PROPERTY & INVESTMENT
Imagine then the tenacity and dedication that it must have taken to drive this fledgling business through one of the most challenging times of our era , and turn it into a thriving concern that is growing exponentially , a mere two and a half years later . Imagine , further , being a woman while accomplishing all this .
Undaunted by the challenges ahead , as soon as Covid struck , Chanet got to the negotiating table and relentlessly hammered out workable agreements between tenants and landlords across sectional title , commercial and retail spaces , with impressive results .
Having spent an hour with the dynamic female founder of the Devmark Property Management division , it is not hard to see why she has managed to turn most people ’ s worst nightmare into a brilliant success story .
Entrepreneurship within an established family business
Chanet completed her education at Stellenbosch University , earning a BCom in Entrepreneurial Sciences , before joining Devmark Property Group , a successful family-run property business . With over 30 years in the industry , Devmark Property Group has grown from its humble roots into one of the foremost property developers in the country , having won several awards .
Having spent 15 years in the trenches , Chanet was given the opportunity to take an internal business function and start a completely separate standalone company called Devmark Property Management ( also known in the industry as DPM ) Division . Adding her name to a growing list of strong female leaders in the property space was something Chanet looked forward to .
Taking a hard look at her seemingly endless skill set and analysing the market , she identified a critical gap in all property management models and opted to bring in someone with property maintenance and construction experience as managing director . She fought for two long years to get her younger brother , Heinrich Ehlers , out of the construction side of the family business and into the property management company she was now in charge of .
One of the biggest expenses in the property management arena is maintenance . Chanet maintains that having someone with specialist skills in this aspect of the game is what enables her to manoeuvre effectively and cost-efficiently through the intricacies of successful property management .
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