Dear Reader,

Dear Agent,

In the previous CyberAgent newsletter, 30 March 2004, I asked you two questions:

1. What is the meaning of the phrase "estate agent"?
2. What makes an estate agent the best estate agent?

Today I am going to ask you the third question:

"Do you know what is the role of the estate agent?"

By knowing the answers on these three questions I can truly say that you are on your way to be a successful estate agency or agent.

To help you to be successful here is a small selection of words to live by:

"There are two fools for every market: one asks too little, one asks too much." - Russian proverb

"We aim above the mark to hit the mark" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you." - Aldous Huxley

"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes." - Henry Kaiser

"There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs." - Unknown

Enjoy!

The editor

You can now earn extra commission for your Agency. Yes, we at CyberAgent negotiated a commission percentage of 0.5% on all referrals to Bridgeway.

Who is Bridgeway?

Bridgeway conducts business as a bridging finance company with particular focus on short-term bridging finance in the property sector.

Bridgeway focuses on addressing the cash flow requirements of various participants involved in property transactions - including sellers, buyers, developers and estate agents. Bridgeway's focus has lead to an intimate knowledge of the property market, conveyance processes and associated risk management factors, making Bridgeway a leader in this field.

For example

• Competitors only advance up to 70% or 80% of the commission, whereas Bridgeway would advance 100%!
• Competitors charge a monthly interest charge and an admin fee, whereas Bridgeway charge a once off fee with no interest being payable – no matter how long the transaction takes!!

To enable you to qualify for these commission or should you wish to obtain more information please contact support at 011 955 9100.

William Butler Yearts once said: "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire"

Have we seen a few fires lighting up today with our first CyberAgent Info & Training sessions for 2004! This session was indeed a huge success in many ways. Not only did nearly 60 Agencies get the opportunity to meet and network with each other but they received endless information to assist them on the road forward.

Our first training - info sessions in Durban 2004 is now on its way!

Durban

R.S.V.P
Date: 30 April 2004
Contact: Liesel at 0828568036

Please take note that there are limited seats available!

Program - Overview of the CyberAgent programme focusing on the 9 different modules

To enable us to give you the full benefit of these training sessions we ask you to complete the "Agent User Questionnaire". Click here to go to our on-line Questionnaire now or visit www.cyberagent.co.za/agques.cp

Click here to view the CyberAgent System Flow Slide Show

Judd Lipchin, the Financial Director of Bridgeway Limited, says that sellers should not overlook the importance of taking a deposit from the buyer when selling a property.

In the current market, many banks are granting buyers a 100% bond thereby eliminating the need for a deposit on the purchase of a property. “Despite this”, says Lipchin “a seller should insist on a deposit in order to secure the commitment of the buyer to the transaction.” Lipchin explains that a buyer is far less willing to withdraw from a transaction if he has already parted with his money in the form of a deposit.

One of the problems buyers have with the payment of a deposit is that the deposit lies in either a conveyancer’s or estate agent’s trust account for a long period, up to three months or more, pending registration. Many buyers do not have sufficient cash flow to cater for this, and therefore prefer to secure a 100% bond for the entire purchase price, which has no immediate cash flow implications for the buyer.

Lipchin explains that Bridgeway can come to the assistance of buyers who wish to make payment of a deposit, but who do not wish to have that deposit lying unutilised for a long period of time. “If a buyer has made payment of a deposit,” explains Lipchin, “Bridgeway will consider paying the amount of the deposit back to the buyer once Bridgeway has received confirmation that the bond has been finally granted. If a bond for 100% of the purchase price has been granted, then at that time, Bridgeway will be in a position to refund the deposit to the buyer, less Bridgeway’s discount fee. Bridgeway recovers its funds on registration of the bond.”

This offering is unique in the market place, and assists buyers in making payment of a deposit in order to secure the transaction.

What is Bridgeway

Bridgeway conducts business as a bridging finance company with particular focus on short-term bridging finance in the property sector.

Bridgeway focuses on addressing the cash flow requirements of various participants involved in property transactions – including sellers, buyers, developers and estate agents. Bridgeway’s focus has lead to an intimate knowledge of the property market, conveyancing processes and associated risk management factors, making Bridgeway a leader in this field.

• After capturing all your properties you can simply click the “Update Website” button and update your own website. All other websites will be updated automatically at the same time
• Every time you execute the update option, all active properties are reloaded on all linked websites
• This form also enables you to update CyberAgent and modify your contact details
• Properties must be updated on a regular basis. If no update was done within 30 days, properties will be removed from www.cyberprop.com
• With the click of a button properties will be uploaded to your own website and also to the following websites:
  • www.cyberprop.com
  • www.tiscali.co.za
  • www.real-estate-south-africa.com
  • www.sundaytimesproperty.com
  • and group websites if belonging to a group
    

Soon your properties will also be displayed on: www.msn.co.za !!

All of the above websites are updated simultaneously and paid for by CyberAgent including other avenues of advertising from time to time!

The joint managing director of Wendy Machanik Properties-Proptee (an CyberAgent user), Chantelle Sawyer, reports that their companies boast record sales since their merger on December 1, 2003.

Not only have their turnovers doubled, but the feedback from clients and agents alike is that dealing with a company with a national image and international media connection gives them a sense of confidence.

Co-director Wendy Machanik says that placing the Cape Town advert alongside her Johannesburg ads every weekend has resulted in several sales to investment portfolio buyers in Gauteng.

She adds that the company is boasting ground-breaking sales in Gauteng. "We believe this will have a ripple effect across the board."

Machanik believes that in 2004 we will have a similar market trend to what we had in 2003.

Click here to read more

A warm welcome to all new Agencies:

• Pam Golding (Kowie Marina)
• Pineapple Express
• Chas Everitt
• Henque Properties
• Remax Willows
• Tinus Strydom Noord Oos
• Dynamic Property Rentals

We trust that by now you are well aware of what CyberAgent can do for you. If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Jaco at support@cyberprop.com or phone us at: +27 (0)11 955-9100 or 086 112- 9237

Most Internet enquiries:

The following agencies received the most Internet enquiries for March 2004

Sunday Times enquiries:

• Property Executives - 76
• Kilokor Properties - 26
• Wendy Machanik Properties - 24
• Homenet Sarel Els - 20
• Abba Properties - 18
• Sherlock Homes - 16
• Explore Properties - 14
  

CyberProp enquiries:

• De Huizemark JHB - 89
• Wendy Machanik Properties - 55
• Firzt - 42
• Homenet Stellenbosch - 42
  Kilokor Properties - 42
• Abba Properties - 41
• Homenet Pretor (Pretoria) - 41
• U PROP.com - 39
• Sherlock Homes - 33
  

Property100

Congratulations to Property 100 and Cathy van Niekerk of Visual Estates on the opening of a new branch office in Pretoria North. We wish you all the best for this venture!

Property of the month/week

You can now display a property of the week or the month on your website. Should you wish to make use of this facility you can contact support@cyberprop.com once it is set up, you can decide which property will be displayed, and you can change this as often as you like!

Alternatively - you can have a randomly selected property displaying on your home page - each time a visitor lands on your home page, a different property will be selected.

Your contact details

First of all - thank you all who have completed your contact details! But then to the other 60% of clients who have not revised their contact details - please guys, this is very important for us and for yourselves! To update your details, CLICK HERE.

Important notice to all CyberAgent users

When making a payment into the USP Designs Bank Account please use your Branch ID as a reference number to help us with the allocation of funds and prevention of errors on your statement - please don't simply specify "CyberAgent"!

The CyberAgent user questionnaire

The user questionnaires are assisting us to evaluate the need for support and training seminars, it also assists us in preparing the content of those seminars.

We've received quite a few completed questionnaires - for those who haven't completed a questionnaire yet, click here

Advertising on CyberProp.com

Yes you can now make use of this opportunity by advertising your PRIME properties on the homepage of CyberProp.com. Property of your choice would be displayed for a period of one week and only one property at a time. An opportunity not to be missed!

For more information contact: advertising@cyberprop.com

New enhancement

Estate agencies now receives an email after a successful update of property to their website. If you do not receive an email pls. follow up with support@cyberprop.com

CyberAgent Branding

If you are a CyberAgent user the CyberAgent logo can be used on your marketing material, agency boards, letterheads etc. We would like to create a stamp of approval branding for buyers and sellers to relate to. The CyberAgent logo will tell buyers and sellers that you are a professional real estate agency using professional tools. To receive the logo please email support@cyberprop.com

Are you familiar with the role of the Estate agent?

The role of the estate agent is to bring properties onto the market at an agreed price and introduce potential buyers.

Recommend an asking price

Initially the estate agent will assess the property and suggest an asking price. This figure will have taken into account the...

Click here to read more