Port Elizabeth in Nelson Mandela Bay has the most available industrial land close to a harbour in the country, which makes it potentially very attractive to manufacturing investors.
This is according to Kobie Potgieter, broker-owner of Re/Max Independent in PE, who was recently named the 2008 Nedbank Property Professional of the year.
“I see my role, in my year as Property Professional, to help promote the region by securing investment,” she says. “Major investment on the commercial and industrial side will naturally fuel the residential market.
“If we are able to secure substantial capital investment now, we may again see phenomenal growth like we did in 2004 when the market stabilises in about two years time.”
Potgieter says even with the sluggish market, Re/Max Independent only had a four percent decline in their year-on-year sales. This translates to huge growth in their market share.
The agency is currently ranked number one in the Re/Max stable in the Southern and Eastern Cape, which, according to her, can be put down to clever marketing techniques and good negotiation skills.
“I can honestly say that the current downward trend in the industry has not affected me much. In my experience, agents who battle to sell properties are mostly those who find it difficult to assess the buyer and/or haven’t got enough stock for prospective buyers to choose from.”
Potgieter says she has always somehow been drawn to the property industry. “My passion for the industry grew over the years; it is very addictive. Selling a property almost becomes like a drug.”
She says when she sold four properties in a month, she wanted to see if she could sell five the next and so on. She currently sells an average of twelve properties per month.
As the Property Professional of the year, she sees herself as a mentor to other estate agents. “I want to be approachable and really use and share my knowledge to improve the industry at large.”
Earlier this year, Potgieter was named Nelson Mandela Bay’s Business Woman of the Year. She is currently a finalist in the Most Influential Business Woman in South Africa competition.
Issued by:
Full Stop Communications
Coetzee Gouws
082 575 7991
041 368 4992
coetzee@fullstopcom.com
www.fullstopcom.com
On behalf of:
Re/Max Independent