Advertorial
Property practitioners that attend Private Property’s Real Estate Industry Summit (REIS) have the edge in delivering performance-based service to buyers, sellers, and tenants.
Over the past decade the SA property sector has weathered some of the toughest storms in its history: fluctuating interest rates, policy amendments, economic uncertainty, load shedding, housing shortages and oversupply, and of course, digital transformation. Yet the market continues to shift as client expectations evolve and Proptech advances, seemingly shifting the horizon endlessly. Despite this, there is one clear constant: the future belongs to professionals who are ‘resilient by design.’
Theme direction
‘Resilient by Design: Strong Foundations for Tomorrow’ is the theme that the Private Property and Absa partnership have selected for the 2026 REIS event to be held in Cape Town on 19 March 2026. It speaks to agents who take a strategic approach to intentionally build systems or environments that can anticipate, withstand, adapt to and recover from disruptions, ensuring they bounce forward and become even more efficient, relevant, and effective.
REIS 2026 will unpack how the industry is designing for durability—building not just for today’s markets but for the next decade of demand, sustainability, and innovation. “We believe the theme captures the essence of where the property practitioner profession is heading,” says Charl Bruyns, CEO of Private Property.
“Here we are talking to those who already use, or need/want to use, systems that withstand disruption, and business models that evolve with technology. This requires professionals who can anticipate change before it happens in an age where Proptech is accelerating every aspect of property procedures and engagements, whilst ensuring that the profession remains, at its core, a people business. Here we are talking about how to use technology to enhance those relationships and keep agents at the centre of the client experience. What Private Property’s REIS 2026 will do is help retain and protect this balance … by design!”
Benefits
Any agent who has attended REIS in a previous year or years will tell you that this premier real estate event on the African continent is more than a networking platform. In has featured some of the most credible global and local speakers, from futurists to economists to CEOs and pioneers. Those who attend consistently find increasingly more ways to deliver exceptional value to their clients and become more inspired, agile, and sharper, given the strategies, tools, and skills they are exposed to. REIS accelerates the relevancy of property practitioners!
All REIS events aim to provide a change in mindset, focused on:
- Redefining your business model to thrive in an AI-enhanced, data-driven market.
- Harnessing digital innovation while preserving the human connection that defines a successful agent.
- Building sustainable, future-ready portfolios that align with shifting investor and consumer priorities.
- Understanding of macro-trends that are reshaping the property landscape.
- Collaborations across sectors to create resilient communities and enduring value.
Host city
Cape Town is the perfect backdrop for conversations around reinvention and resilience; its residential property market grew by 8,5% year-on-year by mid-2025. It is a city that embodies the 2026 REIS theme given its use of technology for planning and service delivery, its strategic partnerships, and its community-focused initiatives that prepare it for future shocks and sustainability.
Call to action
If you want to follow Cape Town’s lead and be part of shaping the future of SA real estate, you need to align your business with the next era of property and possibility.
“We keep talking about how fast the property landscape is changing, so the question is no longer about whether property professionals can keep up, but whether they can lead,” says Bruyns. “REIS will show you the way.”
The future of real estate isn’t waiting … It’s being designed right now!
Join the conversation so you aren’t left behind.
Diarise your attendance of REIS 2026, on 19 March, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and secure your ticket here.
