MAIN IMAGE: Joshua Parsons, property practitioner at Harcourts Atlantic in Cape Town, and Emma Swanson, property practitioner at Harcourts Upper Highway, between Westville and Pietermaritzburg
Staff Writer
Presently the bulk of estate agents in South Africa are over the age of 45. There’s nothing wrong with that as this group brings a wealth of experience and practical knowledge. However, there is something to be said about the different energy and perspective of the next generation.
Two young guns, Joshua Parsons, property practitioner at Harcourts Atlantic in Cape Town, and Emma Swanson, property practitioner at Harcourts Upper Highway, between Westville and Pietermaritzburg, share their experiences.
Combining social media savvy with traditional techniques
Parsons joined the industry in 2020 as the national social media manager for Tyson Properties, before joining Harcourts Atlantic as a candidate property practitioner in March 2021.
Today, at 27, he specializes in non-distressed luxury property auctions, which he finds to be the best way of selling property in this market due to the high volume of feedback as well as sales turnaround time when compared with traditional sales.
- Could you tell us more about the area you’re working in, and what market segment you are focusing on?
I work in Camps Bay but sell property all along the Atlantic Seaboard. It is a very competitive environment, and you have to consistently be working to get market share. The buyers and sellers expect nothing but the best results, so you have to make sure you are always on your A game, there is no time for mistakes if you want to be successful.
- Have you found your age to be a barrier? If so, what have you done to convince buyers and sellers of your skills?
I have not found my age a barrier, but rather my lack of experience when I first started. Being young and having a very small track record was hard, but over time I worked on my brand and now buyers and sellers prefer working with me rather than someone older as I have the time to give them my full commitment, whereas older agents may not. This industry is a 24-hour gig, it’s more of a lifestyle than a job.
Sellers love someone who is young and ambitious and I feel I have slowly gained the upper hand on my older opposition. Having said that, I have the utmost respect for the older experienced agents in my area and I am always trying to learn from them to bridge the gap between myself and them faster.
- How are you finding sellers?
Online advertising – I have my website (campsbayguy.com) I get a lot of buyers through that, word of mouth, social media, and the basics like cold calling and flyer drops as well. I try to touch as many bases as possible with my marketing. I have a very strong following on social media of about 5.5k followers and I often get messages from sellers asking me to list their properties. You can follow me on Instagram, my username is @campsbayguy.
I recently sold a penthouse for R15 million, all through social media, where the seller messaged me to list their property and the buyer messaged me to buy all through social media and no use of the property portals.
- And buyers?
We get buyers mainly through the portals, but also through social media. I have done a few sales where the buyer has messaged me on social media to buy the property.
- How are you utilising your own social media presence to attract clients?
Yes, I am constantly posting, I find that Instagram Reels give you the best reach. I also try to do the basics such as cold calling and flyer drops. It all works hand in hand.
Overcoming age discrimination with professionalism and a unique personal brand
Swanson joined the real estate industry at 25, with an events management background. “The thought of managing my own time, being my boss, setting my salary, as well as having a parent I could ask for help (her mother is also an estate agent) – seemed like a no-brainer”.
- Could you tell us more about the area you’re working in, and what market segment you are focusing on?
Growing up on a small holding, it was only natural for me to gravitate towards these sorts of properties. Having a father who is a horse rider, the surname “Swanson” is very recognizable in the horsey community which has and is still giving me a lot of leads in the Drummond, Summerveld, and Shongweni areas. I found it easy and exciting to start “farming” (pun intended) those sorts of areas.
- Have you found your age to be a barrier? If so, what have you done to convince buyers and sellers of your skills?
When I first joined real estate, I did find my age to be a barrier. Already looking very young, coupled with my actual age led sellers and even some buyers to doubt my knowledge and skills within the industry. This was quite disheartening at times and frustrating. However, over time, after more exposure in the market and networking, this led to a growing client base. I overcame this barrier by not trying to compete with “older” agents, but by rather making my brand unique in the sense of having a young outlook on life and new and exciting ways to market people’s homes through social media tactics.
- How are you finding sellers?
Initially, I found sellers by cold calling however with the new POPI act, this proved difficult as the months marched on. With not having the ease of cold calling anymore, I put on my gym gear and walked neighbourhoods doing flyer drops every 6 weeks or so. I also joined a local animal shelter, where I now run their volunteer program – this also led to mass exposure. However, most of my leads come through word of mouth and referrals from past clients and buyers who I have had dealings with.
- How are you utilising your own social media presence to attract clients?
Being so young, social media comes naturally to me, so when I joined Harcourts, gaining a following and posting content wasn’t the most stressful thing for me. With the market being so tough, I used this strength to my advantage to post regularly on Facebook, as well as on local WhatsApp groups.
I gravitate towards memes about real estate as my content which generally gets a lot of engagement. I find that a post that makes someone laugh tends to be more memorable than a generic post about the current market or trends for example. I have also engaged regularly in fundraising and initiatives for animal shelters which I post on my social media – which has helped my brand in terms of networking.
