Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2015 | Page 27

POWERFUL WOMEN IN PROPERTY

During her modelling days, Lisa made a fortuitous
visit to Cape Town, and now she saw what she was
looking for in the city’s natural beauty and laid-back
vibe. She decided to move there and pursue a new
path, studying interior design with the view to set up a
business. In design she discovered a new passion, and
started looking for a renovation project to apply her
skills to.
In pursuit of the perfect property, she found inspiration for another business. She saw a huge gap for a
service dedicated to buyers not from Cape Town. In
her search for a home, she was mislead by agents. Independent advice was discouraged on everything from
inspections to legal issues to financing. Lisa eventually
bought a Camps Bay home, which she split into three
units, creating a personal residence mixed with a rental
property. She had also found her mission.
Lisa started Hurst & Wills to answer the needs of
foreigners hoping to invest in Cape Town property.
The ambitious young entrepreneur created a bespoke
buyer’s agency, filtering through the bewildering South
African property world for her clients, assisting them
to find unique properties that reflected their values,
personality, and investment needs. The business is a
perfect combination of her passions. She brings years of
international experience, a thorough understanding of
luxury standards and a passion for property, enhanced
by skills in interior design and her practical experience
of being an investor.
Lisa is creating a prosperous business in Cape Town
with a large variety of clients. There are people who
purchase holiday apartments to rent out and use a few
weeks a year, and those who want to move to South
Africa permanently. Some clients are doing business in
Africa using Cape Town as a base. For one local businesswoman, Lisa is sourcing investment properties,
searching out five apartments to renovate and sell for a
profit. Some clients need properties sourced and then
tailored to their tastes with interior design. Others require property management services, so Hurst & Wills
acts as their eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring their
home away from home stays maintained and maximises on investment.
Lisa only sees foreign interest in South African
property growing, as the weakness of the rand and the
quality of property on offer is attracting foreign buyers to the South African market. The driven entrepreneur has found her calling in Cape Town property, and
thanks to her work, hopefully others will be able to find
their property dreams here too.
www.reimag.co.za

LISA’S GUIDE TO INVESTING IN SOUTH AFRICAN
PROPERTY FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
1. You make money when you buy a property, not when you
sell it. Find something that is undervalued, or that you
could potentially add value to in the future. Make sure you
are not overpaying because the agent thinks you don’t
know the local market.
2. It can be very difficult to obtain funds as a foreigner. To
avoid disappointment, explore all onshore and offshore
options and make sure that your offers are made subject to
financing going though.
3. Don’t do it alone – a buyer’s agent can guide you through
the process, shortlisting suitable properties, providing local
knowledge, highlighting any pitfalls and giving valuable
unbiased advice.
4. Speak to an independent tax expert or accountant; they
know how to structure your property deal in the most efficient way, especially when bringing in funds from overseas.
5. Location, location, location. Choose a property that is in
the best location, rather than in the best condition. You can
always improve a property but you can’t move it.
6. Always consider a property purchase as an investment; it
may be a holiday home, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t
pay its own way, or even make a profit whilst you’re not
there.
7. Follow your intuition and don’t listen to your peers. If it
feels right, it probably is. Back your intuition with your own
due diligence, and if the numbers stack up, you’re on to a
winner.
8. If buying sectional title, carefully vet H