IEASA National - News

Industry leader comments on property prices, independents, and qualifications   Article Date :7 Mar 2006 Comments from IEA WCape Chairman, Peter Venter. Western Cape property price increases will be lower in 2006 than in recent years, but sellers will still achieve growth, says Peter Venter, regional chairman of the Institute of Estate Agents. "We're in a buyer's market at present," he says. "but, although many sellers have not realised the prices they expected, they are still achieving growth compared with what they paid for their properties. I anticipate that during the coming year, that growth will be around 10 percent in the under-R2-million price bracket, and between 6 and 8 percent in the R2-million-plus bracket." Turning to the state of the industry, Venter, who is based in Gordons Bay and is the first IEA chairman in many years from outside the Cape Town metropole, takes issue with recent suggestions by other industry commentators that independent estate agents are turning to national groups for protection. "There's a school of thought that independent estate agencies need to join up with national groups in order to survive," says Venter. "As an independent myself, I disagree, and I believe that independents are still very much a force to be reckoned with. "Estate agent registration figures too, consistently show year after year that the ratio of agents to firms is about four to one. Even allowing for the fact that many small firms are franchisees of larger groups, that still indicates that our industry consists largely of SMMEs. "As a matter of interest, a recent analysis of property adverts in the Helderberg area shows that 82 percent of the advertising was placed by independents and only 18 percent by groups." However, Venter, who has been in the industry for sixteen years, agrees with commentators who think that the number of registered estate agents - currently around 72 000 - is far too high. "Comparison of the number of estate agents in relation to the number of sales indicates that there is simply not enough business to sustain so many people. I expect many agents to leave the industry during 2006." Like many other industry leaders, Venter would like entrance into the industry to be better controlled. "I am most concerned at the large number of unqualified estate agents. The Estate Agency Affairs Board often tells us how many complaints they receive every month, how many disciplinary hearings they have to hold, and how much compensation they pay out of the fidelity fund. Yet, if they were to reinstate the compulsory entrance exam which they dropped in 1993, this would improve levels of competence, which would reduce the number of problems. "The reason given at the time for making the exam voluntary was that it was a barrier to under-educated and poorly-educated people entering the industry. If that means so-called previously disadvantaged individuals, then I believe it is a misconception. Our institute's training record proves that previously disadvantaged estate agents are just as capable of passing the exam as anyone else." Before being elected IEA regional chairman last September, Venter was vice-chairman for two years, and before that he headed the IEA's Helderberg area committee. He also chairs the Gordons Bay Network of Estate Agents and the Gordons Bay Ratepayers Association. END ============================================= BEDRYFSLEIER SE KOMMENTAAR OOR EIENDOMSPRYSE, ONAFHANKLIKES, EN KWALIFIKASIES Wes-Kaapse eiendomspryse sal gedurende 2006 afneem, maar verkopers sal nogtans wins trek, meen mnr Peter Venter, streeksvoorsitter van die Instituut van Eiendomsagente. "Ons is tans in 'n kopersmark," sê hy, "maar alhoewel verkopers nie die pryse kry waarvoor hulle gehoop het, kry hulle beslis nog baie meer as wat hulle oorspronklik vir hulle eiendomme betaal het. Die prysstygings wat ek hierdie jaar verwag is ongeveer 10 persent onder eiendomme van minder as R2-miljoen, en tussen 6 en 8 persent onder duurder eiendomme." Wat die eiendomsbedryf betref, verskil mnr Venter van ander bedryfskommentators wat meen dat onafhanklike eiendomsagente nou skuiling soek by nasionale firmas. Mnr Venter, wat op Gordonsbaai gebaseer is, en die eerste IEA-voorsitter in baie jare is wat van buite die Kaapstadse metropool afkom, is self 'n onafhanklike. "Daar's mense wat volhou dat onafhanklikes nou by nasionale groepe moet aansluit om te kan oorleef," sê mnr Venter. "Ek stem beslis nie saam nie, en is oortuig dat onafhanklike eiendomsagentskappe nog 'n soliede plek in die bedryf beklee. "As ons kyk na die registrasiesyfers vir eiendomsagente, sien ons jaar na jaar dat die verhouding tussen agente en firmas ongeveer vier tot een is. Al neem ons in ag dat baie klein firmas konsessiehouers van groter firmas is, wys dit dat ons bedryf hoofsaaklik uit SMMEs bestaan. "Dis ook interressant dat 'n onlangse ontleding van eiendomsadvertensies in die Helderberggebied getoon het dat 82 persent van die advertensies deur onafhanklikes en slegs 18 persent deur groot groepe geplaas is." Mnr Venter, wat sestien jaar lank in die bedryf werksaam is, stem saam met ander kommentators dat daar gans te veel geregistreerde eiendomsagente in die land is. Die huidige totaal is ongeveer 72000. "As jy die getal agente met die getal eiendomstransaksies vergelyk, is dit duidelik dat daar net nie genoeg besigheid is om soveel mense te steun nie. Ek verwag dat baie mense gedurende 2006 die bedryf gaan verlaat." Soos baie ander leiers in sy bedryf, wil mnr Venter graag beter beheer oor toegang tot die bedryf sien. "Ek is baie ongelukkig met die getal ongekwalifiseerde eiendomsagente. Die Raad vir Eiendomsagentskapsaangeleenthede vertel ons dikwels hoe baie klagtes hulle ontvang, en hoeveel tugverhore hulle moet hou, en hoeveel vergoeding hulle uit die getrouheidsfonds moet betaal. Maar as hulle net die verpligte toetredingseksamen weer sou instel, sal dit die vaardigheidsvlakke laat verbeter en die probleme laat verminder. "Toe die eksamen in 1993 vrywillig gemaak is, wat die amptelike verduideliking dat die eksamen 'n probleem was vir minder-opgevoede mense wat tot die bedryf wou toetree. As dit 'n verwysing is na sogenaamde voorheen benadeelde indiwidue, dan glo ek dis 'n mispersepsie. Ons instituut se opleidingsrekord bewys dat voorheen benadeelde eiendomsagente vaar net so goed as ander mense wat die eksamen skryf." Voordat mnr Venter verlede September as die IEA se streeksvoorsitter verkies is, was hy twee jaar lank vise-voorsitter, nadat hy as sameroeper van die IEA se Hedlerbergkomitee gedien het. Hy is ook voorsitter van die Gordonsbaaise Eiendomsagentenetwerk, en die Gordonsbaaise Belastingbetalersvereniging. EINDE CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN NEWS PAGE