Smart Property: Airbnb launched Smart Property; a system whereby only those, entitled to access a residence, are given the electronic means to do this. Typically, this represents giving out an electronic key that matches a digital lock which gives access only during the rental period.
IOL reports on Western Cape properties:
the Western Cape rental vacancy rate has virtually doubled from 4% in Q 1 to 7.5% in Q 2;
a fixed basic water use cost, in addition to the basic electricity cost has been added to Cape Town homeowner bills;
nevertheless, the city’s house-price growth is still the highest at 10.5% compared to the national figure of 3.93%.
The function of an estate agent is to connect buyers and sellers? Perhaps; much of this role has been taken over by technology and a note in EstateLife holds that this function has shifted to an interpretation of the mass of information in such a way that the purchaser sees only that which suits his needs: Reference
Property agents are supposed to check the probity of their clients via Fica checks and so on. Increasingly one finds agents relying on conveyancers to do this for them; after all, why do your own work when someone else will do it for you, it’s just a favour isn’t it?
Such favours grow to more as the conveyancer becomes beholden to the agent for work. In theory the client chooses the attorney/conveyancer; in practice the client will most often go with a warm recommendation of efficiency by the agent and the conveyancer will often return the favour in the form of a kickback. I confess that taking a bribe for R2k in cash, when you are earning R100k seems rather cheap?
