Why did you decide to pursue a career in property?
Coming from a family with a background in property, especially in the Blouberg/Table View area, coupled with a love of houses and strong interpersonal skills, meant that it was a natural choice for me. After running my own business for 12 years, I needed a new challenge and felt that this was something that I could excel at while making money.
What do you find to be the most enjoyable and the most challenging aspects of the job?
I enjoy the challenge of being able to match a buyer to the perfect house and being able to sell a house for the highest price in the fastest time. I also enjoy being able to take care of a lot of the aspects of the job that the buyer or seller does not have to stress about. The satisfaction lies in the fact that they feel that every cent of commission paid is well spent and that they will possibly refer me to others. A challenging aspect would be the stress that accompanies a job like this, as well as long hours away from one’s family. Not having a fixed income can also prove a challenge. Another challenging aspect is when a deal falls apart, owing to circumstances beyond your control, after you worked really hard on closing it.
What characteristics make for a good estate agent and why?
The ability to listen to clients’ needs. This way they can truly identify the right property for them and not necessarily what the agent thinks is nice for them. Agents should know the area they are working in so that they can advise clients correctly in terms of what is selling where and for how much. Good agents will learn from their mistakes and not be too sensitive when facing negative clients. Successful agents are self-motivated and hard-working and strive to achieve their goals.
What are some of your career goals?
My short-term goals are to achieve my targets in terms of sole mandates and sales in my area and to grow our market share and dominate in our area. My long-term goal would be to one day head my own team and to become a reputable and well-known name in the real estate world; to obtain the required number of mandates needed to do the sales; and to try to be the sales agent of the month on a regular basis.
