Top South African estate agents welcoming Notebook model

Sept. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Top-performing agents and independent estate agency principals are taking to the new Chas Everitt Notebook licensing concept like ducks to water, and the company has signed up a total of 17 operators in just six months.

The latest licences issued cover areas as diverse as Hilton in KZN, Bethlehem and Clarens in the Free State and Mayfair and Heidelberg in Gauteng, says Barry Davies, the group’s director of licensing. “And there are also many different reasons for agents to consider a Notebook operation – some of which we had not previously considered.”

One interesting motivation comes from Amy Bharoochi, the Notebook licensee for Johannesburg’s Mayfair area. Previously an agent with another real estate company, and also the mother of four, she says the search for more flexibility in her life was what made her choose Notebook.

“It is very hard to achieve balance in your life when you are trying to perform at your best in a corporate environment and still find quality time for your family. There is constant stress. But with Notebook, I don’t have that. And it’s not that I’m working less, it’s just that I can pick my hours, and that I don’t have to answer to a boss or a partner.

“In addition, Notebook is very affordable compared to a normal franchise system, and I get to keep much more of any commission I earn, which takes the pressure off even more and means I can really focus on my clients’ needs.”

George Page, the new Notebook operator in Clarens, also talks about affordability as a major motivator. “Clarens is a tiny village, and it just did not make sense to me to go the traditional franchise route. The market here is too small to justify the kind of fees and royalties now being charged by the big real estate companies.

“On the other hand, I knew I had to be part of a national organisation with a big footprint and strong marketing system so that my property listings could be properly exposed. Almost all our buyers here come from outside Clarens.

“And Notebook was just the perfect solution to this dilemma. It enables me to fly the flag of a major company and market my listings nationally and internationally without having to pay an arm and a leg for the privilege.”

Davies explains that a Notebook licence grants the operator the right to use the Chas Everitt International brand, its systems, websites, marketing material and training within a defined area. “The entry and operational costs are very affordable and further savings can be made because Notebook licence holders do not necessarily have to operate from formal office premises or hire administrative staff, as our state-of-the-art business systems allow them to manage their own transactions.”

www.chaseveritt.co.za

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