Dear CyberAgent user,

2010 is indeed the year of opportunities. This according to Adrian Goslett, CEO RE/MAX of Southern Africa. While it is anticipated that interest rates will increase in early 2011, the fact that the Reserve Bank announced a 50 basis point cut in the interest rate from 10,5% to 10% bodes well for the future of the real estate market. There has been a noticeable uptick in activity in the property market across the country as the effects of the recession slowly start to ease and appetite for property ownership returns.

“Let’s get ready for World Cup 2010. If you ever wanted to have your own Irish Restaurant and Pub, or if you want to expand your existing operation, don’t miss this exciting opportunity to get in early on South Africa’s fast growing Irish Restaurant and Pub Franchise. Set up requirements R1,897m own capital plus R790,000 financed equipment and items, totalling approximately R2,7m.” This “offer” was mailed to me and left me speechless. I could not help to draw a comparison between an opportunity in the real estate industry and that of the entertainment industry.

Being a previous restaurant owner I can say that there are three approaches to the value of the business, the cost, the sales comparison and the income. Is this not the same in your real estate office?

Estate agents operates in a high-profile sector where the delivering of services is huge with fierce competition. Just like in a restaurant an estate agent must work faster, smarter and more profitably with the best set of tools.

Technology has become an integral part of Real Estate over the past few years. Tools like CyberAgent have played and will play even a more important role in the future of Real Estate. Real estate agencies using a tool like CyberAgent, gain the advantages of using the latest technology to benefit their businesses.

BUT, the big difference, it is not going to cost you R2,7m to set up your little business! In fact as an estate agent we are so lucky that we can start our own “business” within the agency that we’ve joined.

NOW! SA’s hottest Province and top 10 cities as well as top 5 cities per Province for the first quarter 2010! These statistics were obtained from over 1000 websites hosted and maintained by CyberAgent.

Good Luck!
The editor

It was rather difficult to find a listing in the Sales Manager from the dropdown list.

To make this easier, the sale number has been moved to the end of the entry. If a listing is sectional title, the address displayed will be that of the complex, again to make locating a loaded sale easier for the user.

There have also been enhancements to the New Developments in CyberAgent Anywhere. See “From our Support Desk” for details

As mentioned in a previous newsletter, USP Designs has added mapping to www.Cyberprop.com, its client’s as well as affiliated websites.

With this in mind, we now are able to display a map and plot agencies on that map, yet again, a first for the industry.

A web user can now zoom into a particular area on the map and request a display of all Real Estate Agencies for that area. The user can define what area they wish to buy in and then see which agencies are nearest to that area. The area can be as broad as the whole of Southern Africa or it can be focused right down to suburb level.

To help us speed up this process, we ask if you would please enter your agency’s mapping coordinates.

If you are a CyberAgent Professional/Lite user;

you can use CyberAgent desktop application, Under “Site Update” we have added a new “Map Agency Coordinates” button.

Clicking on this button, will open a web page where you will be able to enter your coordinates.

CyberAgent Anywhere;

users can find the link under “Agency Setup” Menu option.

On this page, is a quick find, which will help you to navigate quickly to the suburb where your agency is located. Once you have located your suburb, simple click on the map to plot where your agency is. This will add a pointer and retrieve the coordinates for you. Then Click on the “Update” button to save the coordinates to our database.

Please remember to be as accurate as possible. This will help prospective clients find your premises quickly.

Tayla Erasmus was born on 1 March!

Congratulations to Theo and Erika (Just Imagine Properties)

We at CyberAgent wish you lots if happiness…….and please teach her to use CyberAgent that we know that we have a potential growing client base.

Liewe Elsa en familie (Megador Real Estate),

Ons harte was seer toe ons die tyding kry van Leon se afsterwe.

Ons innige simpatie en gebede gaan met julle. Weet dat ons vir julle bid dat die Here julle sal dra in hierdie tyd van hartseer. Onthou Hy is die balsem uit Gilead.

Mag Sy liefde julle omring en toevou.

Groete van almal van ons hier by CyberAgent!

Hi

My experience with this website has been most unsatisfactory, and led to much frustration and wasted time when searching for properties.

I am not sure if you systematically request agents to remove ads for properties that are no longer available, or automatically remove ads after a certain period of time, but it is definitely an area of concern.

For example, http://www.cyberprop.co.za/showpropertySHAL1000000406.cp has been advertised since I started looking for properties at the beginning of February, and is definitely not available since following up with the agent concerned.

It seems that agents are using the site, and sites similar to yours, to solicit enquiries, rather than advertising available properties and have basically admitted as much. In my opinion, these agents should be blacklisted if they abuse the website.

Regards
Lindsay Smith

Hi Lindsay

Thanks for your email. Unfortunately this is a big problem for us at the moment.

We remove the properties of estate agents who have not updated to our site in 30 days, but some of them still keep their old stock on the site.

We are trying to find a solution for this problem, what I can suggest when searching for properties is to change the display option to show last modified properties first, this will move all the latest updated properties to the top of the results list.

Kind Regards
Johan

To our users

Make sure that you update on a regular basis as you will be losing clients if you don’t!

From Brabys.com

Kindly note we have given you added exposure on the keyword & classified banners on brabys.com as well as banners & skyscrapers on Brabys maps.

Note all traffic is currently going to the www.cyberprop.com site except for the hotspot link which is going to www.brabysproperty.co.za.

Internet Administrator
A C Braby (PTY) Limited

And this is what Andre de Villiers of Chas Everitt had to say about the new weather display on www.cyberprop.com;

“I love it! It will be light rain with occasional sold boards all over Constantia.”

Andre

With over 2 million real estate agents according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), becoming a successful real estate agent takes more than just a license and a knowledge of current laws and regulations. The first year drop out range estimated to be from 40% to 80% demonstrates that many real estate agents are not as successful as they could be and research suggests that 90% give up after 3 years. The following 7 tips may help you avoid becoming one of these statistics...

Click Here for printable .pdf file

We provide you with FREE training session in the following areas;

• Gauteng
• Kwazulu Natal
• Western Cape
• and the Garden Route

During these training sessions more information will also be provided on:

• CyberAgent Anywhere
  
• Keep me Informed Function
  
• New developments in CyberAgent
  
• New Update Manager
  
• REEP (Real Estate Evaluation Portal)

A warm welcome to all new Agencies February 2010:

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 us at support@cyberprop.com or phone us at: +27 (0)11 955-9100 or 086 112- 9237

Most Internet enquiries February 2010:

THE FUTURE OF PROPERTY

The Nedbank Property Association Roadshows gave property professionals a sneak peak into the future of the market, and tips and tricks to make the most of the opportunities that 2010 will bring The Nedbank Property Association Roadshows, which were held in major regions around the country earlier this month, were once again well received by the real estate community, with over 2500 agents in attendance...

Dr Andrew Golding, CE of the Pam Golding Property group, has been elected national president of the Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa (IEASA).

Comments Dr Golding, who was formerly national president-elect of the Institute: "This forms part of the planned succession as envisaged when the merger between NAREA and the IEASA took place. In this regard I wish to pay tribute to my predecessor, Dr Willie Marais, who was instrumental in ensuring the smooth implementation of this transition and who has given selflessly to the Institute over a prolonged period of time.

"Moving forward, a key differentiator for the Institute is the fact that a full-time executive has been appointed as COO of the Institute, namely Pam Snyman, who is well known within the industry," says Dr Golding.

Snyman, who has 24 years of experience in real estate as an agent and MD of her own company, was head of external training for Pam Golding Properties for nine years, serves on the IEASA's Western Cape regional board of directors, and was a member of the standards generating bodies for the FET Certificate: Real Estate NQF levels 4, 5 and 7 – including author for academic material content for several unit standards for the level 4 qualification. In 2002 she was the first member of the real estate industry to be awarded full certification as an assessor - having been involved in the creation of the new industry curriculum as the subject expert called in by the Services Seta to assist in finalising content to cater specifically for the property industry.

Says Dr Golding: "The IEASA faces a number of key challenges - first and foremost being the unification of the real estate industry by incorporating all the real estate groups under one banner, and with the single goal of ensuring that real estate agencies are fully represented. In so doing the IEASA seeks to be able to be in control of its own destiny, and able to lobby important influencing parties and stakeholders. In addition, a further key aim is ensuring that the fully represented Institute is appropriate and relevant to all individual estate agents - adding value to their professional lives and assisting in their daily work. In this regard Pam Snyman, with her vast experience and qualifications in real estate training will be able to add considerable value to members of the Institute, whether he/she is an individual agent or part of a large group. We are hopeful and optimistic of being able to achieve these objectives and call on both individuals within real estate agencies and groups for assistance and support in this regard.

The IEASA has three vice presidents – Ken Ralph RAC PE (Portfolio Regional); Kerry Warburg RAC KZN (Portfolio Legislation); and newly elected Tjaart van der Walt CGAC Realnet (Portfolio International).

The new board members from the Regional Advisory Council are: Ronel Heyns (Garden Route); Charl Heydenrych (Johannesburg Metro); Johalna Minnaar (North) and Clive Taute (East).

The nominations for alternates from Corporate Groups Advisory Council were accepted being: Linda Erasmus (Fine & Country) and Berry Everitt (Chas Everitt). The existing alternate being Col. Pat Acutt (Acutts) remains unchanged.

SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF ESTATE AGENTS NOW LIKELY SAYS RAWSON CHAIRMAN

South African estate agents who have already qualified in terms of the new regulations – or who will do so in the next half year – will soon be a sought after elite, says Bill Rawson, Chairman of Rawson Properties...

The recent budget should, once again, have made the South African public aware of the size of the property sector’s contribution to the revenue collected by SARS, says Lanice Steward, MD of Anne Porter Knight Frank, the Cape Peninsula estate agency...

After a year of hard work and total dedication it was with great excitement that Dormehl Property Group South Africa held their 2009 National Awards Ceremony at the upmarket Calissa Lodge in Cowies Hill...