Greeff celebrates turning 20
Category Property news
Greeff celebrates the big 20!
20 Years ago, real estate agent, Mike Greeff started Greeff Properties in the heart of Cape Town's Southern Suburbs. "It all began at my dining room table - I was a one-man show working day and night to get mandates," he says. It was a bold move - Greeff was throwing his cap into a ring dominated by well-established real estate giants. "I was something of a David among the Goliaths," he adds. "My vision has always been to grow the company, yet retain that original essence of the boutique agency - offering a niche, personalised and expert service by agents who are undisputed specialists in their areas of operation." It has turned out to be an effective and winning approach, which garnered Greeff Properties the prestigious affiliation with global property giant, Christie's International Real Estate. Their worldwide network of approximately 138 affiliates are hand-selected for their success in luxury property sales and their ability to meet strict standards of excellence.
The Greeff approach has also earned the agency numerous awards, including: Luxury Lifestyle Awards: Best Real Estate Brokerage - 2021, African Property Awards - Best Marketing Real Estate Agency- 2020/21, Christie's Affiliate of the year - 2018 and African Property Awards - Real Estate Agency: Marketing - 2018/19.
The past 20 years have seen Greeff Christie's International Real Estate grow to a complement of 350 including brokers, admin staff, management and interns. "Growing effectively has meant keeping abreast of developments in a sector where technological advances are made in exponential leaps and bounds," says Greeff. "This means supporting our property brokers with up-to-the-minute industry training and finely-tuned, proven marketing strategies, including all-important digital platforms."
Today the Greeff Christie's International Real Estates flag flies at 18 offices distributed in and around the Cape Peninsula and other areas of the Western Cape including the Winelands, Helderberg, Hermanus and Overberg and West Coast.
"Top property specialists are attracted to Greeff Christie's International Real Estate because of our world-class quality offering and because we're not a top-heavy operation burdened by layers of time-wasting bureaucracy," adds Greeff. "The management maintains an open-door policy, allowing for quick decisions and a flexibility which is ideal for sellers, buyers and brokers alike."
With his son, Tim Greeff involved in Greeff Christie's International Real Estates, Mike Greeff has created a living legacy.
"We grew up watching my dad build this business, day after day. He worked incredibly hard, but it's thanks to his efforts that my brother and I were able to receive an excellent education and witness first-hand, the skills and tenacity required for success in the property sector," says Tim Greeff, himself an award-winning real estate broker.
This new generation of Greeffs also represents a growing trend of young, ambitious graduates who are choosing a career in real estate. "This is a sector that's on the move and constantly growing and we intend to keep growing and adding value to our communities with mentorship and training," says Tim Greeff, adding that "giving back" has always been an essential element of Greeff's approach. "I was 7 when my dad started Greeff Properties and he's always had an outreach programme, or sponsored a worthy cause. Various animal welfare organisations, Save The Rhino and The Big Issue are just a few. Our current outreach efforts are going towards Feed The Nation.
Author: Greeff Christies International Real Estate
