MAIN IMAGE: Leandé Nel – full-status property practitioner at RE/MAX Dazzle, Barbara Larney – broker/owner at RE/MAX Wine and Whales, Nadia Aucamp – broker/owner and legal liaison at RE/MAX All Stars
Senior writer
When buyers get cautious, and listings sit longer, the agents who are still generating business are usually the ones who built their relationships before they needed them.
In South Africa’s ever-changing property market, slower cycles can present challenges, but they also create opportunities for agents who maintain strong client relationships and consistent communication.
According to Adrian Goslett, CEO and regional director of REMAX Southern Africa, the agents who remain visible, engaged, and proactive during slower cycles are often the ones who continue to generate results. “The reality is that transactions may take longer and buyers may be more cautious, but people still need to buy, sell, rent, and invest in property. The key is staying connected and positioning yourself as a trusted source of information and guidance.”
For Leandé Nel, full status property practitioner at REMAX Dazzle in Pretoria, that visibility is a daily non-negotiable. “Prospecting is probably one of the easiest things to do in real estate, yet it’s one of the things agents avoid the most. In a slower market, when buyers and sellers are taking their time, that’s exactly when I believe we should be working the hardest. You can’t sit behind your desk waiting for the phone to ring – you have to go out and create the opportunities.”
Prospecting as a daily practice
Nel follows a 5x5x10 prospecting routine each week, does regular pamphlet drops, and attends school sports events and local expos. She updates her WhatsApp Status daily and maintains an active presence on her personal and business Facebook pages. “People need to see you before they need you,” she says. Over a six-month period, pamphlet drops and area boards near her home alone generated close to ten new clients.
Barbara Larney, broker/owner at RE/MAX Wine and Whales in the Overberg, makes a similar point about the nature of modern prospecting. “Many people still associate prospecting with cold-calling, but modern prospecting is far broader. In reality, successful agents spend far more time ‘warm calling’ than cold calling: reconnecting with past clients, following up on referrals, engaging with people in their network, and nurturing existing relationships. At its core, prospecting is the deliberate process of identifying, connecting with, and nurturing relationships long before someone is ready to buy or sell.”
Goslett echoes this, pointing to past clients as one of the most valuable prospecting sources in a slower market. “Through regular check-ins, market updates, and valuation offers, agents can provide useful information and potentially open the door to future business opportunities.” He also highlights property owners who previously requested valuations as worth revisiting, noting that market shifts may have affected their current property value.
Nadia Aucamp, broker/owner and legal liaison at RE/MAX All Stars in Gauteng, has built her business almost entirely on this principle. “I have always been in contact with past clients, sending them birthday and Christmas cards and having the occasional coffee meeting. Not always talking about business, but checking in on how they are and if they are still happy in their homes. By retaining the existing relationships, staying top of mind, these clients have referred me to their friends and family.”
When trust does the work
Goslett notes that landlords and investors represent another prospecting avenue, particularly as shifts in interest rates and affordability influence rental demand, investment returns, and buyer activity. “The most successful agents understand that every conversation has value, even if it doesn’t result in an immediate transaction. By consistently providing useful information, maintaining relationships, and staying engaged with their networks, agents can build a pipeline of future opportunities regardless of market conditions.”
Larney has seen this play out directly. She uses WhatsApp Status and Facebook to market properties, stay connected with clients, and share market insights and community news. One sale she cites involved a property in Arabella: a past client who followed her on social media made contact, asked for details, and ultimately purchased without a physical viewing. “The transaction was not the result of a cold call, a marketing campaign, or a once-off advertisement. It was the result of consistently staying visible, sharing meaningful content, and nurturing a relationship over time.”
“Prospecting is not always about actively looking for business,” she adds. “Sometimes it is simply about staying connected, adding value, and remaining top of mind. When people trust you and see you as a credible source of information, opportunities often arise naturally.”
Aucamp says the same thinking informs how she coaches her team. “We coach all our agents to stay invested and in contact with all their clients, past and present. By doing this, you don’t have to search for new clients; the referrals will come in automatically as word-of-mouth recommendations carry a lot of weight.”
For Nel, the discipline comes back to patience and consistency. “Prospecting isn’t about pushing people into selling their homes. It’s about building relationships, showing up consistently, and being remembered when the time is right. The results might not come tomorrow, next week or even next month, but if you keep showing up, people remember you. And when they need a property professional, they’ll already know exactly who to call.”
