Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa May/June 2019 | Page 13

MIKE GREEFF KEY STATS Name: Mike Greeff Age: 59 Education: Rondebosch Boys High School and Abbotts College First property sold was: Dalmore Avenue Tokai Based in: Cape Town Currently reading: Divine Direction’ by Craig Groeschel Guilty pleasure (pertaining to media consumption): Scrolling through Facebook Favourite pastime: Tennis, Pilates, Walking, Aqua Aerobics Favourite suburb to have on my books: Constantia, Bishopscourt, Newlands and Claremont Life motto: Consider the interests of others before your own Advice for aspiring property investors: Hot spots are the South Peninsula – Simons Town, Kommetjie, Kalk Bay and St. James If I had limitless funds, I would invest in property in: The above hot spots Before he could start sinking his teeth into the property game, Greeff ’s business journey took him into the sweets business. His dad owned a sweet factory and Greeff, with time on his hands during his second year of military training, started selling sweets. He refers to this period of his life the ‘Not so Sweet Life.’ Despite selling huge amounts of stock, he found when doing the marketing, the accounting system and cash flow was not good and certain supermarkets never paid on time. It was during this time that he first invested in property. In the early 1980s, Greeff bought and renovated houses for resale. ‘Profits were low and slow and it took too long to complete the renovations, and time cost me money from the loans. This, however, taught me to buy right and sell right.’ But he focused on the sweets business (which was sold eventually), and he re-entered the property arena in 1992. ‘I knew I had come ‘home’ – literally. Selling property was something I was good at from the start. He started out as an estate agent with Pam Golding. ‘My work ethic could always be described not just as driven, but permanently in over-drive. I believe I let feelings of inadequacy about my lack of tertiary education drive me to work hard, and then even harder. It got to a point where I was chasing success only to prove something to myself. In hindsight, it’s obviously much clearer to me that this was never going to be the right path,’ Greeff says in his book. He joined Seeff, where he was given a senior management position as regional director. However, Greeff loved selling and closing deals was what made him truly happy. His path was chosen for him, though, when a managerial dispute over the franchise resulted in the company’s license to sell property was revoked and Greeff, along with all the directors at the company, was fired. ‘Just like that I was out of a job. It might have been the end of my road, but being victim of the situation was never even a fraction of an option for me. I saw it as an opportunity to finally get the recognition I knew I could achieve.’ “ Just like that I was out of a job. It might have been the end of my road, but being victim of the situation was never even a fraction of an option for me. I saw it as an opportunity to finally get the recognition I knew I could achieve. “ S tanding in the Gallery of Great Battles in the Palace of Versailles at a black-tie dinner honoured by his peers and colleagues, Mike Greeff couldn’t be further from his humble roots. His long and gutsy entrepreneurial journey cul- minated in this epicentre of extravagance, but his dogged and determined rise to be found one of Africa’s most successful property agencies is the really interesting part of this story. Greeff grew up in Cape Town, but his academic career was hamstrung by a mixture of learning, concentration and visual difficulties. As a result, reading and writing was a tortuous experience leading to low confidence and self-esteem. Greeff says in his book ‘With my Head Held High: ‘I remain terrified of being quizzed on any level. If a teacher asked me a question in class, I turned purple…The fact that I don’t understand whatever was being taught put me in a permanent state of terror. To top it all, I had a problem sitting still, so if I couldn’t get up to walk around, I jiggled my legs incessantly.’ His escape was in the form of physical activity and he eventually excelled at tennis. Through hard work, a handful of patient teachers and his dedicated mom’s after-school help with homework, Greeff received his matric certificate. He was in his 30’s when he was first diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Today, he’s at the helm of Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate’s portfolio which includes 14 development projects currently on the market, ranging in prices from R665 thousand to R16.995 million. In 2018, the group doubled its sales turnover. ‘People trust us because we listen to them and follow through. It’s not about chasing a fast buck but rather helping people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Whether it’s a young family looking for their first home or empty nesters that are looking to move out of a house filled with memories, we are there to ease the transition and make the process easier,’ says Greeff. Since its establishment in 2001, the company has grown from a staff complement of four to its current figure of 155. His path was now ‘cleared’ and he opened his own business from home. ‘I instinctively began using all the positive coping mechanisms that had got me through school. Firstly, wherever I perceived there was a gap in my knowledge or abilities, I called on skilled friends, colleagues and role models and secondly, I spent time with people who believed in me. This kept me optimistic and focused and allowed me to pour my energy into what I was good at: selling.’ According to Greeff, his ability to sell has always been one of his most powerful tools, but his ‘sharpest arrow in his quiver was the fact that I still hated the very thought of failure.’ Greeff started Greeff Properties, a one-man show from his home. Yet, soon agents from other big agencies started approaching the business. ‘I was asked: Why didn’t Greeff remain a small independent working from home? And I joke: Because all these estate agents working from home were driving my wife crazy! In truth, we believe we were blessed by catching the market at the right time; interest rates were coming down and the property market was taking off. Our approach was a key to our early success and phenomenal growth. I was prepared to do whatever needed done to produce the best long-term results.’ The group focused on the Constantia Upper area, taking anything they could find, even the dilapidated houses on busy roads. Sellers got about 30% more on the sale of their properties than what other agents from other companies SA Real Estate Investor Magazine MAY/JUNE 2019 11