What exciting trends do you see in the property industry ? The demand for Cape Town property is probably at an all time high, and while it has caused searching for a home to become more difficult, it is certainly an exciting space to be in. Cape Town was recently rated as the best value for money “first-world” city to live in, and while prices have shot up in the last couple of years, it still provides an unparalleled offering in terms of lifestyle, and this is being noticed both locally throughout South Africa as well as internationally. Since Covid (which I cannot believe is now 6 years ago), there has been a massive shift in what buyers and homeowners want from their home, and we are seeing design influence from all around the world come to the fore and reshape a lot of what we were previously used to seeing in South African homes. The increase of remote job offerings has allowed people to spend more time in their property, and there has been incredible advances in green spaces, eco-friendly and energy-efficient homes, and the creation of tranquil living spaces that lend to a relaxed and calming home environment. It is inspiring to see the design language being brought into so many homes that was previously very rarely seen locally, and while there is negativity by some due to affordability becoming more of an issue, I see the fact that Cape Town is being recognised as a city that people around the world want to be a part of, shows that the city is being well managed and is protecting value in people’s property investments. What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry ? Real estate is an amazing industry to be in – especially in Cape Town! It is, however, definitely not as glamorous as it is made out to be on social media or the so called “reality shows ” that you see on Netflix. It is a hugely competitive market, and with Cape Town being the place to be if you are in residential property in South Africa, you need to put in a huge amount of effort on a consistent basis if you want to stand out from your competitors and make a successful career out of it. If you enter the industry as an agent, even with hard work, I advise that you are able to support yourself financially for at least 12 months, as it is typically a commission driven career. – While there is great financial reward for top performing agents, it takes time to build up your name in the industry and become known as a specialist in the area that you work. You need to think of the initial phase as the platform and foundation that you are laying for your future. There will be many days that you feel like you are not moving forward, but it is essential to stay consistent. One of the best things you can do is to immerse yourself in the neighbourhood that you are working in – keep up to date with all that is going on – and ensure that you leverage from both your personal network and communities, as these are two of the biggest boosts that you can give yourself. Lastly, act with integrity and remain true to your values. There is a lot of external noise to deal with in this industry, and it is important not to react with emotion. One mistake can severely impact you and your career which can undo months of hard work. Never get complaisant and remain open to the fact that you will never stop learning. – It is a continuously evolving industry, and no two transactions are the same. Looking back on your career, do you have a funny story to share ? Using communities that you are involved in is always one of the best ways to grow your business and expand your network. – Cycling is a hobby that I took up almost 25 years ago and I have made many great friends and connections over the years. One fairly odd memory that stands out occurred a couple of years ago while out on a group training ride. – I was chatting to a friend of mine about property and it came to light that he was wanting to put his home on the market for sale. Naturally, I asked if I could assist him with the sale of his home, which he was not against, but mentioned that he had a family member who was also an estate agent and that he had spoken to and needed to consider. I lived in the same area that he was wanting to sell, know the market incredibly well, and while his family connection was also a great agent, he was from outside of town and didn’t have the same insight or network that I knew I could offer him. After a while of back and forth my friend jokingly said that if I could beat him back to his house that I could have the mandate. Now, I am no slouch on my bicycle, but this guy was seriously strong. We were still around 15km from his house and had a fairly significant hill to get over in Constantia Nek, which I knew would be the point where I would be in trouble. Without thinking too much about the challenge, I accepted. Sure enough, just after the mid-point of Constantia Nek I was at my limit and he started to pull away from me. – His house wasn’t too far after the decent into Constantia, so I had to come up with some form of plan. I knew that there was one very obvious route that he would take to his house, so as we went over the top I made sure that from then on I stayed just out of eye-shot if he turned around. We both headed down into Constantia and I knew that there was a side road/walking path coming up that would cut around 600m from the distance to his home. I saw him ride past it at full tilt which gave me my chance to put my plan into action. – I cut through the walking path and ended up at his house about 30 seconds before him. He looked completely shocked to see me there and told me that I cheated. I responded telling him that the challenge was to beat him to his house, which I did, and that this only proved that I in fact knew his neighbourhood even better than he did. I actually got given the mandate!

Always a pleasure to deal with your company. Very happy seller, buyer and agent.

Jeanne McCaig

Thanks guys - it was awesome to work with you!

Celia Clark