"In the major urban areas we find that crime is a concern for agents but, in smaller towns, show houses are still very much a part of the sales process," he said.
Police recently arrested a Durban couple, smartly dressed and posing as husband and supposedly pregnant wife, who visited several show houses and made off with jewellery and small electronic equipment, concealing the stolen goods in her false stomach.
Other concerns, according to Shevil, are for the safety of agents, who are often women sitting alone for several hours at show days. They also provide an opportunity for criminals to inspect properties at their leisure, making a note of security arrangements, the location of valuables and ways to gain access to the house.
Just Property's individual franchises around the country have different ways of dealing with the threat of crime. In Midrand there is a network of agents who share information about suspicious property seekers visiting show houses, although there have not been any incidents there for some years. Others take precautions by making sure there are at least two agents at each show house and ensuring that no valuables are in plain sight.
In many areas of the country though, it is business as usual with show houses being arranged on a regular basis, sometimes even if the agency does not have a sole mandate.
Andrea Stevens, a Just Property agent in Port Elizabeth, makes sure their agency has at least two show days a month: "We believe you have to do show houses to get leads, to advertise the company and to be seen in the public eye as an active agent. Sometimes only one person will come to a show day but if you are a good agent you can still work with this one client by offering them great service which will result in more leads."
This view is echoed by other Just Property agents around the country who value the opportunity to meet buyers in the market at show days and keep their details on record.
In coastal and resort towns, agents find that a large percentage of the people who attend show houses are curious neighbours or holiday makers who are browsing for their own interest rather than actively looking for a house to buy. However, they still feel that the show days are worthwhile for the small number of sales they do generate.
"Sometimes it takes only one show day to get a buyer, whereas for others we can do up to three or four until we sell," said Shaun du Bois, a Just Property agent in Pietermaritzburg. "Many of our enquiries and buyers come from the internet at the moment. I would say that show houses are responsible for 40% of our sales, with 60% generated by enquiries off the web."
Shevil believes that viewing properties on the internet is having a significant impact on the residential sales market. Just Property has developed a sophisticated but user-friendly website that enables buyers to view photographs and do virtual tours of houses online or at their agencies without having to drive to each property.
"This enables them to compile a short-list of those that really interest them so they can spend their time having a thorough look at their top choices rather than driving around," says Shevil. "This is particularly valuable for busy buyers who have limited spare time."
"Sellers are also assured of excellent exposure of their property to a wide pool of buyers through our website with its unrivalled traffic counts as well as our through our extensive database of purchasers and our truly national branch network."
For more information, go to www.justpropertygroup.co.za.
