The crème da la crème of the real estate industry gathered at Montecasino in Johannesburg on Saturday, 10 September to honour those who shine in the real estate profession. Sponsored by FNB, The Property Professional Awards pays homage to estate agents throughout South Africa, who have shown that they have what it takes to be leaders in the industry.
Named as the overall winners, the team of Ryan Chaitowitz and Salmon Frisby from Firzt Realty Company faced stiff competition from the other 14 entrants before eventually emerging as the industry champions. Based in Gauteng, Chaitowitz and Frisby have worked together as a team for the past 11 years and are recognised as two of the top agents within the region. “We believe that part of our team’s success is due to the similar strengths that we share. The fact that we are both able to prospect properties and negotiate to reach a favourable outcome between all parties has proved to be a contributing factor to our exceptionally good sales statistics,” said Chaitowitz and Salmon.
Jan Kleynhans, CEO of FNB Home Loans comments: “It is a great privilege to acknowledge those who consistently perform well in the real estate industry. The 14 finalists in this year’s event were of an exceptional standard and tonight we honour those professionals who have excelled and achieved the high standards set out by this competition.
The candidates went through an intensive judging process where entrants were scrutinised for their performance in a number of different areas including sales figures and service excellence. The judging panel, which comprised of members of the Property Association as well as other closely associated bodies within the industry, evaluated all the candidates on their professionalism, community involvement and their overall dedication to the industry.
Rudi Botha, the convenor of the Property Association said that “the calibre of this year’s entries show that there are estate agents out there who refuse to accept mediocrity and who drive themselves to achieve their goals. This year’s entrants proved that regardless of the on-going challenges facing these professionals, those who truly had the will to succeed would continue to do so.”
“This year’s entrants have come from all around the country which is indicative of a nation-wide commitment to excellence. We salute everyone who has entered and urge others who meet the criteria to put their names forward for next year’s event,” adds Kleynhans.
Botha has welcomed the FNB sponsorship saying that “events of this calibre would not be possible without the on-going support of key industry players. Today, the Property Professional Awards is regarded as the Oscar’s of the property industry and continues to attract South Africa’s finest. The event is a platform for South African’s estate agents to get the form of recognition that they truly deserve.”
The Property Professional Awards, hosted by FNB and the Property Association is the only independent event that recognises and rewards estate agents nationally across the various brand denominations for their dedication and commitment in the real estate industry.
The black tie event was attended, by some of the top names in the property industry and key industry players. Apart from being named as FNB’s Property Professional of the Year, Chaitowitz and Frisby received a floating trophy as well as a R35 000 travel voucher.