RESIDENTIAL
My journey into real estate and how I got into real estate , is quite an interesting story ,” Ferdi shares . “ I was dating a young girl back in the day , who is now my wife . Her dad owned a real estate company . I was always interested in real estate and property as a career .
However , life initially took Ferdi in a different direction .
“ I joined the Navy , and I spent almost 20 years as a telecommunications and electronic warfare specialist ,” he recounts . But the allure of real estate never faded .
“ After many years of a successful naval career , I decided to jump out and venture into the corporate world . That ’ s how I ended up in real estate . So , real estate was my first real job after the Navy , and that was 24 years ago . And I ’ m still actively involved .”
Ferdi ’ s entry into the real estate industry was humble but determined . He joined a small firm in Kuils River , Western Cape , had some training , and enjoyed it . His talent and dedication quickly became evident .
“ Two years into the business with that firm , I was introduced to a big brand , which I then joined and spent a few years there .”
His journey was not without its challenges .
“ I spent some time with the ‘ red , white and blue guys – the balloon guys ’ and progressed from being an agent to managing the office . Then I bought shares and bought into the company as a partner . That business spectacularly came to a crashing halt in 2009-2010 ,” Ferdi reflects .
Despite this setback , his entrepreneurial spirit remained unbroken .
“ After that , I found myself in another franchise environment , which I bought into and successfully drove that business for about 6-7 years . Then I decided to go on my own as Prosperity Real Estate .”
Ferdi ’ s venture into Prosperity Real Estate marked a new chapter where he grew a team of agents in Kuils River . But , the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 prompted him to rethink his approach .
“ Coming out of lockdown , I looked at the eXp model that ( eXp Realty South Africa agent ) Steven Johnston presented at the time . I was fascinated . I made a split decision that this is the future of real estate , and it looked like a model that I could really work with and build my future on .”
Ferdi made a seamless and successful transition to eXp Realty .
40 REI MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2024