Estate Agents Still Performing Despite Tough Conditions

Top Property Awards in SA

An article published on by Real Estate Web draws attention to the winners of the coveted South African property awards. Jacoba (Kobie) Potgieter from Port Elizabeth is the new Nedbank Property Association Property Professional of the Year for 2008, making her the top real estate agent in the country.

The announcement of these awards took place at the Arabella Hotel in Hermanus over the weekend after ten nominees selected nationally for the property industry’s most prestigious title were interviewed by a panel of judges.

The awards are open to all members of the Property Association and the entry level is based on annual sales of more than R10 million (R7.5 million in rural areas) or 40 sales completed over a 12 month period ending in February 2008.

Potgieter has won a number of international and local awards, the latest being the highest commission earner in RE/MAX’s international team outside of the USA and Canada for the first quarter of 2008. She is the broker owner of RE/MAX’s independent estate agency in Port Elizabeth and the agency has rocketed from a sales staff of five in 2003 to a crew of 58 agents today and holds a commanding share of the market.

The award is also based on the agent’s community and social involvement, which in the case of Potgieter includes the sponsorship of primary and secondary schools, the organization of fund raising events for feeding and clothing orphaned babies, as well as the delivery of food packages to old age homes and indigent people.

The full nominees for the award were Kobie Potgieter (RE/MAX Independent Properties), Marianda de Villiers (Estpro Consultants), Michael Stephens (Seeff Properties), Roma Naude (RE/MAX Jacaranda), Sue du Preez (Pam Golding Properties), Carina Nieuwoudt (Realty1 IPG), Gerhardt Jooste (Prosperito), Daisy Govender (RE/MAX Dolphin Realtors) and Elna Maree (Agripro).

Movers and Shakers included Jeanne van Jarsveldt (RE/MAX Southern Africa), Mark Beckett (Bond Choice), John Cooper (Chas Everitt IPG), Rhys Dyer (Ooba), Dennis Dykes (Nedbank Limited), Linda Erasmus (Fine & Country), Adrienne Hersch (Adrienne Hersch Properties cc), Lydia Monyamane Makgadis (Properties & Development), Ian Slot (Seeff Atlantic Seaboard CBD & City Bowl) and Bruce Swain (Leapfrog Property Group).

The Young Lions comprised Douglas Ravenscroft (RE/MAX Platinum), Colin Green (Rabie Property Group), Liesel Greyvenstein (Greyven Steins Nortier), John Hart (Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate), Gerhard Kotze (ERA South Africa), Milton Koumbatis (Miltons Matsemala Inc), Ralph Rabie (Parcor), Cyrus Rogers (The Home Channel), Martin Schultheiss (Homenet) and Michelle Swart (Velvet Square).

The information in this article is courtesy of Rodney Hayter (“SA’s top property awards: winners”, Realestateweb, 21 July 2008).

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