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2010 IS PROVING A GOLDEN YEAR FOR ANTON DU PLESSIS
Debate in the property world has long been lively on the subject of whether the best performers in the sales and marketing sector are likely to be the big gun agencies (with impressive support and referral systems, big advertising budgets and ongoing training programmes) or the small, highly motivated one and two man bands that can so often surprise the market with excellent achievement.
Anton du Plessis, CEO of Vineyard Estates, is very definitely in the latter category. He has a receptionist, a PA and has just appointed Thys Human, a former international flights Boeing pilot to assist with sales in Constantia. That is his only staff – and he does all the selling himself.
Du Plessis in a 12 day period in late January-early February notched up no less than seven sales, all of which are now going through and all of which were within 4% of the asking price, an achievement which, says du Plessis, he has not seen at any Cape estate agency since 2007.
The total sales value of the houses concerned was over R40 million and the homes sold were in a range from R2,9 to R8,8 million. All were in the central Southern Suburbs of the Cape Peninsula which, says du Plessis, have withstood last year’s downturn far better than most SA residential precincts.
“The benefits of being a solo operator,” said du Plessis, “are that not only are your overheads low, but also that you can make quick decisions to help push through a deal – without having to refer to a senior.
“For example, I can in some instances reduce my commission because I know that I will be handling other deals for the same client.
“Then again, I have once or twice paid part of the conveyancer’s fee to help the client stay within budget or have agreed to a six month delay in payment.”
On one occasion, he said, he undertook (in writing) to deal with any beetle rot problems that exceeded a cost of R2 000 – and this clinched the deal.
This year’s amazing upswing in sales, said du Plessis, is, in his view, partly motivated by 2010 soccer hype and it fulfils a prediction he made earlier that the shorter school holidays would see the property market take off earlier than expected.
But, added du Plessis, there is more to it than that.
“Long experience in this game,” he said, “has shown that the start of a new year invariably ushers in either a bull run or a period of negativity.
“My impression is that property buyers and sellers really being analysing the pros and cons while on their summer holidays. Until then they are often preoccupied with other matters – but over the break they decide one way or the other.
“Fortunately, it is now clear the long negative period of 2009 is no longer in fashion – suddenly everyone wants to jump onto the wagon and all the indicators are that this will continue.”
The big question facing agents, added du Plessis, is what will happen over the World Cup period. Will this result in people becoming so engrossed in what is going on that they lose sight of business or will it stimulate optimism and a desire to buy?
“Right now we do not know the answers but it is significant that several CEOs of property companies have said that hey are budgeting for a ten month year – they see June and July as lull periods.
“I myself am still very optimistic: we have another four deals in the pipeline, one over R20 million.”