IEASA National - News

Institute training hundreds every month   Article Date :30 Jul 2005 Its important that estate agents and principals thoroughly trained and kept up to date. The Institute of Estate Agents (Western Cape) trains hundreds of people every month. IEA regional manager Vivien Marks says that since the 2005 training programme began in February, some 1239 estate agents and managers have attended courses and seminars. The programme will continue until December, and Ms Marks says that all indications are that the second half of the year to be as successful as the first. "In January we dubbed 2005 'the year of training'," says Ms Marks. "Our industry cannot function effectively unless each and every estate agent and principal is thoroughly trained and kept up to date. Today they must be not only salespeople but counsellors, paralegals, and tax advisors too, and of course they must be thoroughly computer-literate." The mainstays of the IEA training programme are the basic real estate sales course, and the course for candidates wishing to write the Estate Agency Affairs Board examination. Since February, 171 agents have attended the sales course and 390 the Board exam course. 109 agents attended follow-up sales courses, and 82 attended a workshop on canvassing. 74 attended a workshop on sole mandates. "Residential sales training is very important," says Ms Marks, "because it is the core business of most estate agents. However, we also cater for other sectors of the industry, and so far this year 72 agents have attended our seminars on rentals and property management, and 48 brokers have completed our commercial and business broking courses." Ms Marks says it's encouraging to see the response to IEA workshops on legal matters: one in April on "why property matters end up in court", and one in May to bring agents up to date with changes in the law. A total of 158 agents and managers attended these two sessions. 60 attended a sectional title workshop in June. An indicator of the property boom in the Western Cape is the interest in property development. 75 developers and prospective developers have attended IEA seminars on the subject. "We have our regular panel of highly experienced trainers," says Ms Marks, "and a number of attorneys and other specialists who present workshops and seminars from time to time. All of them work in their respective fields, so they are giving training based on actual experience, and not simply out of textbooks." Enquiries: phone Vivien Marks at 021 531 3180. END ---------- CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN NEWS PAGE