CEO's Message June16

12 months since Tyson Properties expanded its footprint nationally, establishing exclusive real estate offices in both Johannesburg and Cape Town simultaneously, the results have proved the move to be an astounding success. This, despite extremely tough market conditions in areas already inhabited by other established real estate institutions.  
“This was a massive undertaking, the most ambitious of Tyson Properties’ history,” explained Chris Tyson, CEO of Tyson Properties. “Our goal was to expand Tyson onto a national platform, laying a strong foundation in both cities which would enable us to springboard the brand to new heights. We knew we had to make a big impact early on, which we did, through the establishment of some of the most exclusive offices in South Africa, alongside new marketing initiatives and branding.”
Tyson said that, what started as nervous enthusiasm turned to great excitement as the brand flourished, adapting to the new markets while partnering with some of the best players in the industry. 

The upmarket real estate company - started by businessman, Gavin Cunningham and agent, Chris Tyson - started with a single office in Morningside, Durban. Just over a decade on, the company has grown to 23 offices – including the two new offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town – with a staff of 270 agents working in the residential, commercial and rental properties’ sectors as well as the property management division.

The 2015/2016 year saw this continued expansion with a phenomenal 113 new members joining the Tyson brand, 59 of whom were from KwaZulu-Natal, showing the company is on an upwards trend in new areas as well as existing ones. 

Nationally, with the inclusion of the two new offices, Tyson Properties increased its sales by an impressive 38% with the KwaZulu-Natal sector reflecting a 24% increase alone. 
“These figures represent our commitment to exceeding our clients’ expectations by offering quality service and building our brand through innovation,” said Tyson. “This is made even more remarkable by the fact that most companies are experiencing recessionary conditions.”

Although the Cape Town office only opened its doors in April last year, it reached office capacity in only nine months while hitting record sales within the group, topping R68 million in sales for February. This success has prompted the opening of a second office in Cape Town’s City Bowl in May, called Own the Night. 

Likewise, the Johannesburg office, which opened in June 2015, has experienced great success and have just extended its current offices, allowing it to accommodate the largest Tyson Properties’ branch in the country. Plans are already under way to open a second office by the end of 2016.

“At our 11th Annual Awards Dinner, there were a number of top agents listed in Tyson’s top 20 from Johannesburg and Cape Town branches, even though they haven’t been open a full year. This is indicative of our staff dedication and knowledge of the local market.”

This past year’s success bodes well for the company’s long-term plans which include opening another 22 offices in strategic property areas nationwide over the next five years, as well as doubling the current staff compliment to over 500 members and more than tripling the current sales.  
 
“We don’t aim to become the largest real estate company, what we’re looking to do is establish ourselves as a niche market in the real estate sector in some of the most important property areas of South Africa. We grow our business by partnering with the right people who share our values of innovation, forward-thinking and hard work. These elements are also embraced by our staff, who outperform the competition because of a happy, professional work environment.

“We are extremely proud of our accomplishments to date and look forward to what the future holds.”