Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2018 | Page 32

SELLING
Security Tops
Most-wanted Property
Features List
BY NICOLE CHAMBERLIN
M
uggings, petty theft, smash and grabs, home inva-
sions – these are terms South Africans hear almost
daily, whether in the news, neighbourhood chat
groups or directly within their social circles. It’s understand-
able that questions about safety and security are top of mind
when it comes to purchasing property. People want to feel
safe - to make “it won’t happen to me” a much more likely
truth. 
  With crime statistics being a regular talking point
among South Africans, more and more property buyers are
prioritising security features in their hunt for their dream
home or investment purchase. Beyond the average alarm
panel, electric fence, and panic buttons, new developments
are embracing technology for additional modern security
features. 
Mixed-use precincts such as Canary Wharf in London,
Darling Harbour in Sydney, and Battersea Power Station in
London – and closer to home, Melrose Arch in Johannesburg
- are morphing into “smart cities”, and taking new urbanism
to the next level.
Features such as license plate recognition, analytical video
software, smart panels, control rooms, and 24-hour on-demand
call centers for security, medical assistance and a range of other
emergencies, are becoming the norm in modern developments.
This is in addition to security teams on the ground monitoring
the comings and goings of the area. 
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
 “I think the safety and security is the most fundamentally
important feature of these kinds of developments,” says
Nicholas Stopforth, managing director of Amdec Property
Development, and a former resident of Melrose Arch.
“When I first moved to Johannesburg, I lived outside of
Melrose Arch and travelled to work every day. I later bought
an apartment and moved into the precinct. I never really felt
safe living in Johannesburg, having moved from Cape Town.
But all those concerns were 100% allayed when I lived within
the development. It’s a totally relaxed environment – there’s
just no stress at all about security.” 
 Stopforth notes that many millennials are opting for this
kind of inner-city living, choosing apartment living with a
variety of mod cons and pedestrian access to everything they
need within a relatively small area, over free standing homes
in the suburbs. 
 “For millennial buyers, and renters, less is more. Everything
needs to be highly functional, practical, easy to use, and take
up as little space in their lives as possible. Most importantly,
however, safety is their top concern when purchasing or
renting a property,” Stopforth adds. 
 Peet Strauss, Sales manager of the Melrose Arch branch
of Pam Golding Properties also lives, works, and owns a
number of investment properties in the precinct, and says
that many people are investing in the area, including young
renters and international businesspeople.