Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa May/June 2019 | Page 14

MASTER INVESTOR
For Greeff, business partner and a Director of Greeff Christie’s
International Real Estate since 2009, Simon Raab has been
instrumental in the company’s success. Raab has been with Greeff
for 15 years and has taken on the leadership role on many key
projects during this time.
The progression of Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate
has come in various guises and while boasting the expertise and
experience of established, veteran agents there is the counterbalance
of youth and exuberance that younger agents bring. This includes
Greeff ’s sons; Ryan Greeff, Director of Greeff City Bowl, Atlantic
and Western Seaboard, and Tim Greeff and his team, who is at the
helm of the Southern Suburbs sectional title market. We have a
competitive advantage whereby we can take talented young people
from day one and groom them into something great. Our people
are our assets and no one else can do that the way we can.
ON WINNING THE AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR
AWARD FROM CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL
REAL ESTATE
IMAGE BY ETIENNE BEGOUEN
valued it at and soon the big expensive properties and luxury
homes came their way.
‘We had actually tilted the balance of market power in our favour.
It was extraordinary. Clients liked the idea of the little guy thriving
and facing up to the big competitors…Some called me foolhardy
to launch yet another little estate agency in an already over-catered
for market. Others say I was gutsy – a label I far preferred.’
In 2001, within the first year of business, the turnover reached
R109 million and Greeff Properties moved to its own offices. In its
second year, turnover reached R320 million and in its third, R401
million.
In 2011, Greeff Properties became an exclusive Affiliate of
Christie’s International Real Estate. This coveted affiliation means
that selected luxury Cape Town properties for which Greeff
Properties has sole mandates, can be marketed directly to the
Christie’s database of qualified buyers. This, paired with a bespoke
marketing programme has given Greeff a distinctive edge. Christie’s
International Real Estate is able to tap into the very exclusive and
elusive client database of Christie’s Auction House and this offers
an immeasurable level of exposure to the most elite buyers around
the world. Greeff adds that he would like other real estate agencies
in South Africa to benefit in the same way that his company has,
through its prestigious affiliation. ‘Being a part of the Christie’s
network is not something that is unattainable, the work we as a
team have put in to be selected by Christie’s has yielded us much
success. We pride ourselves in the global recognition we receive
from being known as affiliates and we are looking for additional real
estate agencies outside the Western Cape specialising in the sale of
luxury properties to form part of this highly influential network.
Christie’s enjoys its reputation as being the most significant top-
end sales company across the world and one simply cannot argue
the benefits of being affiliated to a brand such as this.’
A unique marketing and media mix and an immense network
which currently comprises 141 affiliates worldwide allows the
greater Christie’s network to be able to source exclusive homes
virtually anywhere in the world for its clients. The world-famous
brand powerhouse also owns Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint
Laurent, Brioni and Boucheron. This affiliation is a true testimony
to how this Cape Town company has created global reach and
surpassed international standards.
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MAY/JUNE 2019 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
Christie’s International Real Estate, the world’s leading luxury
real estate network, honoured Greeff Christie’s International Real
Estate as winner of the esteemed Affiliate of the Year award in the
Large Market category, determined by a population size above
1,750,000. The ceremony took place on 4 April at the culmination
of the Annual Global Conference in Paris. CEO Mike Greeff
accepted the crystal obelisk trophy at a black-tie dinner at the
exquisite Palace of Versailles in the Gallery of Great Battles, a
venue not open to the general public, making the evening all
the more special. Mr. Greeff was unaware of his win until that
evening’s announcement by Dan Conn, CEO of Christie’s
International Real Estate, before a crowded room of network
colleagues.
Four awards are given each year, one each in the small, medium
and large market categories with the top honour bestowed to
the overall winner regardless of market size. Criteria used in
determining the four winners were overall business innovation,
market leadership, passion to succeed in the local and global
marketplace under the Christie’s International Real Estate
brand, and collaboration with network colleagues and Christie’s
art auction house specialists. Greeff Christie’s International Real
Estate has excelled in every category.
Noted Dan Conn in presenting the award: ‘Greeff Christie’s
International Real Estate recently completed a thorough re-
branding inspired by Christie’s 2017 all-time record sale of
Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Salvator Mundi for US$450
million — the most expensive work of art ever sold. Greeff
adopted Christie’s colour palette of grey, white and red for its new
brand, including a red dot, to symbolize the red dot placed on
sold pieces of art and now applied to real estate through Greeff.
The re-branding now appears on all the company’s marketing
collateral, from wines, to watches, to pens and stationery.’
‘With the new branding we have set ourselves apart from all
other agencies and we do believe we have successfully done so,’
says Greeff.
In 2017, the company posted 19 luxury home sales, a number
which doubled to 39 in 2018. The top sale was for a magnificent
homestead in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, achieving a record
price for the area of over R60 million. Greeff also supports robust
social media and blog platforms, as well as a top-quality print
publication. Mr. Greeff ’s mantra is Where it Counts, a sentiment
fully aligned with Christie’s and Christie’s International Real
Estate.
CEO Mike Greeff shared the following, ‘We as a team at
Greeff have been working exceptionally hard to honour
and grow the Christie’s International Real Estate brand.
Being selected as recipients for this prestigious award is
a phenomenal achievement and affords us outstanding
recognition worldwide. It is a factor that will support every
agent in our group for many years to come.’