Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa May/ June 2020 | Page 59

G
reeff completed his tertiary studies in Perth, Australia
and went on to become one of a handful of brokers
under the age of 30 in South Africa. During a period
when the average age for real estate agents was upward of 60
in the country.
“The challenge at the time was that the Real Estate
Brokering brand was not an attractive one for young
graduates fresh out of university who generally saw brokering
as a fairly unprofessional and unsustainable career option”,
says Greeff when asked about the stigma attached to the
property industry.
“In his first year, he received
the award for the Number
1 Broker at National Level
at one of the largest real
estate firms in South Africa -
a prestigious accolade that
traditionally went to brokers
with roughly 10 - 20 years
of experience over him and
three times his senior.”
In his first year, he received the award for the Number
one Real Estate Broker at National Level at one of the largest
real estate firms in South Africa - a prestigious accolade that
traditionally went to brokers with roughly 10 - 20 years of
experience over him and three times his senior.
Greeff successfully went on to win this award back to
back for three years running. His success quickly drove him
to Regional Manager of the City Bowl territory within the
company, which is when he saw the gap in the market to scale
his service offering by putting together a dynamic team of
primarily young professional brokers that operate in line with
International Standards of First World cities such as Sydney,
New York and London.
“In order to offer this more contemporary and superior
service on scale, I needed to attract talented young graduates
which required vigorously repositioning the Real Estate
Brokering brand in their eyes, coupled with setting up
a Brokerage that trains, supports and upskills a team of
professional brokers. The result has been that we have also
been able to offer a superior platform to our experienced
brokers looking to build on their successes,” says Greeff.
Greeff’s unique strategy was an immense success in the
market place and four years into his career he acquired several
Greeff Christies International Franchises in areas that the
family business had previously very little to no representation.
At age 26, Greeff’s business was comprised of 20
professional brokers between the ages of 20 - 32 years old and
was turning well over half a billion Rand in sales per annum
and had achieved significant sale price records in prestigious
areas such as Higgovale and the V & A Waterfront.
“As a group we pride ourselves on being the leading brand
in cutting edge international innovation and professionalism
with a personal touch. This unique recipe adds significant
value to clients when they are disposing of what is invariably
their biggest asset. On average our brokers sell roughly 3-4
times more property than the average National Estate Agent,”
says Greeff.
Mike Spencer, Property Development lecturer and author
of The Landlord, echoes these sentiments: “Fewer younger
agents have stuck it out, resulting in the current state where
the average age of most estate agents is over 60. This pool
of skills is unlikely to be around for many years to come and
there is an urgent need for new entries to the industry and
transfer of skills.”
Greeff adds: “The feedback I have received from young
people that have fallen out of the industry is that many of the
traditional style agencies aren’t equipped with the relevant
systems, management support and contemporary training
which therefore makes it exceptionally difficult for young
people who have entered the industry to get out of the
starting blocks.”
Today Ryan's Franchises have a staff complement of over
50 people and in many of the areas they cover they hold
leading market share. According to Prop Stats SA: “The Greeff
Christies International Real Estate, sold on average roughly
one in every four properties in their areas of operation in
2019.”
Greeff is also active in the Property Development and
Investment space, as well as in public speaking. This passion of
Greeff’s has translated into support in previously compromised
communities where he focuses on training and upskilling
aspirant entrepreneurs to help them realize their dreams.
Greeff on his secrets to success: “My passion for the
industry, assisting brokers thrive and creating employment
are some of the primary components that have always driven
me personally. I have also been exceptionally fortunate to
work with a group of talented individuals, without them I
believe that none of this would have been possible.
“Growing up in a home with parents that were active
and successful in the Real Estate Brokering and Property
Development arena, as well as the strong tertiary education
experience I had in Australia, have all played a significant role
in my development and growth as a business person/
entrepreneur and I will continue to draw on these experiences
to give back to this great industry and the people in it. I am
grateful to work closely with my brother Tim Greeff whom,
after exceptional success as a broker himself, is now playing a
significant role as a leader in upper management at our
Southern Suburbs Office. He and I regularly bounce ideas off
each other and are strong pillars of support for one another,
which has been invaluable to my journey thus far.”
SOURCES Greeff Christies International Real Estate,
Property Professional & Prop Stats SA
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine MAY/JUNE 2020 57