beach club, retirement homes, real estate centers for health tourism, and educational facilities. Approximately four months ago, we launched our first project in the İskele Bahçeler region: La Joya, a two-story villa style development with a highly creative architectural design. In a very short period of time, we achieved significant sales success.

Recently, we have launched a new project under our prestigious La Joya brand, called La Joya Perla, consisting of 380 residences. This new project, situated in Bahçeler, İskele, boasts a very special design with a resort-like atmosphere featuring five sandy-beach- like natural pools. Before this, we initiated a villa project named Ulivo in Ozanköy, comprising 8 luxurious Mediterranean-style villas. Additionally, we have two more projects, La Joya with 74 residences and La Joya Azul with 160 luxury residences designed in a holiday village style. In total, these four projects encompass the construction of 622 residences.

The deliveries for these projects are scheduled for 2025 and 2026. Our primary focus across all projects is to stand out with creative designs and quality. We also prioritize ensuring that our homes are in harmony with the surrounding environment and are sustainable. The La Joya Beach Club, which will provide free membership and other exclusive benefits to our owner residents in the Iskele Bahçeler region, is designed to add value to the quality lifestyle we aim to provide.

Can you make an evaluation of the real estate sector in TRNC?

Currently, the real estate sector in TRNC has achieved a very good momentum regarding sales to foreign customers. I congratulate my colleagues from the industry for their success in this regard. I believe that these markets will grow further, but at the same time, I think we have serious infrastructure problems.

It is essential to find solutions to many infrastructure problems experienced today by working hand in hand with my colleagues in the construction industry, local municipalities or central government. These infrastructure problems are electricity, sewage and road problems. I am sure that by working together effectively, we will overcome these problems in a short time and continue to undertake successful projects.

DND USA Quality in Cyprus
www.dnd-homes.com | +90 392 444 03 63 | dndhomesnorthcyprus