Leadhome Properties’ Pretoria team lead, Charles Smith unpacks the tools and strategies he used to achieve this record R13 million sale – then he sold the sellers their next home in under 3 days.
“As a local real estate expert I always try to stay connected to my community, especially through social media via the various community platforms. Earlier this year I came across a post on one of the popular Pretoria East Facebook groups by Riette Boersema, seeking the assistance of an energetic, out-of-the-box realtor to help sell a unique, high-end property in Muckleneuk.” Several of Charles Smith’s current and former clients, happy with the good service they had received recommended Charles on the Facebook post, so he contacted Riette.
A seasoned agent, with over 250 successful property sales under his belt since 2017, Charles Smith has built his reputation as a stand-out agent, with broad experience dealing with multiple property transactions of varying complexity and size at Leadhome Properties.
“An architectural masterpiece, with high-end finishes throughout and views of the Union Buildings to die for, this was a very special property,” says Charles, “I’d not seen anything similar to this before.”
First impressions
“I knew from the start that to put myself in the best possible position to sell this property I needed to sign a sole mandate with the sellers. Fortunately I was able to establish a rapport with them and build a foundation of trust, so we signed the sole mandate and were ready to go to market. “
With prevailing market conditions in South Africa, property is understandably under pressure. “For me, as a property expert in this situation, it is all about setting sellers’ expectations, formulating a proper game plan and using Leadhome Properties’ smart technologies, data-science and tools to achieve the desired result. This instils confidence in our abilities as agents and inspires confidence in both sellers and the buyers alike.” Says Charles.
Pro-Tech and Pro-Touch
Charles understood that in order to reach the right buyer he would need to target a very niche market demographic, one that could not be reached via the standard property portals. “I was very focused on social media boosting and filtering, using Leadhome Properties’ incredible data-science and targeted marketing tools to reach the right type of buyers who would ideally be interested in this property.”
Fortunately, as Leadhome Properties offers a low fixed fee pricing structure Charles was able to keep the listing price extremely competitive, particularly for a property of this stature. This was of hard cash value to both the seller and the market.
Controlling the controllables
“We knew that there might be a chance of people booking viewings merely to see this incredible property, without having any intention or means to purchase it, so we made sure we vetted every potential buyer and after 26 days and several viewings, we found the right buyers who completely fell in love with the property and made an unconditional cash offer at the full asking price. By the following day, the full price amount was paid over to the transferring attorneys and the deal was secure. The cherry on the cake for me was when I found the perfect home for my sellers to relocate to which they purchased very shortly thereafter.
Some might say we were lucky to get this deal over the line, especially in this market. I disagree completely. It’s taken me years in this industry to acquire the skills and expertise I’ve accumulated. There have been many highs and as many lows to where I am today. Throughout, however, I had a very clear strategy and game plan from the get-go and executed it to the best of my abilities. Leadhome Properties and its partners provide its agents with the best tech and data in the industry. This outstanding, proprietary support infrastructure helped me to successfully navigate the many moving parts which culminated in the deal. The fact that we saved our clients over R800 000 in fees due to our low fixed fee pricing structure was also a fantastic win!”
One, two, three – SOLD!
Several weeks later, as the result of a referral which Charles had received from his delighted sellers Riette and Marius Boersema, he successfully concluded an additional third sale, that of a R6,45 million property, to a nearby neighbour.
“I couldn’t have achieved these sales without the amazing support teams and systems at Leadhome Properties.” Says Charles.
Insights into a brand champion
Charles feels it is important to continue to build Leadhome Properties’ brand awareness, particularly within the areas in which he operates. “When the market recognises and understands the brand promise – and its champions – which are its estate agents, it gains credibility in the market. It is this which inspires buyers and sellers to use the brand with confidence.”
Final thoughts?
“It’s not so much about luck, it’s about placing your clients’ interests above anything else, and having a clear plan of action. Seeing blockers and challenges is an opportunity to stand out and do something amazing. I backed myself 100% to get this record sale over the line.”
Contact Charles Smith, Pretoria Team Lead, Leadhome Properties +27 (0)12 940 1970
Curious about how Riette and Marius Boersema sold their R13 million home in record time? Read their journey in part one of this incredible story …
