Do estate agents think some home inspectors are deal killers?
Are home inspectors deal killers? Of course they do. But my definition of a deal killer may be different from yours. A deal killer is not a home inspector who objectively discloses the condition of a house in a balanced and unemotional manner . A deal killer is a home inspector who makes mountains out […]
Another top estate agent advises full home inspection
Sellers should consider professional home inspections before putting their properties on the market, says Lanice Steward, managing director of Knight Frank Anne Porter. Steward points out that most estate agencies now require sellers to sign property condition reports, but some sellers who sign such reports, may not be aware of some of the defects in […]
Estate agents now recommending home inspections
Home inspections have become an unstoppable trend in the South African real estate industry. More and more estate agents are recognising the need to increase transparency in the home buying process by way of supporting home inspections. Estate agency MD, Berry Everitt, in fact, recently called for home inspections to be made compulsory in order […]
Estate agent boss calls for compulsory home inspections
A leading estate agency principal has called for mandatory home inspections in order to protect the large number of first time home buyers in South Africa. Chas Everitt MD, Berry Everitt, says that new entrants to the property market are usually novices when it comes to assessing the condition of a property. Everitt, writing in […]
Home inspections: How agents can manage buyer and seller emotions
The process of waiting for the results of a home inspection can be incredibly stressful for both buyer and seller (not to mention the estate agent!) Every agent knows that no matter how new or old a property is, unexpected defects often pop up in home inspection reports. All three parties have an emotional investment […]
Downscaling still major factor in SA home sales
The Third Quarter FNB Estate Agent Survey shows that financial pressure on home owners is still driving the house market. Agents estimate that 20 per cent of home sales result from downscaling due to financial pressures. Another 21 per cent of sellers are downscaling because of life changes (getting older). Only 16 per cent of […]
Home seller’s inspections
In the current South African housing market, home buyers still have more houses to choose from and it remains firmly a buyer’s market, with the buyer, rather than the seller, calling most of the shots. If you are a seller or a seller’s estate agent, then the question to ask is: Why should buyers stop […]
Zuma shakes up the estate agency industry
President Jacob Zuma has issued a proclamation switching control of the Estate Agent’s Affairs Board (EAAB) to Tokyo Sexwale, Minister of Human Settlements. Previously control and administration of the EAAB fell under the Department of Trade and Industry, which is also responsible for the Consumer Protection Commission. In two related developments: Sexwale told Parliament recently […]
New consumer ruling may change the face of the SA real estate industry
To inspect or not to inspect? That is the question that more and more estate agents are confronting as buyers are increasingly shying away from buying a house without first seeing a comprehensive inspection report documenting the physical condition of the property. In the US, consumer-driven pre-sale home inspections are the norm. About 76 per […]
Top attorney warns estate agents and sellers about the CPA
There is an interesting article in Cape Town’s Weekend Argus Property Section of 26 May 2012. I believe that this debate will continue until there is a test case and the courts rule on sellers’ and agents’ liability under the Consumer Protection Act. Meanwhile hardly a week goes by that an aggrieved buyer does not […]