Chas Everitt, Nelson Mandela Bay
What are your top three secrets to success?
1. Honesty
2. Excellent service
3. Enthusiasm
What is the one thing you wish someone had taught you or told you when you first started out in property and why?
I wish that someone had told me that being an agent has so much admin attached to it!
What is the most vital business tool that estate agents should have at their disposal in today’s market and why?
The most vital tool that an agent should have is people skills, and knowledge of the market. It’s through these two attributes that you become a successful agent.
Do you remember the first property you sold? Please tell us about it.
The first property I sold belonged to a gentleman in Johannesburg. His ex-wife lived in Port Elizabeth in what was their family home, and she wanted to move into a smaller place so it was decided to sell the property. She had her son, daughter-in-law and grandson living there with her too. The house was never tidy, and no one cleaned the pool for weeks on end.
I made contact with seller – ex-husband – regularly to keep him in the loop and finally, when the house was sold he came to Port Elizabeth to sort out his belongings in the garage. He invited me to have coffee to thank me for all I had done. I took his ex-wife to view new properties and we finally found the one she liked. She got remarried a few months later and I was invited to their wedding!
What advice would you give to new kids on the block about making a success in their career in property?
You need patience, stamina, good people skills, to be prepared to go the extra mile for your clients and to be able to support yourself without having to rely on your commission.
