The past two years have changed our lives forever. We see little kids not knowing what it's like to walk around in public spaces without a mask and many of us have lost family and friends during the pandemic. At times it appears the light at the end of the tunnel keeps shifting and normality fades with every step we take. The reality is, none of us knows when the COVID pandemic will come to an end, but what we do know is that every day we still have the opportunity to live and breathe. This is synonymous with how South Africans have approached their property purchasing.
Even though South Africa has faced a lot of adversity over the years compounded by the pandemic, our resilient nation continues to move ahead. We've seen massive increases in real estate demand over the past few years and in 2020/1 Harcourts experienced unprecedented growth in South Africa. This is indicative of how we continue to live our lives and make smart investment decisions despite adversity.
2022 and the coming years are going to be no different, because it is us, the people of South Africa that are the lifeblood of our country. Property is not only an investment decision but signifies safety, and it becomes your shelter against any storm, proverbial or literal, and that is why it is so important.
We see that 2022 is going to be a great year for real estate as low interest rates persist and high buyer demand continues.
Technology has given us access to both emerging and developed markets and that sort of exposure can only be positive on the effects of the economy. Young people have come out strong in the past two years, investing their money wisely and that is exciting.
At Harcourts we are fluid, we believe in constant evolution and there is no doubt in my mind our brand and real estate, in general, will be a force to reckon with this year.
Statement by
Richard Gray
Harcourts SA CEO