MAIN IMAGE: Mimi van Zyl and Juanita Scholtz – sales partners at Rawson Properties, Durbanville
Kerry Dimmer
We continue our conversation around female-to-female mentorship in the property industry with mentor Mimi van Zyl and mentee Juanita Scholtz, both sales partners at Rawson Properties, Durbanville.
These two powerful and professionally minded women prove that mentor-mentee relationships can extend beyond the work environment.
Mimi: I started at Rawson in October 2018 and have had an incredible journey to where I am today as a real estate professional. I left my bookkeeping job at Musical Pleasures in Brackenfell to enter real estate, regardless of my lack of experience. Thankfully, though, when I joined the Rawson Property Group, all the training was provided, and best of all, it was free. This training is actually an award-winning programme, which I still tap into today to ensure I continue to upskill.
Juanita: My real estate journey started relatively recently, in May 2023, also within the Rawson stable. I, like Mimi, have learned an enormous amount by going through the free training provided by the Rawson Group and being exposed to the practical side, mainly by Mimi. This has allowed me to navigate the property game from a professional perspective. It’s been an eventful journey and one that holds a lot of value for me.
Mimi: I was fortunate to have an excellent mentor when I started at Rawson, in Christelle Erasmus. She was a full-status agent who showed me the ropes, taking me with her when she did a valuation or presentation. She was instrumental in guiding me to become the best and most excellent estate agent I could be. She meant the world to me; I cannot thank her enough. From Christelle, I came to understand that mentorship must be passed on, and more so between women, because we have empathy for one another as professionals, as mothers and caregivers, and in breaking the glass ceiling.
Juanita: I agree with Mimi about passing on knowledge. Mimi was one of two mentors within the Rawson Durbanville office who was assigned to help me onboard at the company. I immediately took to her warm, friendly approach. She showed me the ropes, sharing her unlimited knowledge and know-how of the industry and even giving me a pep talk when I became overwhelmed. Those talks included a stern admonishing when I faltered, which I really appreciate, or else I might not have been able to advance my career. The value of a mentor cannot be underestimated in this environment, especially for recruits. I think it’s important that when my time comes, I, too, can become a mentor.
Mimi: All female mentees should become mentors, but only when they feel ready and confident enough to do so. I believe such women will need to have proven themselves as full-status agents and have relevant experience.
More often than not, mentees transform into the best mentors because they have had the benefit of mentorship when they started their careers and so understand the importance of having one. When they want to provide the same type of support for a new intern agent, they can up the level of mentorship, but in their own style.
The most important aspect of mentorship is the ability to interact with all sorts of people, be well-spoken, have good communication skills, and demonstrate patience and dedication. Most importantly, any mentee must have a passion for real estate and know their neighbourhood /community well enough to sell the idea of buying or selling a property in that area.
From the mentee’s perspective, they need to be alert, really listen, and be able to act on guidance. It’s the only way to learn effectively and gain confidence enough to go out there, own their neighbourhood, and carry out responsibilities.
Juanita: I agree and also add that you have to have a friendly disposition. I am able to connect with people, which Mimi called out as a great asset for my real estate career.
Mimi was very generous in sharing her knowledge and insights from her experience in real estate, from completing a listing sheet to sealing a deal. She was always available to field my questions and guide me through tricky situations. She has been an incredible mentor over this past year.
Mimi: I am chuffed that Juanita has developed so quickly, which makes me think that one year is enough in terms of the length of mentorship, or at least until the female agent acquires full status. However, this is when the relationship changes somewhat because although the mentor remains a support structure for the mentee, a friendship can develop.
Juanita: This is so true. Aside from our professional relationship, Mimi and I have a strong friendship. Even when the mentorship side fades, this friendship will not. However, given the constant changes in the industry and the many situational experiences that we all encounter, we will continue to share and learn from one another. And I truly hope that I, too, am given the opportunity in the future to be as good a mentor as Mimi has been to me.
Mimi’s takeaways:
What I love about mentorship is the ability we have to easily prove that women are strong and have more than enough confidence to do this job. Some people even prefer working with women because they can understand emotions and better understand the situation when buying and selling property. We are not the weaker sex!
