Harcourts Blog

Renting is the smart financial choice for many consumers, but a ‘difficult’ landlord can easily make it feel like the wrong choice, and cause tenants to leave as soon as they possibly can.

On the other hand, says Gerhard Kotzé, MD of the RealNet Properties, landlords who are able to establish a good working relationship with their tenants will have a much easier time when it comes to organizing any repairs necessary and retaining those tenants or showing the property to prospective new tenants.

All indications are that it will remain a buyer’s market for a while longer, yet your new client insist on putting a premium price on their beloved family home. Overpricing is one of the biggest mistakes that sellers make, here are a few more with some expert advice on what to do.

Make sure your listing photos are eye-catching. Traditionally property sales start to pick in springtime, but if your online listing photos aren’t eye-catching then you might just lose out on a potential sale as homebuyers scroll by your posts. Here are top tips on how to have the best listing photos.

First impressions count. Most homebuyers today turn to the internet to search for their dream home and research shows you have only seconds to grab their attention, so make sure the first shot shows off the home at its best angle.  Make sure the view is not obstructed by cars or walls. The property should also appear well looked after – lawn or yard kept and tidy which means no toys lying around, weeds pulled, walls painted and in case there is one, swimming pool sparkling.

Rising municipal rates, fuel price hikes, high unemployment rates and uncertainty over high crime rates and corruption in state entities all make for a challenging sell for real estate agents. Yet, property sales and rental agents can be at the top of their game in securing client loyalty, leases and sales.

The South African Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee announced yesterday that it has voted to reduce the repo rate from 6.5% to 6.25%. Therefore the prime rate will fall to 9.75%. Although this will certainly alleviate some pressures for those in debt we are a long way from saving a vulnerable economy.

The real estate industry has undergone immense transformation over the past two decades, but a number of significant and influential emergent trends are poised to further revolutionise the sector and the way in which we live.

Influenced by a multitude of factors and operating in regular cycles, the real estate industry has always been one of the most dynamic, but in recent years the changes have become progressively dramatic with the next decade poised for even more significant transformation.

Did you know that under the new Property Practitioners Act, one of the many changes will be that a consumer may claim their money back from property practitioners, even if they are trading without a valid FFC? Robert Krautkramer, director with legal firm Miltons Matsemela, expands on what the new Act says about who will need FFC’s to practice and the consequences of not having a valid certificate.

The transformation of the property sector is a journey that requires the commitment of all industry role players – also the new players included as property professionals in the new Property Professional Act says Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw, executive chair of Black Women Organisation South Africa (BWOSA) and author of the new Act’s chapter on transformation.

One way is by making it mandatory for all property practitioners to have a BEE certificate – but what about single proprietors who are white? Robert Krautkramer, director with legal firm Miltons Matsemela, takes a look at what is meant by BEE compliance in the new Act.

There’s no such thing as a perfect property and buyers know that as well as you do, so when selling your home, you should never give in to the temptation to conceal or be untruthful about any defects or drawbacks that you know about.

Quite apart from the fact that this would be dishonest, it could easily result in a legal dispute that not only wipes out any profit on your sale, but actually leads to a loss, says Gerhard Kotzé, managing director of the RealNet estate agency group.