“Integrity is saying what you mean and meaning what you say.”
My wife, Beth and I live in Richmond, on the N1, in the Northern Cape. We relocated from Northcliff in Gauteng, after having been retrenched from the Retail Furniture Industry where I had spent most of my working career. We wanted a small, safe, and affordable town to call home for the next phase of our lives. After extensive research, we honed in on Richmond in the Karoo, visiting twice before taking the leap and buying a home, through Pam Golding Properties, in 2014.
What most appealed to us was the sincere warmth we felt from local residents and farmers. The lack of visible security was a confirmation that crime in the Karoo, if any, is petty.
Richmond was, and still is, a town moving positively into the future with the help and encouragement of new property owners. Hospitality is the main economic driver and Richmond now has 16 Guest Houses all of which do very well.
In 2019, I was approached by Pam Golding Properties Karoo, on more than one occasion, to consider joining their team as a real estate agent. My experience in retail sales, combined with my enthusiasm and love for my new Town and my involvement with the various aspects of the Richmond community, was exactly what was required to kick-start my career in real estate. Everything else can be taught – The Pam Golding Way. Today, I am proud to report that I have been responsible for approximately 90% of all residential and a few business sales since then. My passion for the town and its community plays a big part in assisting me in selling properties. There is an enormous sense of achievement when one brings new property owners into town who can add value to the economy and impact the future of this lovely Karoo Town. Seeing old Karoo heritage properties being restored is another positive spin-off of my new career in real estate.
My clients originate mainly from the Gauteng, Pretoria, Western Cape, and KZN regions with the demand far exceeding the supply. This can be borne out by the fact that almost all of my properties advertised on the internet are under offer. Being a Pam Golding Properties real estate agent in the Karoo means you not only sell the house, but you also get to sell the lifestyle it offers too. I am extremely pleased to have brought into our fold; a plastic surgeon, an electrical engineer, a Ph.D. in economics, a lecturer in tourism, an artist and author, a member of the National Assembly and several guest house owners to name but a few. Property prices here are still very affordable and offer exceptional value for money.
I have been approached by several competitor agencies with attractive packages. I have declined all of these offers. I believe that my values align strongly with the Pam Golding Properties brand and that it, in turn, helps to attract the right calibre of clients into my Town.
The peaceful environment and the quality of life in this pollution-free Karoo Town of Richmond is something I will not give up easily.