IEASA National - News

Essential Education and Training   Article Date :4 Aug 2006 Training is the IEA's most important function. Estate agency is a professional business, demanding high levels of competence, and while practical experience is invaluable, formal training is also essential for anyone who hopes to succeed in this business. As one of our directors recently said: "A go-ahead estate agent should attend at least three courses a year." We therefore provide our members (and others) with a range of courses and workshops designed to equip them with the knowledge and skills that they need. They're presented by top trainers, all of whom are experienced estate agents. One of our staples is the Estate Agency Affairs Board Exam Course, which we run four times a year, in line with the EAAB's exam schedule. To make the course as accessible as possible, we offer a choice of daytime and evening classes, in English and in Afrikaans, and a refresher session a day or two before the exam itself. The exam, which is currently the only official qualification in real estate, covers several subjects, such as property ownership, property and contract law, finance, development schemes, sectional title, agent/client relations, the Estate Agency Affairs Act, and the Code of Conduct. Another regular course is the Super Sellers Course, designed for practising agents who want to move up a level or two in their professional practice. The course covers five topics: acquiring stock and negotiating sole mandates; canvassing; selling showhouses; negotiation and closing the sale; and your client and your right to commission. Because legal knowledge and sales skills alone are no longer enough to be able to survive and thrive in our present competitive market, we offer a two-day Marketing and Personal Promotion Course, which covers marketing strategies, advertising, and dedicated professional service. In addition to courses, we provide a variety of one-day and half-day workshops on specific subjects. Coming up during August, for instance, are: a one-day workshop on Obtaining the Mandate, which covers preparing a market analysis, implementing a marketing plan, and negotiating skills; a one-day workshop on the Agreement of Sale: understanding and explaining it, legal implications, suspensive conditions, negotiation, and the transfer process; a half-day Basic Sectional Title Workshop, which covers the Sectional Titles Act, rights and obligations, rules and regulations, common property and exclusive use areas, features of sectional title schemes, setting up and managing schemes, and selling units; a half-day Principals and Managers Breakfast Session, which combines good food with good discussion of topics which estate agency management needs to master: the new National Credit Act, the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, and the Property Charter. Most courses and workshops are held in our training centre in Pinelands, but we also take them to our members in country towns and districts. For further information, please phone our Training Department at 021 531 3180. CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN NEWS PAGE