1. Western Cape - Six Successful Months

2. Ladies Day 2003

3. Cape Property History 2001 – 2002



Western Cape - Six Successful Months IT'S six months since the current Western Cape regional committee took office. What have we achieved during that time, and what do we have planned for the rest of the current year? We asked regional general manager Vivien Marks for a half-year report. Training - "Since September, we have held five sales courses, eight Estate Agency Affairs Board exam courses, and fourteen other courses and seminars. We trained a total of 909 people. We are also in the process of having our training centre and our regular trainers accredited with the Services SETA. This will add value to our courses because not only will they carry a "stamp of approval" from a government authority but they will enable firms to claim skills levy grants if their agents and staff attend our courses." Membership - "Since September, our membership has risen from 1656 to 1735, an average of thirteen new members per month, or about three a week. In terms of numbers, we are the largest of the Institute's eight regions." Services to members - "Our website has been very popular, and attracts an large number of visits per month. Through our site, we are able to offer our members an additional means of reaching their markets for next to nothing. We held several social functions, which help our members take a break from their often stressful occupation, and enable them to network with their colleagues." The next six months - What does the Institute have planned for the rest of this year? "Between April and September, IEA Western Cape intends to hold a further three sales and eight EAAB exam courses. "We will also be helping our members navigate their way through the minefields that are the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, the Immigration Act, the Property Rates Bill and the other legislation which the government keeps sending our way. "Also in the pipeline are workshops on skills levies, learnerships and other aspects of education and training management, and the launch of our pilot project aimed at furthering the transformation of our industry in the Western Cape." Dragonflies over Kelvin No, that's not the title of a film. We held our annual Ladies' Day at Kelvin Grove Country Club on 13 March, and the theme this year was "dragonflies". Ladies' Day has become a red letter day on the Institute calendar, and this year's gathering was well supported. Many of our members took a well-earned few hours off from their arduous occupation, and enjoyed each other's company - and the good food and entertainment. We had five guest speakers: Pam Golding, who spoke about her company and its values; Helen Ahrend from Aramis; motivational speaker and trainer Vicky Coates; psychologist Dr Helgo Schomer; and cordon bleu author Lannice Snyman. The day was sponsored by The Knowledge Factory, Nedcor, and Ridco Pest Control, without whose support the function would not have been possible. Cape Property History 2001 – 2002 More highlights in the development of our industry and the environment in which it operates. 2001-2002 2001 • The National Institute of Realtors changes its name back to the "Institute of Estate Agents of SA". Capital Gains Tax introduced: it is payable on property transactions except for private residences. 2002 • A government-appointed Standards Generating Body (including IEA members) unveils proposed new estate agency industry qualification standards. The Financial Intelligence Centre Act makes estate agents part of the government's fight against money laundering and tax evasion. The unicity introduces Cape Town's first ever uniform property rating system. Transfer duty is made payable on company-/CC-/trust-owned property. The Appeal Court rules that tenants who default on rental payments enjoy the same legal protection as squatters. __________ Those our historical highlights up to date. What lies ahead? What history are we going to make in the future? The year 2003 is only thirteen weeks old, but already it has seen the implementation of the first phase of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, and the outcry caused by the Immigration Act. We're awaiting the announcement of the names of the new members of the Estate Agency Affairs Board, and the finalisation of the unit standards for our industry's new national qualifications. And we have an exciting project lined up to help us take another step towards achieving the long-desired transformation of our industry here in the Western Cape. But more about that in future issues of IEA News.