Enhance Holiday Edition
Category Newsletter: HeadOffice
IT HAS BEEN A TUMULTUOUS YEAR FOR THE PROPERTY SALES INDUSTRY.
Nobody can claim that being involved in the South African property industry is boring.
For the Industry in General
Having started the year with "Ramaphoria" which gave us a glimmer of hope for the year ahead, optimism quickly regressed due to the aggressive and vociferous threats on property ownership made by many political parties as they jostled to claim the title of "Land Expropriation without Compensation Champions". Not surprisingly and as a consequence of this cheap politicking, the country's economy entered into a technical recession threatening the property sales industry.
Panic also set in amongst some of our competing colleagues causing them to invest heavily in the concept of "digital real estate agencies" under the guise of consumer preferences and these too came with noisy vailed threats to the traditional estate agencies. The noise was further amplified when FNB Bank also decided to climb on the real estate sales bandwagon which caused upheaval amongst estate agents.
And for Century 21 South Africa?
Well, we kept it steady in all this and we rather focused on our traditional practices together with our brand's official business philosophy which is "It's all about the Customer Experience". Our traditional practice is based on the immense data we have at our disposal emanating from our network of 8 800 offices in 82 countries and which clearly show that most consumers prefer buying and selling through an estate agent. This is because agents have a vested interest in their clients and who also specialises in their specific area with local "live and on the ground" knowledge and experience to guide them to successful transactions with minimal financial, time, legal and emotional risk.
I guess this is one of the reasons why Century 21 is ahead of last year's sales with regards to volume and turnover and why we have added 5 new franchises in our system this year. So, all things being said, Century 21 has experienced growth while others around us have stalled somewhat.
So What Now for Buyers and Sellers?
Property buying and selling follows the wonderful Yin & Yang balance where bargains are to be found in subdued property cycles so for any buyer, now would be the time to strike. Making it even more attractive for buyers at this point in time is the fact that banks still favour the granting of home loans and are looking for business and are prepared to negotiate terms and conditions that are favourable to buyers. This is an unusual and unique situation where banks are still lending even though the economy is shrinking and buyers should take advantage of this.
For sellers however, now is not the time to "throw" their properties into the wild digital space of private selling and hope for the best of securing a "click" from a serious and qualified buyer that is able to buy immediately. The digital space does sound tempting as it is cheap and easy but it does not guarantee the quality of the lead who may turn out to be a mere speculator, a time waster and a dream wrecker. It's the old adage of "you get what you pay for", so, this is the time when sellers need an agent that is an area specialist who has a vested interest in securing the best possible price in the quickest possible time and importantly, who meets, screens and pre-qualifies their buyers before arranging any viewings.
Property Ownership is an Aspiration for All, Rich and Poor
Having a "roof over one's head" is not only a primary survival requirement but it also provides us with purpose and dignity, financial stature and stability and, a safe environment where we can nurture and raise our children and create everlasting memories and this no matter how rich or poor one is. It is also the "central base" or headquarters we use to conquer the world.
This is why the team at Century 21 believes that the land issue is important and must be addressed and resolved in a manner that does benefit the previously dispossessed. At the same time however, we do not believe in cheap and reckless politicking that falsely raises the hopes of millions of disadvantaged citizens on how it will be done creating a sentiment that discourages much needed investment from the private sector. We have millions of aspirational home owners in South Africa and they need to be handled with care and dignity and we all need to be aware that we hold their dreams and aspirations in our hands and these should be followed through with real actions derived from real facts and done in a sustainable way without using fear and fallacy for cheap, mischievous and reckless political scoring.
And Our Purpose?
This is also why the team at Century 21 is so committed and passionate to being Dreamakers and not just Dealmakers. We feel we have a real sense of purpose as we work in an industry whose consumers are aspirational and we assist them in the realization of their dreams. There is not much more satisfying in any career than to assist a family to acquire their very own first home or to assist a seller that needs a bigger nest for the growing family or that needs to fly away and nest elsewhere.
I am so proud of the whole Century 21 team, from our fabulous franchisees located in offices far away in Northern Limpopo all the way to the tip of the Western Cape Province, to my support team at head office who go beyond of what is required from them and especially to the "heart" of our brand which is all our stunning estate agents throughout the whole country who have all embraced the notion that this business is all about The Customer Experience.
Owning a property is a dream inherent in all human beings and what better way is there to start the dream by the convenience offered in paging through our digital Enhance Magazine. Enjoy and let your minds wander and as you need to explore more opportunities please visit our website where you will find a selection of over 7 000 more properties. Have a safe and blessed Holiday Season!
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Author: Century 21 South Africa
